Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Meaning of White

A few years ago I worked on a project where the owner wanted an all white hotel which was a bit of a complication because the company he had chosen to run the hotel was Chinese... and white is the color of death over there. So here are a few other meanings of what this color represents.

Image Credit 1 and 2

White is the bridal color not just in Western civilization but also in Japan where the white represents the purity of the body, and in Japan means the death of their former family and entering a new one.

Image Credit 1 and 2

White's sister color is black and they always represent the extreme oposites of everything: day and nigt, good and evil, white magic and black magic, opnennes and closeness. One of the best examples of this dulity is the ying and the yang in which each color is oposite to each other but also complementary to each other.


White sanded beaches are the most popular vacation destinations as they are usually ocated in exotic islands where the water is clear. The best thing about white sand beaches is that they are usually much cooler than those with dark colored sands which helps a lot when spending the day at the beach.


According to Pantone, white t-shirts are the most commonly sold apparel item in the US... but I would not stop there, I'd say that the white shirt is up there with the t-shirt. During the summer months you can also add white shorts and sundresses as the most commonly used pieces of clothing.

Have a great day the weekend is almost here!

21 comments:

  1. Oh man, white beaches are my favorite! Love how cool they feel on my feet.

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  2. That's true about white in Chinese cultures. In traditional Chinese weddings, the bride wears red. And yellow is the colour of royalty. But I definitely am guilty of buying many many white t-shirts in different styles. It probably makes up 1/3 of my closet!

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  3. What an interesting post! I always wanted to study more about the meaning of colors across cultures as well as their psycological impact! Thanks SO much for sharing! xoxo

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  4. great photo with the mirror!
    xo
    MOSAMUSE

    www.MOSAMUSE.com

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  5. This makes me think I should reconsider my stance on white clothes - they look so nice, but I'm a klutz and wearing white makes me nervous.

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  6. This is such a lovely post–I adore color meanings in other cultures!

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  7. I can vouch for the white sand being cooler

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  8. i'm currently having a love affair with all things white...especially white linen...
    well, to be fair, this comment IS coming from amagansett, so white linen is kind of standard uniform.
    but even back home, i was loving the look and feel of the lightness and airiness....

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  9. You got such a lovely blog full of inspirations & great pictures!
    Love blogs like these... :)

    Would you like to follow each other? ♥


    fashion is for idiots [like us]
    fashion is for idiots [like us]

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  10. Love this! I recently had a "white" post too, but yours was much more informative! ;-)

    xo, sam

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  11. I love these types of posts, they are always so interesting. I had no idea that the colour white was associated with 'death'. I only know it to represent angelic types and innocence. Good post!

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  12. Very interesting! I love white decor. White chairs, white couches, the whole deal, but just not practical for a klutz like me!

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  13. You don't have to ask Pantone about white shirts-tshirts- ask me! I have like 10! It was unintentional but one day, after I had audited my closet, I found about ten tees and shirts, all white. The thing is they are SO useful! I love your posts about color as always. Have a great weekend x

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  14. Lovely post, love the white mirror!

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  15. White has slowly become my favorite color. I think it's because I live in the harsh heat of Phoenix. My closet is slowly being taken over with white shirts!

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  16. Love white, and I literally bought something like 5 different styles of white tees this week--haha, I guess I went overboard! Happy early weekend Elie, hope you have a good one!!!
    xo Mary Jo

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  17. i love white! i love to wear white (though sometimes it's a challenge with the kiddos, but that's what OxyClean is for!!!). i also love eating white things and lying on white sand beaches :)

    http://spinning-threads.blogspot.com

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  18. HaHa I didn't know some of these things! Thanks for explaining and sharing! :D Some people are not mindful of other cultures customs.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  19. I love that last picture of Garance. Thanks for all the facts, i had no idea!

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