BROWN clothes were worn by the large majority of manual workers until the introduction of blue denim. As a mix of the primary colours, brown can blend into many surroundings. It is a disguise that shows no preference, no specific direction or attitude. It can be used very effectively to hide the true nature of the individual. Grey clothes are the favoured uniform of managers, businessmen and politicians.
Grey reflects the desire to project coolness of mind, emotional stability and the ability to look down on the rest of the world with detached neutrality. It epitomises the myth of efficiency. Brown is a mixture of red, yellow and blue. Like every colour, brown has a wide range of shades and tones, each having a different effect. It is primarily a colour of the earth and the natural world. Brown acts as a solid background colour, a base upon which other, more striking colours can arise.
As a combination, brown is neutral and non-threatening. Its warm tones are comfortable and familiar. The red content makes brown a colour of practical energy and this mixed with the mental qualities of yellow and blue can encourage study and focus of the mind. However, in too great a quantity, brown can also have a dulling effect, as it lacks the overall clarity to break out of established patterns of behaviour. Brown gives a state of solidity and reality from which one can grow. It suggests reliability and the desire to remain in the background, unnoticed. In the traditional surroundings of an oak panelled library or study, brown aids the transformation of inspiration and thoughts into practical, everyday reality. Discoveries and inventions need time devoted to painstaking detail and involve going over the same set of ideas repeatedly until a solution emerges. Brown acts as a supporting colour in this process. Brown is a warm, comfortable colour, reflecting wholesomeness naturalness and dependability.
Use brown in your home to create a warm, stable atmosphere where it is easy to feel comfortable for long periods. Add a few richer colours as brown can be overbearing.
Grey is the true neutral colour. It is usually thought of as a combination of white and black, but a mixture of any complementary colours will produce grey.
Grey is the colour of void, of emptiness, lack of movement, lack of emotion, lack of warmth, lack of any identifying characteristics in fact. Because of this, grey can be restful. If it contains a high proportion of white, it will tend to take on the qualities of surrounding colours. If it has a greater amount of black, it can feel very heavy and depressing, Grey lacks information and this has a numbing effect on the mind, though not in a particularly peaceful way, as with blue or indigo. Indeed the inability to see into the colour can be reminiscent of the experience of fear of terror where decision-making processes seem frozen and even time stands still. With its emptiness, boredom and lack of direction, grey has an enervating and draining effect: its neutrality prevents us from moving towards an energetic state. Unlike brown, grey has no connection to the solid earth or the life of nature. Immovable stone and cloudy skies reflect the impersonal, implacable nature of grey. Grey has a detached, isolated and unemotional feel to it.
Use grey in your clothing to emphasise neutrality. However, too much grey, or a wrong shade, will suggest lack of character, lack of initiative and extreme detachment. A hint of another colour that reflects individual preference will make all the difference: efficient, well behaved but with personality. If you want to emphasise your willingness to comply, wear grey.
Enjoy your brown and grey this week.
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