Color My World

My current project takes place in the distant past, so I’ve been investigating the fashions of the time. Everyone knows styles change, but colors have too. In previous eras, the range of available colors for clothing was limited because fabric was dyed with natural substances instead of chemical pigments. Here’s a timeline of the development of fabric colors. Further research taught me that during some periods of history, colors like Tyrian Purple or Imperial Yellow were limited to people of high status or rank. In addition, the names of colors have changed with time. This article explains the name of Thomas Lawrence’s famous painting, Pinkie, Homer’s “wine red sea” and the origin of the term brunette.