The Colours in Your Closet! For November 2016

Colour Stories

Did you know that in the past, the colour of your clothes was dictated by monarchical or feudal laws? Learn more about the history of colour here…

If I asked you what colours were prominent in your wardrobe, you would probably tell me it is your favourite colour. But did you know that had you been born a few centuries ago, the colour of your clothes would have been dictated by monarchical or feudal laws? In Elizabethan and Renaissance Europe, men, women or children were required to dress according to their position in life, race, and religion so that it was easy to stick to the social group one belonged to and also, segregate.

This edict was put into place by the Sumptuary Laws which attempted to regulate luxury or extravagance in the way of food, clothing and lifestyle choices. These laws were put into place to reinforce social hierarchies and also allow the authorities to control almost every aspect of a "commoner's" life.

A logical reason for the origin of these laws is that in the olden times, dyes such as crimson and deep indigo were very expensive and thus could only be afforded by the royalty and nobility. Merchants and rich members of the bourgeoisie would attempt to imitate their clothing by dyeing their clothes a more affordable rust or orange. Another reason for the laws is that they were used to put into place moral restrictions too and forbid anyone to live or attempt to live beyond their means.

Not only did colours vary, but materials and styles did too. The so called lowest classes, such as labourers would wear coarse wool or linen. The upper class preferred wearing silk, satin, brocade or velvet. Since the Industrial Revolution had not taken place yet, dying, weaving, etc. was all hand done thereby increasing the price a lot.

During the reign of Henry the VIII, penalties were imposed on those who broke the sumptuary laws. It was believed that a society based on a class system would not work if class lines were blurred and every effort was taken to put into place rules and regulations enforcing rigidity. His daughter, Elizabeth I, took his rules ahead and further imposed clear instructions on not just the colour, but the cut and cloth to be used for every citizen of England.

For example, purple silk and sable furs were reserved strictly for the monarchs and members of the royal family. Crimson and scarlet velvet clothes were reserved for the upper class nobility such as dukes, marquises and earls. Viscounts and barons wore clothes embroidered with gold or silver to mark their station. Embroidery too was reserved for the upper classes of nobility only. Certain adornments like enamelled buttons, lynx fur, satin, silk and damask for underclothes was allowed only for wives and daughters of the nobility and certain knights according to rank.

So the next time you think your wardrobe lacks diversity or could do with more colour, spare a thought to all those living in Renaissance England. Old, apparently, isn't always gold.

Colour Trivia

Colour Facts For November 2016

1. Did you know there is a word for the seemingly grey colour we see immediately after switching off the lights? This colour is called Eigengrau by experts. It is believed to refer specifically to the white-grey colour that most people see in the absence of light. The word is borrowed from the German Eigengrau which means 'intrinsic light' or 'dark light'. This brief, grey vision is now more commonly referred to as 'visual noise' since it does seem like the static seen on earlier televisions too.
2. Did you know that Purple, a colour that has always been associated with royalty and aristocracy was made in a rather unconventional way millennia ago? Purple was adopted as the official colour of Roman royalty after Julius Caesar in 48 BC. He began wearing a purple toga after a visit to the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra who is believed to have been obsessed with the colour. The shade was obtained by soaking thousands and thousands of shellfish in urine and this resulted in just half an ounce of dye. No wonder nobody but the royal family could afford it at all!
3. Were you aware that the iconic shade of the original Levi-Strauss denim is owed to a girl named Eliza Lucas? 21 year old Eliza was a farmer in South Carolina in the mid-eighteenth century and she used to experiment with Indigo crops. While her first two or three attempts were disastrous, the next one bore fruit and almost a century later, was used to dye the first pair of denims made by the company Levi-Strauss!

Colour Quotes For November 2016

• Give freedom to colours and then you shall meet the rainbow everywhere!

  - Mehmet Murat Ildan

• I don't do grey. I like my colour, my style.

  - Imelda May

• Colour can raise the dead.

  - Iris Apfel

Colour Tips For November 2016

1. While yellow is supposedly one of the brightest and most inviting colours, it won't be wise to paint your front porch or door a solid yellow colour. This is because yellow is also known to induce nausea and cause spells of dizziness in people. If you want to use the colour, subdue it a little bit by complementing it with a softer colour such as cream or beige, or choose subtle shades of yellow instead of the bright, sunshine one.
2. When a decorator or designer advices you to choose a shade of white to go with a darker, or warmer shade, they don't often mean pristine white. The colour white can have many different shades according to the slight undertones. Examples are cream, ivory, eggshell, vanilla, etc. The correct shade is chosen according to the undertones of the other colour in this equation and the undertones it has - warm, cool or neutral.
3. For a feeling of harmony and comfort in bedrooms, use different shades of the same colour or colour family. If you use too many contrasting shades, it is bound to make the room look more crowded. Too know which colours go well together, keep the colour wheel in mind. To bring in a light, airy effect, pick soothing tones of brighter colours such as butter yellow, or sage green, etc.!

World Of Colours

Colours & Emotion For November 2016

1. Colours affect our perception of people and objects to the extent that it is actually picked up on by costume designers and artists on-screen to convey a negative or positive message. In recent times, the show Breaking Bad has made extensive use of colour symbolism to invoke certain feelings about certain characters. For example, characters are most often seen in orange right before something dangerous is going to happen, yellow; being the colour of caution is used increasingly into the show to depict the risk Walter takes by cooking meth.
2. Did you know why the Matrix in which Keanu Reeves enters is completely green, while the world outside has a slightly more blue tint to it? Early computers displayed text in a vivid, dark green and the Matrix was supposed to invoke this sensation of being trapped into a world run by artificial intelligence. Sci-fi fiction mainly makes use of cool neutrals to emote sterility, harshness, lack of human warmth or any kind of love, thereby successfully tapping into the relationship between colour and emotions.

Colours & Fashion For November 2016

Every year we walk into stores, it seems that the manufacturers and designers prefer a particular colour or two over the others. In 2016, that colour seemed to be a Bluish-Grey and Peach. This is because of the company called Pantone, which determines and releases a 'Colour of the Year' mainly for printing, but which extends to fabrics too. Pantone has released its catalogue for Spring 2017, which includes the hues Kale (shade of green), Hazelnut (shade of brown), Pink Yarrow (shade of pink) and 7 other shades. So now, when you enter a store and notice many shades of green, you know who made that decision!

Colours & Gems For November 2016

1. Larimar is a semi-precious blue variety of silicate mineral pectolite. It was discovered in the Bahamas and Dominican Republic in the 1970s. The name 'Larimar' is a combination of Larissa and Mar and the name was given to the stone by a Dominican called Mendez, who named the stone after his daughter, Larissa, and Mar - which is the Spanish word for sea. Pectolite is found in many places though none have the unique blue of Larimar. This blue colour, distinct from that of other pectolites, is due to the cobalt substitution for calcium. Larimar is also a crystal of serenity and considered a healing stone.
2. Jet is a hard gem variety of Lignite. Jet is a variety of brown coal, a fossilised wood of an ancient tree similar to cypress trees and monkey puzzle trees. These trees grew in the Jurassic period. Eventually, they were washed into seas and rivers to lie at the bottom for millions of years. All the other sediments built up causing great pressure, which flattened the wood and altered the wood to jet due to chemical reactions. Since ancient times, jet has been used in Jewellery and Queen Victoria wore Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress, making it extremely famous!

Colours & Nature For November 2016

1. The mountain valley of Quebrada de Humahuaca, in the province of Jujuy, situated in north-west Argentina, is home to some wonderful geology. Located 25 km east of Humahuaca, along an unpaved road is Serranías del Hornocal. The utterly spectacular colours and the inverted-V shaped formation seen here is part of the limestone formation, Yacoraite, which extends from Peru to Salta, through Bolivia and the Quebrada de Humahuaca. It is a sight to behold in the evening post 4 pm. You can marvel at the lovely view and appreciate the topography of the region as the sun sets and the shadows emphasise its beauty.
2. Lying 100m and more below sea level, the Danakil Depression is considered to be the most inhospitable place on Earth. It is an extension of the Great Rift Valley, though it doesn't feel like part of Earth at all. Water at near-boiling temperatures bubble up from underground, high salt concentrations create multi-coloured structures, and sulphur and chlorine vapour fogs the air. The mountains of salt change its pinkish tones over time. The region is dubbed, 'The Cruelest Place on Earth', by National Geographic. However, it is interesting to note that extreme forms of life survive here.

Decor

Prep Up Your Sofa With Colourful Cushions!

Adding cushions to your living space is a great way to infuse colour and texture. Read on to know how to go about it…

Decorating with cushions is one of the most effective ways to transform your home. Here are steps to make it a simple task for you:

Step 1: Select your colour palette
This is the most important step in the entire process. It is a wise idea to choose cushions based on existing colours in the room. Rooms are often full of colours and patterns. The colour of your walls, the patterns on your curtains, the coffee tables, the china and even the artwork on your wall can be your guide to choosing the colours of the cushions.

Step 2: Deciding how many cushions on a sofa
Once you are done choosing the colours for the cushions, it is crucial to decide the number of cushions to be displayed. The amount of cushions depends on the style of the room you prefer, the size and the number of sofas you have in your home. A 1 seater should use just one cushion, 2 seaters should use up to 4 cushions and 3 seaters should use 5 cushions.

Step 3: Choosing the right shape and size of cushions Experiment with sizes and shapes when it comes to cushions. You can display two different-sized cushions in the same patterned material and then add in some solid colours.

Step 4: How to arrange cushions on a sofa
There is no hard and fast rule about how you can display cushions on your sofa but there are a few things that you can do to enhance their effect. Keep in mind the colours of the cushions when you are placing them on your sofa. Just remember to have fun while decorating! You can try a new arrangement and leave it there for a couple of days and then mix it up again until you find one that you truly love.

Now that you have the low-down on how to decorate your space with cushions, it's time you go shopping for them!

Colours & Ancient Sciences

Feng Shui For November 2016

One of the most simple and attractive Feng Shui cures is the evil eye protection cure. Read on to know more about how it can protect you from negative energy…

Protect Yourself Against Negative Energy!

Many countries and cultures recognize negative energy as the 'evil eye.' The evil eye is seen displayed in many homes all over the world. The concept of the evil eye is the belief that someone's envious gaze and thoughts can create negative consequences like illness, injury, unhappiness or loss. It's believed that there are three kinds of evil eyes. The first type is unconscious evil eyes that harm people and things, without intending to. The second type intends to harm while the third one is unseen, hidden evil which is the most scared one.

The history of the evil eye goes all the way back to Ancient Greece, the Bible and beyond, throughout the Middle East. Many cultures have a version of the evil eye. It has universal appeal owing to its attractive appearance. The colours of this cure are cobalt or cerulean blue, French ultramarine blue, white along with a black dot in the middle. This attracts the viewer's attention immediately upon entering the premises, neutralizing any negative energy they may have come with. It cures and soothes the nerves, balancing the emotions of the viewer.

You can hang this colourful Feng Shui piece at the entrance, the living room or in fact any place in your home, office or garden. You can also hang it as a wall hanging in any of your rooms or make it a part of a keychain, which has all the keys of your home.

If you have a garden, you can use a plant or a bush to hang it on to safeguard your home. People all over the world are seen hanging it at different places of their household, irrespective of their caste and religion. It is also available in different forms of jewellery, like bracelets, ear rings and finger rings. So, take your pick and stay protected.

Now that you know the wonders of the evil eye, use it to shield yourself from any negative energy.

Reiki For November 2016

Learn how you can use Reiki techniques to treat infertility in women and increase chances of conceiving. Read on to know how…

Reiki for Infertility in Women

Reiki is the ancient Japanese healing technique that channels energy from the palms of the practitioner to the person receiving the treatment. It is most commonly used to solve issues of headaches, joint-pains, stomach and liver ailments, etc. but Reiki can also help in solving more complex medical issues that may not stem from just one source.

One of these problems is infertility. Reiki helps women trying to conceive relax and get rid of the stagnant negative energy surrounding them. Apart from medical care from professionals, Reiki, in this case, can be used as support to ensure the mental, emotional and physical well-being of the patient.

Here are some Reiki methods you can use:

• Use the second hand position by standing at the head of the person receiving the treatment and cup the head. Extend your hands down towards the ends of the ears. This hand position tackles the hypothalamus which secretes the gonadotropin release hormone, which in turn signals to the pituitary gland to produce the hormones that are needed for the eggs to mature. If the patient suffers from headaches or migraines, this will bring relief to those problems too.
• Use the first hand position with the heels of your hands placed over the forehead and gently place your palms over the patient's face, but don't touch it. Ensure that your index fingers and thumbs are touching. This position tackles the pituitary gland which secretes follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and after ovulation, progesterone luteinizing hormone (LH). These signal the ovaries to produce oestrogen and progesterone which are two of the major female sex hormones. Oestrogen thins the cervical mucus, while progesterone prepares the uterus for the fertilized egg to implant and develop into a baby.
• Place your hands on the patient's clavicle and rest them on the upper chest to treat the thyroid gland. While Reiki does not treat an imbalance in the thyroid gland which is responsible for most female infertility problems or problems related to the sexual organs, it does help decrease nervousness and balance stress.
• The adrenal glands play a very important role in the health and overall well-being of a person. Known to secrete adrenaline, which is the fight or flight hormone, this gland secretes cortisol too which is responsible for our stress levels. To treat the adrenal gland, make sure your hands are hovering slightly above the waist as the fingers of one hand touch the heel of the other. Gradually lower your palms till slightly below the waist. Treating the adrenal gland helps with nutrient assimilation.

Vaastu For November 2016

Vaastu Shastra is the ancient science of architecture that uses traditional Hindu and Buddhist beliefs of design and layout to create a harmonious environment, read more about it here…

Vaastu and Architecture Tips

We're always on the lookout for ways to make our lives simpler, easier and more positive. Most of us turn to things like a new routine to change things a little bit, but isn't a more permanent, long-lasting shift better? Vaastu Shastra is the ancient science of architecture which brings about a positive influence through combining traditional Hindu and Buddhist beliefs of design and layout with specific arrangements and spatial geometry.

Here are a few points you can keep in mind while applying the science of Vaastu to your home:

Gates:
It is important that the wall surrounding the house should be of the same height as the main gate. The growth of plants or citrus fruits by the gate promotes good health too.

Staircases:
Since staircases are large, it is not always easy to take it into consideration when implementing Vaastu after the house has been built. But staircases do play a huge part in affecting your health. Staircases built in the centre of the house leads to ill health and other major physical issues. It is best to build a staircase in the corner of the house, or at least more to the side.

Verandahs:
If you have a balcony or veranda at home, make sure it's height is not more than the roofs or equal to it. See to it that it lets in plenty sunlight and the ideal place for a veranda is the north or east.

Doors and Windows:
The doors and windows of the house must be an even number according to Vaastu. Moreover, doors should never be in the centre of the wall and there must be no plants, structures or any other obstructions in front of the door.

Gardens:
Gardens must be devoid of thorny bushes or dry creepers. Ponds, swimming pools or even a fountain should not be kept in the Centre, South, South-east, South-west and North-west, since water resources in these directions cause health problems.

Basement:
Most apartments these days don't really have a basement, but these rules can still be applied to rooms used as basements, namely store rooms. These rooms should be used strictly for their intended purposes only. Do not double it up as a bedroom or recreational room and avoid placing any heavy objects in the northern or eastern parts of the room.