The Symbolism of Color

Red 

Red symbolizes love, deep passion, and life. 

There are many theories as to why red symbolizes love. Some think it is because when someone is embarrassed or lustful blood will rush to their face making them appear flushed. It may also have connections to the human heart pumping blood. Blood is a dark red color and when a person’s body goes through feelings of intense emotion, the heart will beat faster, this is why many people use the heart as a love symbol. 

White 

White symbolizes purity or innocence. 

Have you ever wondered why brides wear white to their wedding? While this practice has been around for thousands of years, it surprisingly did not become widely popular until Queen Victoria wore a white gown in 1840 to her wedding. It is not fully explained why white reflects these symbols but perhaps it is because white will show stains so you must be very clean when wearing it, or maybe it is just traditional. 

Black 

Black symbolizes death, sadness, and power. 

It is customary to wear black when attending a funeral, but why? Some think it is because the living is “in the dark” about what happens after death. Others believe it is a tradition that began in the Roman Empire where the family of the dead would wear black garments. However the connection to death started, the color black also can be worn as an expression of power. Perhaps this is why at formal events it is common to dress in black-tie attire. 

Purple 

Purple symbolizes royalty. 

While it is more difficult to trace back the symbolism with other colors, purple is quite simple. A dye called “Tyrian purple” used to be very rare so producing clothing with it was expensive. Due to this, only royals could afford such garments. There was even a point where it was forbidden for anyone to wear a color other than royals. Thankfully, in today’s age, everyone can enjoy the color. 

Blue 

Blue symbolizes calmness, truth, and sadness. 

Due to the color blue’s association, blue is often found in hospitals. This is because, in hospitals, the patients need to be able to trust their doctors and be calm during their visits. While it does help some people achieve serenity, for others it emits sadness. Have you ever heard the phrase “in the blues”? This is used to share that someone is sad. Since water is seen as blue in the ocean, many think that tears have been connected to the color too, relating blue to sadness. 

Green 

Green symbolizes nature and life. 

The color green is everywhere. It is a prominent color in nature and is seen in trees, plants, and grass. Since all these things are living, there is also a connection to life and its phases of it. Like all living things, there is a circle of life and green is a standard color to symbolize it. 

Next time you are picking out an outfit to wear, think about how you want your outfit to reflect your emotions for the day.