Every year Pantone crowns a color of the year, the inevitable deluge of press releases about suitably hued products is unleashed. You’d think that factories were hushed and poised at a standstill waiting for the official decree so that they could douse vast amounts of shoes, handbags, denim, lingerie, watches, jewelry and home furnishings with the annual tincture.
The color is Marsala, in case you haven’t heard. Not the Indian cooking variety but a richer, cabernet version.
Pantone doesn’t just chart color, it aims to “study how color influences human thought processes, emotions and physical reactions.”
And the color authority makes the argument that Radiant Orchid, 2014’s color of the year, encouraged creativity and innovation, whereas, “Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability,” according to a statement by Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
That seems like a lot to ask of a new skirt, but we are all aware that there is a science to color, or rather a science devoted to our perception of color. However, the influence of color is heavily influenced by culture.
Why is pink girly? A century ago, it was acceptable for both male and female infants, children and adults. It was neutral, not just in a “real men can wear pink” sort of way, but legitimately gender neutral. Not today.
There’s a reason you feel comfort in blue if you’re from a Western culture, but if you’re from an Eastern society, you’d find more solace in yellows and reds.
Color affects all of us differently, and it can depend on our history, our eyesight, our heritage or simply our vantage point. It is only our perception of the reflection of light after all. That’s why some people find bright colors too stimulating and others prefer them.
A room of boisterous elementary-school children might be perfectly at home in a bright room of primary colors, but a roomful of office workers would probably demand softer bulbs and a subdued wall color, but those people don’t work at Google.
Color affects mood in nebulous ways. Is the girl walking toward you in the bright yellow dress happier or does she just appear so? Does seeing her make you happier and maybe you’re projecting that onto her? Would she have selected that dress from her closet today if she was in foul mood? And would someone who isn’t happy by nature buy a bright yellow dress?
The answers are debatable and not so important as the questions. Color is what you make it, but that doesn’t mean that it is a small matter.
A few people called Mark Zuckerberg a little bit sexist when he said that he paid minimal attention to his clothing because such frivolous decisions only distracted from his plans for world domination … um … I mean from how to best serve the community. Meanwhile, Marissa Mayer, the chief executive officer of Yahoo!, is famously a clothes aficionado. Although there are reports that her job is not as secure as her fashion prowess.
Zuckerberg explained his lackluster clothing choice at a QA session at his Facebook headquarters in Silicon Valley. He said he selected the personal uniform of a gray T-shirt and denim to conserve mental energy. And apparently, it’s really working for him. He also said little decisions like what to eat for breakfast or lunch can all chip away at efficiency.
But some would argue, and I’m going to raise my hand here, that forcing them into a drab rote uniform day in and day out would be the epitome of soul-crushing, energy-deflating monotony.
When I asked Dacy Gillespie, a local wardrobe consultant who writes the Mindful Closet blog, to corroborate that Zuckerberg is wrong, she said instead that he has a point. Many of her clients, who hate the daily anxiety of finding something to wear, breathe a sigh of relief when she gives them permission to adopt a self-selected uniform.
You don’t say.
“I advise people to not be too adventurous with their clothing,” Gillespie said. “I really think it’s a way to reduce the stress of getting dressed when you stick to certain colors. There’s no reason to force yourself into something that isn’t you.”
So my tangerine skirt and yellow sweater ensemble might not be for you.
Wardrobe stylist and consultant Latoya Elnora said people get themselves into trouble trying to emulate others instead of figuring out what style elevates their personal appearance best.
“Even if you are in a lower-level position, that doesn’t mean the naked eye knows that,” she said noting that people look at you as a package to get their first impression. Most won’t notice the brand name of your dress or suit or even the color if it’s not off-putting, but they’ll get a feeling about you. Some feelings are magnified by color and some feelings are magnified by your persona.
Ultimately, the color you feel most comfortable, confident or happy in is going to be the best color for you. So if you prefer the Fuchsia Rose of 2001, the Chili Pepper of 2007, the Emerald of 2012 or any shade in between over this year’s Marsala, no color institute can dictate that.