"White covers a multitude of sins." - Jonathan Milne
White represents purity, innocence, virtue and fidelity. No wonder wedding dresses are in the color that they are.
In clothing, white is often equated with substantial wealth. It goes back to the days where there were no washing machines and people who wore white, could afford a staff to keep their clothes clean. It is also implied that the person wearing white would not be digging a ditch or servicing your washing machine.
The ancient Greeks supposedly wore white to bed to encourage pleasant dreams - those Greeks they wanted to be hedonists while they slept as well.
White implies the absence of color - however if you go down to your local paint store you will find more shades of white than any other color.
Although white is neutral it is often considered a cool color because of its association with snow and ice. In interior design and architecture this rings true as well. White interior spaces especially modern museums or galleries always tend to feel cooler even if the thermostat is at 75 degrees.
Richard Meier, one of the most prolific architects in the United States has come to "own" white in his work. Unlike Luis Barragan who used vibrant colors, Meier has utilized white in almost every detail of his buildings.
Safety and medical products are often white to suggest antiseptic cleanliness. White is also used in dairy product packaging for obvious reasons.
A little more about the color White:
- White symbolizes death in India, China and Japan because of its association with angels and heaven
- White also stands for truth and goodness. A little "white lie" isn't so bad after all
- In old movie westerns the good guys wore white hats while the bad guys wore black
- According to Pantone white is the best selling color for the classic american t'shirt. I think Mr Brando and Dean may have something to do that..
Excerpts taken from The Complete Color Harmony, by Tina Sutton and Bride M Whelan, Rockport Publishers
