All Color Matters

Commenting on the cuteness of a newborn can sometimes offer a risk in testing our abilities to deduce gender. To reassure the observer, that it is in fact a she, not a he—parents often use color cuing through clothes, blankets or a cuddly stuffed toy. Decades ago however, gender confusion was the norm since fashion had a more homogeneous approach that lasted till young adolescence. From the 1800’s to 1890’s both girls and boys dressed in white, up until they began to walk. To confound the onlooker even more, both sexes wore dresses or short skirts beginning at age six till their seventh birthday. With a nod to an underlying connection to innocence, white’s practical use allowed for bleaching with abandon to remove stains. The actual ritual of assigning color to gender (in Western culture) didn’t occur until the 1920’s. Pink was considered a suitable color for boys because of its close relation to red—a more masculine color to wear. Blue was thought to be more appropriate for g...

Not unlike many parents I, too, have been guilty of tirades that try to ground my child with economic realities. When I was young I often heard, “...when I was your age, we used our imaginations when listening to the radio ...so use yours...and pretend it’s in color.” When I was young, black and white TVs were called “consoles”, and the remote control was the youngest family member jumping up-and-down to change channels. Owning more than 1 TV, even color, seemed unfathomable. In the U.S. today, the average household has 3 TVs in their home—a mantra repeated by my 11 year-old who feels this evidence is enough to rally support for one in her bedroom–NOT! In the 1960’s, only the well-off kids could afford a color TV in my neighborhood. If a family did commit to buying one, the decision was never considered frivolous. (The average income in 1965 was $6,600/yr. A TV manufactured by RCA had a starting cost of $399.99). Often encased in fine wood cabinetry (to match your decor style), c...

The color red is known to escalate the body’s metabolism through the pituitary gland. Respiration, blood pressure, and heart beat become altered in reaction to red’s physiological imprint on us. It is no wonder that this color has become so closely associated with highly emotional responses such as anger, energy, good health, fertility, passion, sensuality and love. Because of these instinctual reactions, different cultures have worn this color to mark the passing of life’s important milestones. Red remained an elusive color to produce for many centuries. Many processes were explored in different parts of the globe to find a manufacturing procedures that would produce a vibrant color that wouldn’t fade easily. Prior to the introduction of synthetic dyes (the middle of the 19th century) red became a status symbol. Replaced by purple as the preferred color among monarchs, high-ranking government officials and as a visual symbol to separate the gentry from the poor. In some cases the...