Green is cool, but its fun factor is ramped up when mixed with orange and yellow, which both sit on the warm side of things without getting too hot. All together there is an ease to this colour combination, perhaps because each colour transitions into the next on the spectrum. Truly, this combination is citrus personified – summery, sunny, and whimsical while maintaining a certain sourness, thus preventing the whole thing from being too cute to tolerate.
Yellow is sunshine, but red is fire. Black is power but red is command. Red and black together can be jarring because they compete, both trying to be dominant. But yellow tempers them both with a little whimsy, and a little fun. All together they are bold, but playful, and authoritative, but friendly.
Yellow and pink are perhaps the two least appreciated colours on the spectrum. Yellow because it is too bright and optimistic to be taken seriously, and pink because it is associated to femininity and therefore derided. What does it say about our society that what is sunny, uplifting, good, and kind is also rejected? It’s safe to say that yellow is unpopular because it is so eye-catching. People are afraid to wear it because they are afraid to draw attention to themselves. Isn’t there something tragic about that? And what of pink, which also frightens people? Men avoid it because they are afraid of being seen as feminine, but even women often avoid it for the same reason. Why is our society so negative, so harsh, so cruel and cutting? Why can’t we combine two symbols of goodness and be proud of that pairing? Most people love summer, yet still avoid these icons of sugar and sunshine. Let us triumph in our caring, uplifting tendencies, and wear both yellow and pink with pride!
