Insights on its use in Culture, Branding and Fashion.
Welcome to the sunny side of color! As the brightest of all the colors on the color wheel, yellow is such a strong color that it is best used with a light touch. As the American poet Emily Dickinson once wrote,
“Nature rarer uses yellow
Than another hue.
Saves she all of that for sunsets
Prodigal of blue
Spending Scarlet, like a woman
Yellow she affords
Only scantly and selectly
Like a lover’s words.”
Emily’s reference to the sparing use of yellow—that Nature itself saves the color for sunsets—reflects how color is applied in the world of fashion and design: very judiciously. The exception is when one wants to steal the show, obviously, because yellow is hard to ignore!
Symbolically, the color yellow has been associated with sunshine, summer, warmth, and energy as well as optimism, happiness, intelligence, imagination, and wealth.
These associations have been true throughout history. In ancient Egypt, yellow was associated with gold, spirituality, and the sun. In Japan, yellow represented bravery, wealth, and refinement. And among several of the North American Indian nations, yellow was the color of gold and corn, and therefore represented wealth and success.
On the flip side, yellow has also been associated with caution, jealousy, illness, cowardice, and betrayal.
For example, in France, yellow signified jealousy, betrayal, weakness and contradiction. In fact, during the 10th century the French painted the doors of traitors and criminals yellow. In Germany, yellow also symbolized jealousy. And in Latin America, the color yellow has always represented mourning.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/blog/what-colors-mean-in-other-cultures/
Today, yellow continues to communicate warmth and cheerfulness—especially for brands.
Another interesting application of the color yellow is its use in branding. Is it any coincidence that some of the most successful brands have the color yellow in their logo? With their cheery “here comes the sun” presence, brands like Cheerios radiate positivity and energy—a great way to start the day.
Then, there are the golden yellow logos of successful restaurant brands like Denny’s and McDonalds—practically welcoming us with their bold signage to come in and enjoy a friendly meal. (It also doesn’t hurt that the color can be spotted from farther distances than most any other color!)
Brands aren’t the only ones to use yellow to their advantage.
Blondes, brunettes, and redheads can, too.
So, what’s the right yellow to wear for each?
It all depends. For the sake of keeping things simple, I’m going to share how individuals can wear yellow based on their hair color and/or skin tone.
The Best Shades of Yellow for Brunettes
If you’re a brunette, chances are there are many shades of yellow that you can wear. One way to choose a shade of yellow is to look at the color, vibrance, or richness of your hair color and match it to a yellow that is equally strong in its impact.
For example, a striking brunette with dark brown hair can pull off a bold yellow dress and accessories.
The color of her hair and the warm undertone of her skin are complemented by this yellow.
You can really see both her and the yellow. Great Harmony.
Picking your yellow is playing a matching game. Find one that supports your beauty and does not compete against you.
Having warm golden undertones or even just a great tan can also help brunettes pull off the rich, warm, yellow gold tones.
Dark-haired brunettes can also wear lighter, brighter yellows to create a greater contrast against the skin and/or hair, which can create a stunning look.
Lighter brunettes have a medium shade to their hair coloring and do well wearing yellows that are medium as well. This color strategy can help ensure that clothes worn to highlight and complement the individual—and not outshine her.
The Best Shades of Yellow for Redheads
Redheads often stand out in the crowd for their fiery locks. Some are natural beauties but most dyed their hair. However, many are actually accidental redheads because the lifting process for dying their hair revealed a red undertone that was not expected.
One way to tell if there is a hidden red pigment in the hair is to look at your eyes. Brown eyes and brown specs in colored eyes often are a clue that there may be a red undertone, so make sure your colorist pulls the color past the red if you weren’t planning to be a redhead!
As a matter of fact, redheads are such individuals that there is no across-the-board recommendation for wearing yellow. If you are a redhead, it is better to consult your color consultant for the best results. Or, try wearing green instead—it is a lot easier!
The Best Shades of Yellow for Blondes
Blondes have a wide range of shades, plus their hair color can go from cool to warm in tone. As such, their yellows can vary as well.
For honey blondes and golden blondes, the most flattering yellow often is in the same tonal range of the hair, which is can have a wider range because of the hair’s highlights.
For light to platinum blondes with fair complexions, it is best to keep to yellows that are light and/or within the same tone as the hair.
For light-haired blondes or for those with silver hair, that have warmer peachy skin tones or tans, one can wear warmer yellows as well. Colors within a color family all go together perfectly.
Here’s another way to see the relationship between the different yellows and one’s hair color.
Take a look at these two examples of the difference between yellows. On the left is a Chrome Yellow based color fan, and on the right is a Cadmium Yellow color fan:
As you can see, ash blondes are based on Chrome Yellow, while golden blondes are based on Cadmium Yellow.
Conclusion
As you can see, yellow has a presence that just can’t be ignored. Its attention-getting vivacity combined with its symbolism for Nature’s most powerful and valuable elements, the sun and gold, yellow could be crowned the all-around “king of the colors.”
Enjoy this blog and want to learn more about color?
To really understand color, sign up for the ColorInsight color classes using the color ColorProfile System™. Taught by one of the nation’s leading color experts, Mary Lou Manlove, the ColorInsight color classes will teach you how to see color in a whole new way. This series of classes—which starts with ColorKinetics™ to help you learn your colors, and thens progresses to Color Profile™ to help you master color—will give you new color skills that you can use for yourself or even help others!