This reminds me of how Western archeologists from the Renaissance onwards refused to see that ancient Greek and Roman statues had traces of paint on them and were likely brightly colored -- the alleged whiteness of the statues was used to prove their superiority over "barbarian" artifacts and to aesthetically justify white supremacy
I should point out, this chromophobia doesn't seem to be a western exclusive - I was in Singapore a few weeks ago and 90 percent of any MRT (metro rail) carriage I saw over the week I was there, was mostly people in muted colours - white, olive, beige, taupe, mushroom etc, for 'colour' you had maybe a few light pinks or pastels or the blue of denim or linen (think those 'business blue' shirts). And I spent a LOT of time on the metro/in metro stations.
It was understandable once you saw the contents of popular clothing shops like Muji/Uniqlo/Zara etc but mostly the only colour I saw was on hijabi women, tourists like me, children, or (going off their language and accents) young Tamil Singaporeans. Definitely unusual in a tropical country, possibly just a reflection of trends but interesting to see that this is what picked up there.
Yes! I'm from Singapore and every time I go home I notice the huge presence of pastels and neutrals in clothing there. The local clothing brands are really into what I call hipster church core (see Our Second Nature). My personal theory is that it's a combination of colonial/globalization influence (adopting Western color signifiers) and the dominance of corporate work culture. Also something to note is that most members of the majority ethnic Chinese population migrated to Singapore during the colonial period (pre-1960s) so the aspirational aesthetic for them (my ancestors included) at the time was very much colonial administrator/office clerk rather than a deep connection to indigenous visual culture.
yeah I guessed it was something of the sort because of previous experiences travelling in East Asian countries (SG is Southeast but still holds a lot of cultural affinity with East Asia), not least Japan and Korea but it's a relief to know it's not all in my head. But 'hipster church core' seems accurate, it's quite a change from when I visited in the late 00s and could see girls trying out the Amy Winehouse look (beehive, shorts and ballet flats version).
I'd actually stayed in Geylang pre-pandemic/wayyyy back and stayed in Chinatown this time so I'm familiar with the sight of the shophouses and the way they make colour such a strong feature, I think the architecture and foliage/brighter sunlight is a big part of why I don't feel like Singapore is as 'grey' as Paris or London.
A late comment that isn't about, ahem, molé - I wonder how much American obsession with dark colors is rooted in our Protestant work ethic. Puritans and Calvinists specifically shunned fancy clothes and colors, the waves of immigration after the Mayflower needed practical neutral clothing in order to hide stains and bleach with ease. I wonder if Americans wear dark clothing because it is the symbol of the Worker, the person who is productive and a meaningful contributor to GDP. And I can understand how being a great Worker has become synonymous with good taste -- the American elite have always been big workers, unlike their elite European counterparts.
People criticise the theory of the Protestant work ethic by saying that it's merely a sign of the "modernization phase of economic development" over a religious affiliation, which could explain why the East Asian countries (as a commenter above pointed out) also adhere to this neutral palette.
I wonder: as we chafe at late stage capitalism and start to shed the grip "workism" has had on us, will we turn to colorful clothing as a cultural symbol of that new mindset?
THANK YOU for the chronomophobia callout! Sheesh! I used to have a wonderful turquoise dress with lime green polka dots and orange bias binding around the neck, and my mother used to rag me about it until my dad told her to stop. Made me absolutely determined never to let anybody harsh my vibe and to this day if you're looking for me, you'll find me in the maroon dress with the chartreuse tights. Eff tasteful, you know?
I loved this viv! I had a weird revelation the other day about neutrals and color. I was wearing a salmon-y pink outfit and thinking about how when I was in a mostly white high school - I never thought I could wear these colors bc I was told they “wash you out” but I was operating from entirely different frame of reference than my own bc I had heard stuff like that from the white people around me and my skin is not the same color as theirs 🫠 I also realized whenever I’m in my spaces where there are more POC or with my family I dress way more colorfully. it’s been totally subconscious though.
Spectacular analysis, as always! From a neurodivergent perspective, I know that bright colors bring me joy and give me eye tingles a la courn (@candy.courn on IG). It's just another example of how western society oppresses people that don't align with the norm.
also I know this is not the same, but thinking of chromophobia reminds me of the teeny tiny ceasefire pins that celebs have been wearing to events against mostly black outfits as if this teeny tiny "pop" of color is equivalent to shouting from the rooftops and being visibly, loudly protesting
completely agree; this put in2 words perfectly, when i was a kid i lived in ny with a majority indian population around and our house was red, across from us was lime green, a close by aunts was also red and my best friends was yellow. we painted it white b4 moving down south 2 a majority white neighborhood and it was all neutrals, after 2 years we bought a house and my parents refused 2 color walls which theyd never done b4, and dressing more dully. all my relatives houses were renovated 2 turn orange and red and purple rooms 2 white and taupe as well. the idea is that it's a blank space, so if your tastes change a transformation is easy.
Really like this article! But I don’t think the obsession with neutrals is just stemming from western centric ideas of beauty. I think part of the obsession with neutrals in fashion also comes from the fact that they are simply versatile: neutrals are a blank canvas in a way colorful clothing is harder to be. Sort of like how blank white canvas are used as the starting point for paintings, neutral colors just hold limitless potential. Neutral colored clothing lends itself towards building a more eco-friendly, affordable, and economically accessible closet also. Personally I like neutrals for these reasons.
We are so afraid to stand out but simultaneously need to feel unique! The american dilemma. 1 million percent agree — I felt the same way coming back to the states from Mexico City, even living in SF, which I guess is kind of more colorful than your average american city. Really loved this piece, so fascinating to think about this in a deeper context than just like, I wish we weren’t afraid of hot pink paint!
This reminds me of how Western archeologists from the Renaissance onwards refused to see that ancient Greek and Roman statues had traces of paint on them and were likely brightly colored -- the alleged whiteness of the statues was used to prove their superiority over "barbarian" artifacts and to aesthetically justify white supremacy
I should point out, this chromophobia doesn't seem to be a western exclusive - I was in Singapore a few weeks ago and 90 percent of any MRT (metro rail) carriage I saw over the week I was there, was mostly people in muted colours - white, olive, beige, taupe, mushroom etc, for 'colour' you had maybe a few light pinks or pastels or the blue of denim or linen (think those 'business blue' shirts). And I spent a LOT of time on the metro/in metro stations.
It was understandable once you saw the contents of popular clothing shops like Muji/Uniqlo/Zara etc but mostly the only colour I saw was on hijabi women, tourists like me, children, or (going off their language and accents) young Tamil Singaporeans. Definitely unusual in a tropical country, possibly just a reflection of trends but interesting to see that this is what picked up there.
Yes! I'm from Singapore and every time I go home I notice the huge presence of pastels and neutrals in clothing there. The local clothing brands are really into what I call hipster church core (see Our Second Nature). My personal theory is that it's a combination of colonial/globalization influence (adopting Western color signifiers) and the dominance of corporate work culture. Also something to note is that most members of the majority ethnic Chinese population migrated to Singapore during the colonial period (pre-1960s) so the aspirational aesthetic for them (my ancestors included) at the time was very much colonial administrator/office clerk rather than a deep connection to indigenous visual culture.
Counterpoint to this though is Peranakan art and clothing! Highly recommend googling this. Incredible color combos and patterns
yeah I guessed it was something of the sort because of previous experiences travelling in East Asian countries (SG is Southeast but still holds a lot of cultural affinity with East Asia), not least Japan and Korea but it's a relief to know it's not all in my head. But 'hipster church core' seems accurate, it's quite a change from when I visited in the late 00s and could see girls trying out the Amy Winehouse look (beehive, shorts and ballet flats version).
I'd actually stayed in Geylang pre-pandemic/wayyyy back and stayed in Chinatown this time so I'm familiar with the sight of the shophouses and the way they make colour such a strong feature, I think the architecture and foliage/brighter sunlight is a big part of why I don't feel like Singapore is as 'grey' as Paris or London.
Yes! Felt this way visiting India too - how vibrant and rich life could feeeel if the West weren’t so afraid of color
This might be my favorite piece of yours. Wow, thank you for this analysis!
Ahhh thank you Rachel, that means a lot!!!!
Missed opportunity to title the mexico city newsletter as The Moléhill. Feel better Viv!
omg that’s so funny! moléhill
A late comment that isn't about, ahem, molé - I wonder how much American obsession with dark colors is rooted in our Protestant work ethic. Puritans and Calvinists specifically shunned fancy clothes and colors, the waves of immigration after the Mayflower needed practical neutral clothing in order to hide stains and bleach with ease. I wonder if Americans wear dark clothing because it is the symbol of the Worker, the person who is productive and a meaningful contributor to GDP. And I can understand how being a great Worker has become synonymous with good taste -- the American elite have always been big workers, unlike their elite European counterparts.
People criticise the theory of the Protestant work ethic by saying that it's merely a sign of the "modernization phase of economic development" over a religious affiliation, which could explain why the East Asian countries (as a commenter above pointed out) also adhere to this neutral palette.
I wonder: as we chafe at late stage capitalism and start to shed the grip "workism" has had on us, will we turn to colorful clothing as a cultural symbol of that new mindset?
THANK YOU for the chronomophobia callout! Sheesh! I used to have a wonderful turquoise dress with lime green polka dots and orange bias binding around the neck, and my mother used to rag me about it until my dad told her to stop. Made me absolutely determined never to let anybody harsh my vibe and to this day if you're looking for me, you'll find me in the maroon dress with the chartreuse tights. Eff tasteful, you know?
I loved this viv! I had a weird revelation the other day about neutrals and color. I was wearing a salmon-y pink outfit and thinking about how when I was in a mostly white high school - I never thought I could wear these colors bc I was told they “wash you out” but I was operating from entirely different frame of reference than my own bc I had heard stuff like that from the white people around me and my skin is not the same color as theirs 🫠 I also realized whenever I’m in my spaces where there are more POC or with my family I dress way more colorfully. it’s been totally subconscious though.
Spectacular analysis, as always! From a neurodivergent perspective, I know that bright colors bring me joy and give me eye tingles a la courn (@candy.courn on IG). It's just another example of how western society oppresses people that don't align with the norm.
also I know this is not the same, but thinking of chromophobia reminds me of the teeny tiny ceasefire pins that celebs have been wearing to events against mostly black outfits as if this teeny tiny "pop" of color is equivalent to shouting from the rooftops and being visibly, loudly protesting
YES omg that came to mind too! The tiny red pins because it’s less threatening.
now that is just SAD.
This was so thought provoking. Beautifully done.
completely agree; this put in2 words perfectly, when i was a kid i lived in ny with a majority indian population around and our house was red, across from us was lime green, a close by aunts was also red and my best friends was yellow. we painted it white b4 moving down south 2 a majority white neighborhood and it was all neutrals, after 2 years we bought a house and my parents refused 2 color walls which theyd never done b4, and dressing more dully. all my relatives houses were renovated 2 turn orange and red and purple rooms 2 white and taupe as well. the idea is that it's a blank space, so if your tastes change a transformation is easy.
Really like this article! But I don’t think the obsession with neutrals is just stemming from western centric ideas of beauty. I think part of the obsession with neutrals in fashion also comes from the fact that they are simply versatile: neutrals are a blank canvas in a way colorful clothing is harder to be. Sort of like how blank white canvas are used as the starting point for paintings, neutral colors just hold limitless potential. Neutral colored clothing lends itself towards building a more eco-friendly, affordable, and economically accessible closet also. Personally I like neutrals for these reasons.
We are so afraid to stand out but simultaneously need to feel unique! The american dilemma. 1 million percent agree — I felt the same way coming back to the states from Mexico City, even living in SF, which I guess is kind of more colorful than your average american city. Really loved this piece, so fascinating to think about this in a deeper context than just like, I wish we weren’t afraid of hot pink paint!