COLOR

DESIGN’S
MOST EXCITING
ELEMENT
• Color is the most important element of design.

• It is the first thing that attracts the consumer to the

garment.

• Consumer relates emotionally to the color the garments.

• Color reflects personality, character and taste of a person.

• There are certain personality types which are
associated with colors, for instance people who
are found mostly clad in shades of blue are
perceived to be cool, calm and peaceful.

• Softer shades of Greens and Browns also fall under

the peaceful category.

• A complete contrast is the red color which

usually connotes ego, authority, power,
confidence and supremacy.

• So there are certain personality traits that are

associated with every color, and that makes it
important for you to give due consideration to
your choice of color, depending upon the kind of
image that you wish to portray.
 COLOR HAS THREE
DIMENSIONS OR QUALITIES:

• Hue
• Value
• Intensity
 HUE
The name given to a color.

RED YELLOW VIOLET

 VALUE
The lightness or darkness
of a color
 TINT
Made by adding white to a color
so that it is lighter.

+ =
HUE WHITE TINT
 SHADE
Made by adding black to a
color so that it is darker.

+ =

HUE BLACK SHADE

 INTENSITY
The brightness or dullness
of a color.

FUSCHIA - HIGH INTENSITY

OLIVE - LOW INTENSITY

a vivid pinkish shade of red, named after the flower of

the fuchsia plant, which took its name from the 16th century German
botanist Leonhart Fuchs
 NEUTRALS
(NOT REALLY COLORS)

White
No color
Black
All colors
Gray White + Black
Beige
Can be used with most colors
COLOR WHEEL

A GUIDE TO STUDY
HOW TO CHOOSE AND
COMBINE COLORS
 PRIMARY HUES
RED YELLOW BLUE

•Pure and basic

•Cannot be made from any other colors
•All other colors are made from these
•Equal distance from each other on color wheel
 SECONDARY COLORS

•Made by mixing equal amounts of 2 primary colors

•Found halfway between the primary hues on the wheel

+ ORANGE
=

+ = GREEN

+ = VIOLET
 INTERMEDIATE (TERTIARY)
HUES

Made by mixing equal amounts of adjoining primary

and secondary colors.
 THE COLOR
WHEEL CAN BE
DIVIDED INTO
WARM AND
COOL COLORS
 WARM COLORS - red, yellow & orange

Appear hot like the sun or like fire

Give feelings of gaiety*, activity or cheerfulness
Appear to advance-they make body look larger
Can give a nervous impression if overdone

*the state or quality of being light-hearted or cheerful

COOL COLORS -blue, green & violet

Remind us of water or sky

Give feelings of quietness or restfulness
Appear to recede and make body look smaller
Can be depressing if overdone
 MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEME
This is a one-color plan that uses different tints, shades and
intensities of the color

BLUE
 ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEME
This color scheme uses related, or neighboring colors on the
color wheel with varying values and intensities of the colors.
COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCH
EME
This color scheme uses opposite hues on the color
wheel. These colors are across from each other on the
wheel and have great contrast.
 SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY
COLOR SCHEME
This color scheme uses three colors, one color with the two
colors on each side of its complement.

VIOLET
 TRIAD COLOR SCHEME
This color scheme combines three colors equidistant on the
color wheel and has a great deal of contrast.
ACCENTED NEUTRAL COLOR
SCHEME
This color scheme combines white, black, gray or
sometimes beige with a bright color accent.
 All colors are beautiful, depending on
personal taste.
If not used wisely or combined well, color
can cause apparel to look too gaudy* or
very drab.
Harmony results when hues, values and
intensities are combined in a pleasing way.

*extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless

 The Color
White
•White is the sum of all other colors in the spectrum, reflects light and
is considered a summer color.

•Wearing white keeps you cool and contrasts bright colors of spring
and summer nicely.

•Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity.

•Doctors and nurses traditionally wear white to imply sterility.

 The Color Black

•Black absorbs light and is hands-down the most stylish and timeless
color in the world of fashion.

• This legendary status may be in part due to the fact that black
makes people look thinner.

•Dramatic black is often worn by creative types, and in our

commercial society black is the color of authority and power.
 The Color Red
 Red is the color of passion and love, and
the most emotionally intense color.

 Red also produces a biological response,

getting people all hot and bothered by
quickening the pulse and increasing the
breathing rate.

 While red is definitely regarded as a sexy

color that draws attention, red also makes
the wearer look heavier and is an
appetite stimulant* – perhaps this
explains common weight gain during the
holiday season.

 Red can also appear confrontational –

think of matadors** – so avoid red when
carrying out negotiations, as it may work
against you.

**a bullfighter whose task is to kill the bull

*a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, especially for food

 The Color Pink

•Pink is a very gentle and calming color that stimulates feelings

of innocent romance, in contrast to the lusty emotions linked
with red.

• Pale pink draws energy and relaxes making its wearers more
approachable; this makes pale pink a wonderful color to wear
on a date!
 The Color Purple

•Purple is a color rarely found in nature, a fact that instantly draws

attention to anyone wearing it and sometimes makes it appear
artificial.

•Purple has traditionally represented luxury, royalty, wealth and

sophistication;

•purple is a color of power also has a feminine and romantic appeal,

especially lighter shades.
 The Color Blue

•Blue is one of the most popular colors.

•After all, it is found so many places on our planet: from the

sky to the ocean, to baby blue eyes, to the forever-
fashionable blue jean.

•Blue usually produces the opposite emotional response of

the color red; blue stimulates a chemical reaction in the
body, producing feelings of peace and tranquility, so blue is
the perfect shade for yoga apparel.

•Fashion consultants advise wearing blue to job interviews

because it has been shown to symbolize loyalty.
 The Color Green

A calming and refreshing color, green represents nature.

Green is easy on the eye, and studies suggest that it may

even improve vision!

The color of money, dark green is masculine, and suggests

wealth.

Related to prosperity, medieval brides wore green to

symbolize fertility and fruitfulness.
The Color Yellow

•The most difficult color for the eye to

process, yellow can be overpowering –
perhaps this is why people tend to lose
their tempers and babies cry more in
yellow rooms.

•Yellow is a cheery color, though, and

does have its positive attributes: over and
above attracting attention, yellow
enhances concentration, which would
explain its use for post-its and legal
pads.

•It is also believed that yellow may

speed up your metabolism!
The Color Orange

 Wearing orange is a fantastic way to

command attention.

 A combination of passionate red and happy

yellow, orange shares moderated attributes
of both colors.

 Like yellow, orange is intellectually

stimulating, but also signifies warmth,
energy, change, and health.

 Like red, orange is very stimulating, but

orange (and especially peachy orange) is
less aggressive and more soothing.
The Color Brown

Brown is an earthy color that is abundant in

nature, which makes it perfect for safari styles.

Shades of brown symbolize reliability and

structure, so it's an ideal shade to wear in the
office.