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To start, it’s important to note that I’m not here to promote any scientific findings. My joy of color is completely personal and my love of monochrome outfits is completely out of a desire for simplicity – which is a nice way of saying laziness. That said, there are interesting color theories out there. From colorful auras readings to make sense of internal feelings to design-forward color schemes to help order a room to color-based acupuncture treatment plans to sooth body, mind, soul there are a lot of ways to understand how the rainbow both affects and is reflected in us.
Some of the meanings of certain shades are steeped in history. For example, the Roman Empire designated purple as royal and in many cases purple is still considered a hue that represents power. White is often thought of as a color that represents peace and love. The connotation of love dates back to the white dove in Greek mythology and the goddess Aphrodite, while peace is connected to the white flag of surrender, which first came into the consciousness during the Han Dynasty. In traditional Chinese medicine, certain shades correlate directly to body parts and elements – the heart is red and connects to fire, the spleen is yellow with the element of earth.
For me, I first became enamored with color theory through design and artwork, where the meaning of colors seem to vary but can be distilled to fairly straight-forward associations – red is passionate, blue is cool and calm. Diving deeper, the book, The Secret Lives of Color, added more fuel to my rainbowed-fire and opened up new meanings for shades I previously found boring, like brown. That said, at the end of the day, we all have our own relationship with different dyes. For me, embracing monochrome outfits began naturally – a dressing strategy that is easy to lean into when I wake up late. Plus, especially in chaotic times, it organizes my thoughts. It’s simple, it’s polite, it’s easily digestible. It’s akin to a fashion palette cleanser. The best part? You also don’t have to choose one color for forever – this isn’t Wild, Wild Country – you can lean into whatever color you are feeling when you are feeling it. Or, depending on when you do your laundry, what colors you have available.
So whether you’d like to lean into established theories or ponder some on your own, I hope these single-colored suggestions help you achieve the mood you are looking for. And, if not, I can guarantee that the simple pleasure of matching will spark some joy. With sweatsuits replacing more traditional workwear, suiting is definitely as much about color coordination as it is style so far this year.
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