As I was choosing my first fabrics and colours to print with, greens were the initial colours that came to mind. The colour green has clear relations to nature and as a cool colour is also linked to expressing calmness, comfort and being restful (Ballast, 2002; Bellizzi et al., 1983). Recently it appears that natural, earthy tones and the colour green have been deliberately used as a strategy to encourage the concept of eco-friendliness within a product.
I was researching what colours are most popular within clothing and found that the colour black is the biggest selling colour in regards to formal wear, whereas blue is the most common colour for casual wear because of jeans. A study found by Crozier in 1999 found that blue was the most widely used and favoured colour for adults, but it was still separated into shades such as dark blue being worn in formal situations and light blue kept for casual wear. Simply put, the shades of a colour also acts as a vital element on an audiences perceived values and usage.
In further research “What colour is sustainable? Examining the Eco-Friendliness of Colour” studied by Alice Chu and Osmud Rahman, they found that the colours most associated to nature and the environment are botanical green, earthy brown and sky blue. Beige, off-white and unbleached natural colours were said to resemble eco-friendly practices due to needing fewer methods of production ie. dyeing. Colours being viewed as long-lasting and therefore in a sense sustainable because they are timeless were black, white, grey, blue, red and beige.
They also found that ‘green’ is only a catchphrase and used as a way of conveying the idea of environmentalism and sustainability, and an eco-marketing statement. At the same time, most participants view the colour green as eco-friendly. “In other words, the term “green” is associated with symbolic meaning and psychological values rather than any concrete and sustainable benefits.”
The statement “go green” is one that’s been used heavily within marketing relating to sustainability. Although customers might state or feel that they’re ready to “go green” they’re not necessarily ready for the changes it requires, including the additional costs of eco-friendly products.
In conclusion, despite the fact that the colour green is able to enhance buyers awareness of environmental issues and concerns, it shouldn’t force fashion specialists to only concentrating on the physical colour and instead go further and develop products that are high quality, long lasting and don’t damage the environment as much. “In order to be truly sustainable, it is important to not only educate their consumers but also to deliver a multilateral “green” product as well.”
I stuck with testing out greens and blues as my first prints for these screens based on the environmental aspects behind it. On this first fabric I was simply testing colour and layers. I found that the colour still changes considerably once its dried in comparison to when the paint is wet, which is definitely something I need to consider more as it has a big impact on the final result. I enjoyed layering the shades of colours over one another, especially as they compliment each other well and bring out the detail of the prints.
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