By Kathy Hughes
Contributing Writer
A pink house? In Syracuse, it might be considered an eyesore, but in Florida it would fit right in. Likewise, this time of year people in the Philadelphia airport are dressed in dark browns, blues, greens, reds and even black; compared to the Charlotte, NC airport, where light colors predominate, which would never be seen this time of year anywhere north of Richmond, VA.
A few years back, a woman was new to our workplace, having moved here from California. Everything she wore for the first few weeks was bright, sunny colors — yellows, pinks and oranges. That didn’t last very long, and I don’t even think anyone said anything to her. Yet, why would she ever conclude it was inappropriate?
What brought all these observations to mind was a group of photos from a Miami, FL friend. There she was in her bright, lime green outfit posing in front of a pink building. One would know without being told that the picture wasn’t taken in Syracuse. Why can’t we, or I, for that matter, dress like that in winter?
Many years ago, the house directly across the street from us, was painted a bright, almost neon, yellow. When our realtor saw the imposing view through the picture window in our living room, she informed us that we would have difficulty selling our house because the house across the street was an unacceptable color. That made me think: in Florida or California, a brightly colored house would not be a problem. Why?
Given, there are changes afoot, for instance, men now comfortably wear pink and purple; bridesmaids can wear black. Other exceptions would be for sport clothes, including ski wear, where bright colors are quite fashionable; but, for work? No. Definitely there seems to be regional pressure to adopt a uniform which says, “I belong here.”
Of course, I understand the concept that it is important to fit in with everyone else, or, at least not to stand out. But why should it fit in one place, and not another? Is it the weather? A trip to Denmark will tell you climate is no explanation. The buildings there glow with color, despite the cold and the long hours of winter darkness: pink, yellow, coral and peach, blend in with the pastel blues and greens, even an occasional red. In Seattle, WA, people tend to dress in neutral earthy colors, and not just in winter.
The answer to varying color palettes in different places must lie in psychology, and reflect traits like optimism vs pessimism or conservatism vs liberalism; perhaps, there are elements of creativity, individualism and freedom of expression. Perhaps, there are historical reasons such as the Redcoats getting shot at during the Revolutionary War. It isn’t clear to me how to read the statements being made by color coding, and it is possible, I suppose, that I am just trying to read too much into it, but truthfully, I don’t think so.
