Why do I like the color purple
Dressed in my purple jacket, favorite boho deep purple earrings, and armed with my purple Coach purse, I walked smartly into Nordstrom on a quest to acquire pair of unique and colorful pair of heels to go with my yet to be purchased pair of Lucky jeans. What catches my eye is a pair of purple patent leather pumps. Imagine my glee, its shiny, its purple and its sitting there on the display shelf beckoning me….”come take a step with me and enjoy the sheer bliss of purpality” …..OK that’s not even a word and if only shoes could talk, but all this makes perfect sense to me as I reach out, grab it, rejoice in the fact that they are my size and position myself in front of a foot mirror stuffing my delicately stockinged toes into the striking heels. Alas, they are not wide enough for my comfortably spacious toes and sales lady informs me in an apologetic tone they are sold out of wides in that style. As one ardent follower of Murphy’s law (which would be me) so brilliantly put it “when shopping and having found the perfect thing, your size will always be the one that is sold out regardless of how unpopular it is”. Reluctantly putting them back and browsing for other potential options which would catch my fancy, I question my inner pull towards the color purple this season. The deeper and darker the shade the closer I am drawn to it. I have lately been "purplized", so much so that I making up words around it. Shopping for anything scarfs, purses, belts, sweaters, jackets, even underwear, I am guaranteed to pick up something purplish. Is it the inner fashionista in me making a statement, or perhaps declaring the color of this season? Or worse yet, am I being over the top, obsessing about this? Nah, first off I do not consider myself as a style guru, just someone who likes to be well put together. Second, it isn’t just this season, I recall being drawn to the cousins of purple , that is hues of mauve and magenta, even as teenager. After all the walls of my room were a light shade of scarlet and I had painted bluish mauve swashes on all door in my room, be it the closet door, the main door or the bathroom door . I realize now that it has been part of my taste palette or imaginative support network for some time.
But why I think and I attempt at unfolding this mystery as I walk past the art gallery admiring “Banjo Dancing Purple” the work of David Schluss. I ponder deeper into my love or obsession, whatever it is, for this color, focusing on my likes in general. I like bright things, I like pretty tasteful and flat rich tones, not pastel shades but kind off matt finish looking deep and bright colors, why that? Why not pastels? Why the darker tone? And why the more blue the better? Blue, and dark, is that an acknowledgement of my alter ego, the dark side of me? I have to admit that at times I can get really dark. This scary and strange side of me going through some pretty strong emotions, nothing violent or gruesome, just intense and opinionated thoughts, which I would normally consider as ridiculous, but an angry or annoyed mind could know no difference. Anger reminds me of the deep violet hue of the sky - the calm before a storm. I acknowledge this as the pent up aggression or creative rage inside me coloring my heart in purple. Hmm, Purple Heart – isn’t that also an award for wounded brave soldiers, which leads me to think about the strong characteristics a dark and bold color could stand for. Someone brave, magnanimous, articulate, passionate and noble could very well be colored purple. Antioxidants produced from grapes (also purple ah ha!) are protective for the immune system are they not, there you go another strong trait. But notch it down a shade and you have a delicate lilac soul, one who is sacred and divine. As I look at the burgundy purple vase displayed in the home and decor store, I shift to thinking about the graceful aspects of the color, yes indeed it could portray the rich, luxurious, yet feminine sweet taste. Passion fruit juice is sweet and purple and so are plums and prunes. Plum reminds me of a “plum offer” meaning an excellent opportunity. Can I think of any other colored phases, no not racial references (that's in poor taste which I have not ....smiles), I mean figuratively, like “purple cow“ something unusual or eye catching. Although that wouldn’t be an unusual sight for me as I recall seeing them by the dozen, and I mean literaly purple colored decorated cow sculptures when the city of Chicago had displayed parade of the cows back in the days.
My thoughts seem to have gone down a long and windy path I realize. Now I am browsing through lilac & lavender potion like lotions and perfumes in the apothecary store and in a "purple haze" like state the sniffing and testing the products has produced on me, I think how hypnotic qualities this color could have. I think of a mysterious persona, wrapped is scarlet silk robes, blowing smoky indigo fumes to produce dreams. OK that was weird, that sounded a little too drugged, not my taste. Perhaps I was really thinking of more fun things like hookah lounges where one could bellow colorful smoke with a hookah full of fake but flavored tobacco. I pull myself out of the day dreaming and get back to the topic at hand and conclude - In the end I think that the composition of purple –red and blue symbolizes a balance, a balance between the warm and the cool, not just shades but qualities too. The result is an intriguing mix which I can well relate to. So this love for purple is less of an obsession but more of a heartfelt connection with it. Smiling at this thought, I now vow without any inhibitions to own accessories that are all about me (as in the dark shades of purple) and publish my first hub on this topic.....and now I've done it.
PS: I have yet to find those perfect pair of purple shoes as the stores keep running out, leading me to believe that there others of my kind out there………Cheers and Happy New Year to all you purple lovers !
(C) Simply Untangled
