We Are Sure You Have Seen People Wear Aloha Shirts

Colour Stories

We are sure you have seen people wear Aloha shirts, popularly known as Hawaiian shirts. Have you ever wondered where this piece of garment came from? Read on to know about its interesting origin...

According to historians, Hawaiian shirts emerged first in the 1920s. As the story goes, somewhere in the 1920s, Gordon Young, a student in the University of Hawaii along with his mother’s dressmaker made a “pre-aloha shirt.” Together, they chose a Japanese yukata cloth to make this shirt. They made patterns like geometric shapes and bamboo over white backgrounds on the fabric. Later, Gordon attended the University of Washington, where this revolutionary fashion statement started turning heads.

Apart from Gordon Young, the popularity and name of this shirt is credited to Ellery Chun, a Chinese-Hawaiian businessman. In 1931, after receiving his graduate degree in economics from the University of Yale with a degree in economics, Chun got back to his family’s dry goods store in Honolulu. It was the period of the Great Depression and it seemed that Chun’s store would collapse. He decided to promote a local style of shirt in 1936. Just like Gordon, he chose yukata cloth to make shirts and created tropical designs on them along with his sister Ethel. He displayed these shirts in the front window of his store with the sign that read “Aloha Shirts.” Being business-minded in nature, he even copyrighted the term.

In some time, these shirts underwent mass production. Alfred Shaheen, a World War 2 veteran made these Aloha shirts and hired a team of local artists to design fun motifs based on Hawaiian, Chinese and Japanese motifs for these shirts. He had 400 employees under him by 1959 who made these shirts and he earned more than $4 million in annual profits.

A favourite with beach-goers, this shirt also caught the fancy of off-duty naval servicemen. Upon returning home from service, these recruits would bring home their new souvenirs of Hawaiian shirts. What made it more popular were the commercial flights that had just started in Hawaii. Hollywood actors and singers made these shirts famous, wearing it in movies and their album covers.

Hawaii is a place that can get really humid, which makes wearing a dark, heavy business suit a challenge. The 1960s witnessed the launch of “Operation Liberation,” an interesting campaign designed to promote lighter, more informal wear in Hawaiian offices. Aloha shirts were the movement’s centrepiece and two, free shirts were even given to every single member of the State Senate and House of Representatives. On Fridays, government employees were encouraged to wear Hawaii shirts and it was called “Aloha Fridays.” Today, it is known as “Casual Friday.” Interesting, isn’t it?

If you work in a place which does not follow a strict dress code, you can go ahead and don this tropical look!

Colour Trivia

Colour Facts For April 2019

1. The world’s most popular colour is blue, according to some surveys and researches. Going by various surveys conducted by several marketing firms across the globe, blue was reported to be a favourite colour worldwide, with over 40% of the survey participants preferring it. Followed by purple with over 14% of the participants picking it as their favourite colour. Additionally, some researchers also reported that red and green are a close third and fourth respectively. White, yellow and orange are some of the least favourite colours.
2. If you are having a hard time recalling a scene from a black and white movie then maybe it has something to do with the colour, or more appropriately the lack of it. Psychologists have suggested that people are more likely to recall a coloured version of an image than a black and white version of it. This is because colours have a stronger appeal to our senses and it is more likely to register in our brain, meaning it has a better connection in parts that have to do with our memories. Fascinating, isn’t it?
3. Ever wondered if it is normal to see the dark grey colour right after you switch off your lights at night in complete darkness? Well, it is pretty common and the colour also has a name! The dark grey that your eyes see as soon as you switch off your lights, just before darkness sets in and your eyes adjust to the lack of the light- is known as “eigengrau.”

Colour Quotes For April 2019

• "I dream a lot, in colour and in sound and scent. Quite a few of my stories have come from dreams."

  - Joanne Harris

• "Be uniquely you. Stand out. Shine. Be colourful. The world needs your prismatic soul!"

  - Amy Leigh Mercree

• "I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for."

  - Georgia O’Keeffe

Colour Tips For April 2019

1. When it comes to looking for home décor inspiration, magazines and catalogues offer plenty of options. There is so much inspiration available today, both online and offline. Home décor blogs and website can have a ton of fresh ideas if you are thinking of a home redo and several other websites can show you how to play with colours in your home. Social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest have become a staple in offering inspiration in real time. Pinterest is great, you can create inspiration boards based on your moods, palettes, ideas and preferences and plan your home redo.
2. Sticking to a neutral colour palette for your home will give you the most flexibility for decorating every room. This will also be a budget saver because you can add almost any colour, design or pattern to a neutral backdrop. When it comes to large furniture, it is always best to opt for neutral colours so that you don’t have to make additional expensive changes when you are looking to redecorate. Moreover, neutral furnishings that you buy now if maintained well will last you a long time and if you are looking for a fresh change or upgrade, you can slowly add it over time with small colourful pieces or accents.
3. Colour coded bookshelves can be a great addition to your living room, office or library. To get that effect, take all your books out of the bookshelf and put books that are in the same colour family next to each other. You can arrange the books in one direction or mix them up wherein some books can be standing up and some can be piled on top of each other. A mix of vertical and horizontal arrangements can add an interesting visual. Make sure that your most visually appealing book spines and colours are prominent and at an eye-level rather than being at the bottom.

World Of Colours

Colours & Emotion For April 2019

1. If you notice, naturally occurring blue food is quite rare. There are no leafy blue vegetables and no blue meats except for blueberries and bluish potatoes in remote places on the planet. It is safe to say that blue does not exist in large quantity as a natural food colour. Of all the colours in the spectrum, did you know that blue is believed to be an appetite suppressant? The hue is believed to create chemicals in the body that slows down human metabolism. Isn’t that interesting? Weight loss plans often recommend that you serve meals on a blue plate. So, if you are planning to go on a diet, you now know which colour you need to stick to!
2. The colours in your bedroom, including the mattress and pillow play a huge role in the quality and quantity of sleep. It is necessary that your bedroom environment creates a tranquil ambience that is conducive to sleep. Purple is a shade that can stimulate the mind as well as the imagination, energising the body. Studies have shown that it is a shade that can cause nightmares. If you are planning to paint the walls of your bedroom or go shopping for bedroom décor, you now know which colour to steer clear of.

Colours & Fashion For April 2019

Fashion and Colours
The art of beautifying cloth using dye has been going on since ages. The word ‘batik’ originates from the Javanese word ‘tik’ which means ‘to dot’. A batik pattern is created when chosen areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax and later dyed. Did you know that at present the finest batik cloths are made in Indonesia? The conventional method is used mainly on cotton and in traditional colours of brown, red and blue. In fashion, the use of batik print has also become more common among many high-end brands.

Colours & Gems For April 2019

1. Dumortierite
   Take a look at this mesmerizing gemstone. It is named after the French palaeontologist, Eugene Dumortierite. Known as the stone of patience, the Dumortierite crystal gives us inner guidance to approach problems with an open heart instead of an angry mind. Dumortierite is believed to calm inflammations throughout the body. It is advisable to keep this stone on hand if you are experiencing any inflammatory reactions to an allergy or illness. This stone is also considered very stimulating to the brain and brings enhanced intellectual abilities, helping with mental skills, both language-based and mathematical. Fascinating, isn’t it?
2. Andalusite
   This beautiful stone is called Andalusite. It is a lesser-known gemstone named after a Spanish autonomous community known as Andalusia where it was first discovered. By composition, Andalusite is an aluminium silicate associated closely to both Sillimanite and Kyanite. It can be found in many countries such as Brazil, Australia, Russia, Spain, Canada, Sri Lanka, Burma, Madagascar and the USA (mainly California and Colorado). Andalusite has the ability to change colours when viewed from different angles.

Colours & Nature For April 2019

1. Gold Dust Day Gecko
   Take a look at this creature, isn’t it stunning? It is known as the Gold Dust Day Gecko. You can find it in Northern Madagascar and on the island of Comoros. It is also seen in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands. This tiny lizard is often seen in different types of trees and houses, feeding on insects and nectar. It grows up to nine inches long and is bright green or yellowish green in colour. Its neck and upper back have bright, yellow speckles while its upper eyelids, feet and toes are blue.
2. Stargazer Oriental Lily
   This is the Stargazer Lily (Lilium ‘Stargazer’). It is also known as the Oriental Lily and is known for its huge star-shaped blooms that emit a sweet perfume. Its petals are bright pink with lovely textured freckles on it. Stargazer is easy to grow and blooms wonderfully in full sunlight. Although it is stunning, it is also one of the most poisonous plants to have around pets, especially cats who suffer from vomiting, lethargy, kidney failure and even death when in contact with it. Appealing to the senses, this is a flower that catches everyone’s fancy.

Décor

Living Room Paint Ideas-Getting Creative In The Heart Of The Home

The living room is one of the most utilised rooms in the home. Read on to know some fun living room wall paint ideas to spruce up your space.

Create an Accent Wall

If you are looking for a sure way to transform the look and feel of your living room, an accent wall is a good idea. The best accent walls focus on an architectural feature or draw inspiration from a décor piece in the room. Don’t limit yourself to one single colour while going for an accent wall. You can try stripes on the accent wall and bring together all your favourite colours.

Go for Contrasting Ceilings

One of the most neglected and overlooked surfaces of your room is the ceiling. You can create a statement with a strikingly contrasting ceiling. Opt for a bold, vibrant-coloured ceilings for a neutral schemed room or choose a muted shade if the room has bright-coloured walls. Pick a cool shade like lilac or blue if you have low ceilings and wish to create an illusion of height.

Don’t Stop at Walls, Paint the Floor

Who said you have to stop at your four walls when it comes to painting? Painting the floors is also a great way of changing the overall look of your living space. If you love simplicity, plain white or neutral hues can work well. If you want to go for a quirky look, opt for two contrasting paint shades.

Try Out Textures

For an intriguing look, explore living room wall paint that is textured and visually appealing. Berger Paints India has a wide range of textured paints for you to choose from. Specialised painters create the desired look on the walls using specific tools and special techniques meant for it. You can instantly up the glam quotient of your living room using textured paints.

Now that you have got some ideas and inspiration, what are you waiting for? Get started!

Interior Painting: Warm Up Your Walls This Summer!

You may have come across the term, ‘warm colours’ before. But do you really know what it means? Read on to gain better understanding about it to help pick paint colours for your home.

What is a warm colour?

As the name suggests, it makes one think of sunlight, something that is comforting. On the colour wheel it consists of orange, red and yellow or combinations of these with similar tones.

When choosing paint colours to use for the walls of your home, it is important to be clear about the mood you want to set and whether you want it to feel cosy and intimate or light and airy. This is the reason why you need to know the difference between warm and cool colours.

If you are planning to create a soothing and cosy ambience in your room, warm colours are the way to go.

If you assumed that warm colours only mean reds, yellows and oranges, you are mistaken! Any colour that has an undertone of these colours will feel warm. You can achieve the same effect with warm greens, blues and purples as well.

Keep in mind that warm colours are stimulating in nature and complement black, white, greys and neutral colours. This is why adding a warm colour to a room will help it feel cosier. Once you have decided which colour to pick, you can try a design technique and create an accent wall too.

One of the fastest ways to work a warm colour into your living space is by turning it into a statement piece. Very rarely do we think of green as a warm colour. It is, in fact, a great colour to bring warmth to a living space. Team it up with a neutral warm brown or black to create a sophisticated environment.

You can go through Berger’s Colour Catalogue on our website to explore interior colour shades for your home. Now that you have got a pretty good grasp on how to use warm colours in your living space, it's time to start! Visit any of our paint stores to choose an interior wall paint that works best for you.

Trendy Paint Colour Picks For 2019

If you are thinking of a home makeover by indulging in new home paint hues for your walls, check out top colour trends of 2019 and derive some inspiration.

Living Coral

Pantone colour of the year 2019, coral symbolises carefree happiness. It is a nurturing shade that appeals to both - the eye and the mind. You can paint all your walls using this shade or use it on an accent wall. A single statement wall in this fresh shade can work well in any space, be it the living room, bedroom, guest bedroom or a kitchen.

Hazelnut

Hazelnut is a delicious, creamy shade that is perfect to make a room appear larger than it really is. It is a shade that goes well with almost all kinds of furnishings and décor pieces.

Dark Green

It is officially known as ‘night watch’ and is also one of Pantone’s top 2019 paint colours. This deep green colour reminds us of lush botanicals and has the ability to bring the beauty of nature straight into your living space. It is perfect for well-lit, spacious rooms since its intensity can overpower tiny spaces.

Mustard

Deep mustard is a lovely hue if you wish to create stylish accent walls or even trims around the house. Pick this shade if you want to add a good pop of colour and wake up your senses.

Soft Clay

If you have an earthy spirit, this shade will surely speak to you. You can go all out with this shade on all the walls of your home or stick to an accent wall. It is the perfect alternative for beiges and browns.

So here was a roundup of trendy colours for 2019. If you observed, this year’s spectrum of colour trends is diverse, with a little something for everyone. Go ahead and create your happy place with these fun home paint colours. You can choose to use these trendy shades freely as interior paint and exterior paint colours for your home. We hope we have left you with some inspiration to add some colour to your life.

Colours & Ancient Sciences

Feng Shui For April 2019

We have earlier talked of the history about the Tibetan prayer flags. Let us now look at how they can be used at home to cultivate good Feng Shui.

Tibetan Prayer Flag is a good Feng Shui

These prayer flags have a rich history. We are well aware of the meaning of this fascinating colourful Feng Shui. These prayer flags are traditionally used to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom.

These prayer flags carry a lot of meaning and are anything but a décor element in your house. They are usually used outdoors, especially in places with powerful energies such as monasteries, mountains or sacred sites. Why so? These flags have prayers and images of deities. The wind around these power energy places is believed to carry those prayers far and wide.

This does not mean that using these prayer flags indoors creates bad Feng shui. Any item that has a long history of spiritual or religious use will always be good Feng shui.

Here are some good uses for indoor prayer flags:

• The most auspicious time to put them is during the Chinese New Year.
• If you have a garden, increase energy around your home by hanging these flags there.
• Reposition them as often as you can, as they need movement in order to be effective.
• Use them in the meditation room and elevate the spiritual energy.
• The home altar is the best place to put up the prayer flags.
• Safeguard your child’s room or space by hanging this in their bedroom.
• Never display these prayer flags on the floor or bathroom.

The colours on these flags that depict the five elements will eventually fade away when you hang them outdoors. Don’t worry, that is actually auspicious since the energy eventually becomes a permanent part of the universe.

Treat these prayer flags with much respect. If you want these flags to work, you need to place them with full intent of receiving the most and also be sure to reciprocate that energy with genuine kindness and gratitude.

It is considered good omen to receive these flags as a gift from someone!

Reiki For April 2019

Depression means missing a “sense of well-being”. Reiki can help cope with anxiety and depression by restoring that “sense of well-being”.

How to cope with depression using Reiki

First and foremost, let us understand depression. It is important to note that it is not a defect or a personality problem.

Very often people think that if they’re unwell, the only solution is consulting a doctor. Humans always find temporary solutions, which don’t work and makes a person feel even worse. In worst case scenarios, they make someone feel like failures because they are unable to control their lives and situations.

Depression vs. Reiki

Spirituality is important for dealing with depression. Studying Reiki provides the spirituality one needs. Most people who suffer from depression often need therapies to find hidden or past issues. Reiki can help them find it.

How can Reiki help?

By helping one reconnect with their heart and realigning with their higher self.

Reiki allows you to let go of anger and past pains and traumas. As we mentioned earlier, it provides a "sense of well-being" and the sense of purpose that most people miss in their lives. Reiki has the ability to tap on healthy flowing energy. This is a gentle reminder of who they are and how they can be healthy and joyful irrespective of their past. With more clarity, you start feeling more at ease.

Reiki does affect you physically

During a session, you will start to feel calmer and be able to take full, deep and easy breaths. Your muscles will start to release tension, the heart rate becomes moderate and adrenals will be put at ease. This sets a sense of calmness despite all the struggles.

How long does it take for Reiki to work?

Everyone’s different and their needs are different.

Many people benefit from their first Reiki treatment, while others work through deeper issues. They may need multiple therapy sessions to clear out past blockages. There will be a treatment plan, but it will be worth it.

It is important to know that you are not alone in the universe. This realisation alone can relax the mind!

Vaastu For April 2019

Fish aquariums are known to have a great significance in Vaastu. Read on to know about it...

Vaastu Tips on Keeping an Aquarium at Home

Do you like easy maintenance pets? If yes, then a fish tank is easy to keep and maintain. Moreover, it is an attractive and lively decoration for your home.

Do you know the advantages of having a fish aquarium in your home? Let’s take a look at few of them:

• Colourful fishes in an aquarium make the living room look more vibrant.
• Water inside represents liveliness and positive energy flow, whereas the fishes attract wealth, happiness and prosperity.
• If you are feeling stressed out, observe the fishes in the fish tank. They will make you feel calm and relaxed.
• Feeding the fishes in an aquarium also promises good karma.
• Clean water and the fish movements inside the aquarium attract health and prosperity.
• Colourful fishes absorb all the negative energy and convert it into a positive one.
• It is said that at least one of your problems will diminish with the natural death of any fish in the tank.

Let us now take you through Vaastu tips for a fish aquarium at home in order to attract peace and wealth.

• Vaastu suggests keeping the fish aquarium in your living room only. Keeping it in the bedroom or kitchen can lead to sleep and food-related health issues respectively.
• The fish aquarium needs to be placed in the North or East direction.
• Ensure that the aquarium is filled with beautiful and naturally healthy fishes.
• Apparently, it is good to keep a count of nine fishes in the tank as per Vaastu.
• Keeping golden and dragon fishes in the tank are considered auspicious as it is said to attract wealth.
• Try to keep eight out of nine fishes of the same colour to ensure harmony.
• Keep water inside the tank flowing and healthy with water filters and pumps.
• Make sure to keep the tank well aerated at all times.
• Ensure that only one person in the house has the designated task of feeding the fishes.