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When the Princess of Wales stepped out this week in a bright purple pantsuit, she joined the growing ranks of women – and fashion designers – for whom the hue is a winter favourite.
During the fall/winter shows, purple appeared on the runways of Burberry, Fendi and Versace, to name just three. Rich, bold and regal, it’s a shade that’s sure to make a statement.
But there’s a lot more to Kate’s fashion choice than her following seasonal trends.
The mind is said to wear the color of the soul – a lyrical way of expressing the idea that we are drawn to hues that reflect our mood on any given day.
Although we may not be aware of it when we open our wardrobe, the color of the clothes we choose to wear says more about our state of mind than we think.
There is much more to Kate’s colors than first meets the eye.
We know Kate believes in expressing emotion through color coding. Speaking at her national Shaping Us symposium on Wednesday, she revealed that her five-year-old son Prince Louis and his classmates at Lambrook School in Berkshire use a “very good” feelings wheel to ” represent how they feel that day.” .
A what-what?, I hear you ask. A feelings wheel is a circle that displays a range of emotions radiating out on spokes, with the strongest ones in the center and the more subtle, harder-to-identify “secondary” emotions on the periphery.
Originally designed by American psychologist Dr. Robert Plutchik in 1980, his Wheel of Emotions is once again very popular as a tool for getting in touch with our most intimate feelings, even among the youngest schoolchildren.
Now that it’s received the royal seal of approval, the question must surely be: Does Kate use it when considering what to wear?
Although the theory that dressing to reflect our emotions may seem far-fetched, there is a body of scientific evidence to support it.
The United States National Library of Medicine conducted a study in which participants were exposed to patch tests of different hues and noted that reactions to specific colors were consistent, indicating that specific colors are strongly associated to certain emotions.
Anyone who has invoked a color to express their state of mind will surely agree: we see red, we feel blue, or we are green with envy.
As for Kate’s state of mind when she stepped out in her bright purple suit, we can definitely conclude that she was determined to feel every inch of the princess. Indeed, purple has always been strongly associated with wealth, power and royalty, dating back to Byzantine times, when natural purple dye became a status symbol because it was the most expensive.
Loved by kings and queens of the ancient world, it was adopted by Tudor Queen Elizabeth I, who stopped everyone except her inner circle from wearing it.
And since then, members of the royal family have followed suit. For our late Queen Elizabeth II, it was a perennial favorite in public and private.
The fact that Kate wore purple to deliver her most important speech to date is significant. Described as his “life’s work”, the Shaping Us campaign reflects his belief in the importance of children’s early childhood development and how a positive start in life can have a positive influence on adults. We become.
As for which colors have a positive – or negative – effect on Kate, we asked color psychologist Jules Standish to interpret some of the princess’s previous wardrobe choices, in an effort to determine whether they could have been more than we thought.
Was Picasso right when he said that colors, like lines, follow changes in emotions?
Read on and draw your own conclusions.
Pale blue: does he miss his children?
To mark the Queen’s 93rd birthday in April 2019, Kate attended an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle, wearing a pale blue coat by Alexander McQueen. None of her children were there, so perhaps she was lonely, which is what the color denotes.
Psychologist Jules Standish says: “This suggests that Kate does not want to stand out, but maintain a calm demeanor.”
Medium blue: demonstration of fidelity
At the end of a tour of Scotland with William in May 2021, Kate wore a Catherine Walker coat dress in medium blue, a color that suggests “hurt.” Two months earlier, Prince Harry’s shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey aired. “This hue suggests she takes her role seriously. It says, ‘Trust me: I’m loyal,’” Standish says.
Navy: hiding your sorrow
What better shade than navy blue to meet the Royal Navy? But Kate’s stylish Alexander McQueen suit could also serve as a shield, given that she wore it in September 2022, three weeks after the Queen’s death, when her emotions were undoubtedly still raw. “Navy blue is a protective color and can help mask the sadness she’s feeling,” says Standish.
Purple: inspiring
In addition to its royal connotations, purple also signifies strength, enthusiasm and ambition, qualities that Kate would like to convey this week when promoting her beloved Shaping Us project. “Purple is associated with royalty, but it is a wonderful color to choose when working with children, as it is calming and inspiring,” notes Standish.
Coral: celebrating post-covid
Kate chose a custom coral coat dress by Emilia Wickstead for the Queen’s Buckingham Palace Garden Party in May 2022, after the two-year Covid hiatus. “It’s a playful shade that’s popular for socializing and having fun,” says Standish. “It is also a symbol of compassion.”
Fuchsia: content during pregnancy
Visiting the Stephen Lawrence Center in London in March 2015, Kate did not hide the imminent arrival of Princess Charlotte: her cheerful Mulberry coat expressed the calm she felt during her second pregnancy. She also wore this coat when she was pregnant with Prince Louis. “It’s the perfect pregnancy pink, highlighting feelings of comfort, reassurance and love,” says Standish.
Copper: the color of comfort in sad times
It was “moving in day” at her kids’ new school in September 2022, but was Kate’s copper-brown Rixo polka dot dress more than just fall appropriate? The fact that she wore it the day before the Queen died, when she would have known that the monarch – and her husband’s grandmother – was seriously ill, suggests as much.
“Warm brown is a color of comfort in sad times,” says Standish of this color associated with helplessness. “It can also help people feel grounded. It also highlights Kate’s down-to-earth and practical nature, perfect for a school visit.
Orange: nervous before the solo event?
It was his first solo event of 2023 — on January 18 — a visit to Foxcubs nursery in Luton to highlight the importance of early childhood development. So it’s understandable that Kate is feeling slightly anxious, as suggested by her orange ribbed polo collar and matching skirt, by Gabriela Hearst.
Yellow: Uncomfortable on tour?
As William and Kate arrived in Jamaica during their eight-day Caribbean tour in March 2022, the government was planning the process of transitioning the country into a republic. It was arguably the trickiest part of what turned out to be a much-criticized royal visit, so it’s no surprise that Kate wore a yellow Roksanda dress, a color that suggests unease.
Pale green: unhappy?
For the Earthshot Prize in Boston in December 2022, instead of buying a new dress, Kate rented one from Hurr, showing her allegiance to sustainability. Designed by Solace London, its zesty lime green hue suggests Kate was feeling “slightly bored”. Could it be because the event was overshadowed by a race feud involving lady-in-waiting Susan Hussey?
Green: crossed but strong
Out in Leeds in January to promote Shaping Us, Kate wore a bottle green Alexander McQueen coat. The visit came just weeks after Prince Harry released his memoir, Spare. So it’s no surprise that this shade suggests she was irritated. “It also means strength,” says Standish.
Navy and green: hiding your true emotions?
In December 2022, the Princess wore a traditional Blackwatch tartan coat, navy blue and dark green, designed by Holland Cooper, to plant a tree in honor of the late Queen at Westminster Abbey. It was just days after the release of Harry and Meghan’s tell-all documentary, so if Kate was furious as this color may suggest, she had good reason to be. “These two colors lie next to each other on the color wheel and could signify a need to protect yourself and hide your emotions, but in a dignified way,” notes Standish.