Clothing color (color of clothing) is an essential aspect of the aesthetic properties of clothing. The color of

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natura ...

has a significant impact on one's appearance. Our clothes communicate about us and reveal our social and economic standing.

Significance

Color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

is a visual characteristic that is described by terms like red, orange,

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In th ...

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters ...

etc. Typically, it is the color of an object that attracts the most attention. Color is one of the primary properties that is noticed when a consumer makes a decision to buy a dress. The colors are distinctive and distinguishable; we frequently refer to clothing by its color, for instance, a "blue shirt."

Self decoration

Decoration of self is prevalent in societies, and self-decoration is a fundamental characteristic of humans. Decorative values of clothing are regarded as "primary if not the most primary." Hence, as a decorative element, color plays a critical part in meeting the necessary criterion.

Aesthetic comfort

Colors create aesthetic comfort when combined with fabric construction, the finish of the clothing material, garment fitting, style, and fashion compatibility. All these elements collectively contribute to satisfying our visual perception.

Symbolic representations

Historically, different societies have set their own restrictions and norms for different clothing. For example, during the

Tudor period The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began wit ...

, the crimson red color was not allowed in the ranks below the “knights of the garter.” Colors of clothing have specific associations with certain types of clothing styles and symbolize cultural beliefs. Blue, for example, is closely associated with

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been p ...

. * The

Saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...

color is considered sacred in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

. * Tekhelet in Judaism is the holiest color of Judasim. It is a blue or violet dye. * The color

( ar, أخضر, translit='akhḍar) has a number of traditional associations in

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

. In the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

, it is associated with

paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...

Social significance

Colors have social, cultural and political significance. Clothing colors also discriminates. In the past, some societies and cultures have adopted unconventional fashion trends.

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

and

, for example, have a gender stereotype. In Hinduism, for example, widows are required to wear white, and in contrast to this Brides in western cultures wear white wedding gowns. In Christianity, the color black is associated with mourning.

Identity

Clothing color represents the identity of political parties, sports teams, and various professions. The

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...

uses the

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

in their promotional activities. Cricket whites is a type of white colored uniform worn in the

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

s of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

. A

white coat A white coat, also known as a laboratory coat or lab coat, is a knee-length overcoat or smock worn by professionals in the medical field or by those involved in laboratory work. The coat protects their street clothes and also serves as a simple ...

is a smock worn by professionals in the

medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

field or by those involved in

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physi ...

work. There are various terms denoting groups of working individuals based on the colors of their collars worn at work. (See:

Designation of workers by collar color Collar color is a set of terms denoting groups of working individuals based on the colors of their collars worn at work. These can commonly reflect one's occupation within a broad class, or sometimes gender; at least in the late 20th and 21st cent ...

) *

White-collar worker A white-collar worker is a person who performs professional, desk, managerial, or administrative work. White-collar work may be performed in an office or other administrative setting. White-collar workers include job paths related to government, ...

is a social class; person who performs intellectual labor. *

Blue-collar worker A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...

is a working-class person who performs manual labor. *

Pink-collar worker A pink-collar worker is someone working in the care-oriented career field or in fields historically considered to be women's work. This may include jobs in the beauty industry, nursing, social work, teaching, secretarial work, upholstery, or ...

is someone working in the care-oriented career field or in fields historically considered to be women’s work. This may include jobs in the beauty industry,

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely ...

, secretarial work, or

child care Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...

Uniform

A uniform depicts the use of a similar color of clothing in a group, organization, or profession.

School uniform

A school uniform is a standardized outfit worn by

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementa ...

s of an educational institution.

Military uniform

A standardized dress worn by military personnel and paramilitary groups of various nations.

Political uniform

A political uniform is distinctive clothing worn by members of a political movement.

Sportswear

A Standardized sportswear may also function as a uniform for sports teams. In team sports, opposing teams is usually identified by their clothing colors, while individual team members can be identified by the back number on their shirt.

Dress or Garments by color names

Pink Chanel suit of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was wearing a pink suit when her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. She insisted on wearing the suit, stained with his blood, during the swearing-in of Lyndon B ...

White tie White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal in traditional evening western dress codes. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a wh ...

* Little black dress *

Black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn wore a "little black dress" in the 1961 romantic comedy film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's''. The garment was designed by Hubert de Givenchy, and is worn during the opening scene of the film. The dress is referred to as one of the mo ...

White dress of Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe wore a white dress in the 1955 film ''The Seven Year Itch'', directed by Billy Wilder. It was created by costume designer William Travilla and worn in the movie's best-known scene. The image of it and her above a windy subway grat ...

* Marilyn Monroe's pink dress *

Black dress of Rita Hayworth In the 1946 film '' Gilda'', Rita Hayworth wore a black dress made by American costume designer Jean Louis. It was used in a scene in which the character of Gilda sings the song " Put the Blame on Mame", improvising a quick striptease, choreograp ...

Fashion

Color of clothing is a key factor in capturing people's attention and persuading them to purchase a product.

Quotes

Psychology

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the pre ...

s believe that the colour of our clothing influences our stress levels and moods. Color enhances a person's experience of their surroundings.

Literature

The colour saffron is associated with the goddess of

dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's ...

( Eos in Greek mythology and

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

in Roman mythology) in classical literature: Lord Frederic Leighton - Cymon and Iphigenia - Google Art Project

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...

'':

Now when Dawn in robe of saffron was hastening from the streams of
Okeanos OKEANOS (Oversize Kite-craft for Exploration and Astronautics in the Outer Solar system) was a proposed mission concept to Trojan asteroids, which share Jupiter's orbit, using a hybrid solar sail for propulsion; the sail was planned to be cove ...
, to bring light to mortals and immortals,
Thetis Thetis (; grc-gre, Θέτις ), is a figure from Greek mythology with varying mythological roles. She mainly appears as a sea nymph, a goddess of water, or one of the 50 Nereids, daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus. When described as ...
reached the ships with the
armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
that the god had given her. (19.1)

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...

'':

Aurora now had left her saffron bed, And beams of early light the heav'ns o'erspread, When, from a tow'r, the queen, with wakeful eyes, Saw day point upward from the rosy skies.

Value addition

Greige goods have limited shades ranging from offwhite to white, colors add value to the products. Application of color involves many

textile arts Textile arts are arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects. Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization. The methods and materials u ...

such as

dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular c ...

printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

, etc.

Royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of whom won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. Brightness The '' Oxford E ...

dye is one of the costliest dye to obtain the Royal blue

hue In color theory, hue is one of the main properties (called color appearance parameters) of a color, defined technically in the CIECAM02 model as "the degree to which a stimulus can be described as similar to or different from stimuli that ...

s. Different colors have different cost because of longer and shorter dye cycles.

Application

Colors can be applied to textiles in a variety of ways, the most common of which are

and

. Dyeing is a uniform color application, whereas in printing, color is applied in certain patterns. Coloring has a set of procedures.

Seasons and colors

Retail Retail is the sale of goods and Service (economics), services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturing, manufacturers, dire ...

ers and buyers design the

merchandise Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more ...

as per the seasonal forecast. Primarily, there are four seasons:

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( ...

and

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

. Some

fast fashion Fast fashion is a term used to describe the clothing industry's business model of replicating recent catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, mass-producing them at a low cost, and bringing them to retail stores quickly, while demand is at it ...

brands, like Zara, have more than four seasonal changes on their shelves. There are professional organizations that forecast colors, such as the Color Marketing Group,

Color Association of the United States The Color Association of the United States (CAUS), known until 1955 as the Textile Color Card Association of the United States (TCCA), is an independent color trend forecasting and color consulting service to the business community, known for its ...

, and International Colour Authority.

Color matching systems

Pantone Pantone LLC (stylized as PANTONE) is a limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, notably graphi ...

is a standardized color reproduction system that conveys colors through color matching systems.These standards can be used by manufacturers all over the world.

= Production

= Textile dyeing mills use color standards in physical and digital forms for the reproduction of these colors. Physical color standards are cut pieces of reference colors, whereas digital color standards are known as "QTX files" (Spectral data), which is a more efficient method. When working with colour matching and quality control software, it is possible to import a QTX file. With regard to colour, a QTX file is simply a text file containing reflectance measurements for the colour in question.

= Measurement (Delta-E)

= Color is a subjective visual perception that varies between individuals. There are

spectrophotometers Spectrophotometry is a branch of electromagnetic spectroscopy concerned with the quantitative measurement of the reflection or transmission properties of a material as a function of wavelength. Spectrophotometry uses photometers, known as sp ...

that can objectively compare spectral values and colors. Though colors are viewed visually and digitally, both depend on the customer's requirements. Delta E (dE-CMC) expresses the difference between the original standard and the reproduction.

Alternative technologies for color application

Structural coloration

Microstructures that interfere with the light cause structural coloration. Some examples of structural coloration include bird feathers and butterfly wings. (see:

Iridescence Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

) Nanocoating (of microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with

visible light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 t ...

) in textiles for

biomimetics Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from grc, βίος (''bios''), life, and μίμησ ...

is the new method of

structural coloration Structural coloration in animals, and a few plants, is the production of colour by microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light instead of pigments, although some structural coloration occurs in combination wi ...

without

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

s. In structural coloration, interference effects are used to create colors instead of using pigments or dyes.

Gallery

File:NED-DEN Euro 2012 (24).jpg,

UEFA Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...

match between Netherlands and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. Two teams in different colored uniform. File:Marilyn Monroe photo pose Seven Year Itch.jpg,

Photo of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

, posing while filming ''The Seven Year Itch'' on the streets of New York. File:(A) Sadhu India.jpg, A

Sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

in orange dress File:Magdalena Frackowiak.jpg, Magdalena Frąckowiak wearing a cherry colored gown. File:US Navy 091002-N-3442D-001 Members of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard stand at parade rest before the start of the retirement ceremony for Rear Adm. Jon W. Bayless Jr. and Rear Adm. Edward.jpg, Enlisted sailors of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in Full Dress Whites during a retirement ceremony. File:Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Movie Trailer Screenshot (34).jpg, a

shocking pink Pink colors are usually light or desaturated shades of reds, roses, and magentas which are created on computer and television screens using the RGB color model and in printing with the CMYK color model. As such, it is an arbitrary classificat ...

dress. Marilyn Monroe's pink dress File:Coast Guard Full Dress Blue uniform.jpg, Members of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...

in Full Dress Blue during a change of command ceremony at

Coast Guard Base Kodiak Coast Guard Base Kodiak is a major shore installation of the United States Coast Guard, located in Kodiak, Alaska. The largest tenant unit on the base is Air Station Kodiak. It is also the home port for several cutters. Historic elements that ...

. File:Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry avril detail.jpg,

1400–1500 in European fashion Fashion in 15th-century Europe was characterized by a series of extremes and extravagances, from the voluminous robes called houppelandes with their sweeping floor-length sleeves to the revealing doublets and hose of Renaissance Italy. Hats, ho ...

File:Fair Trade. Frieze Projects 2012 (cropped).jpg,

Models A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

at an event in UK, wearing (from left to right)-

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and ...

, mini skirt.

References

{{Color topics Clothing Color appearance phenomena Textiles Visual perception Color of clothing Articles containing video clips