The colour Purple
Fortunately, Mother Nature wasn't subject to those pesky sumptuary laws that sprung up around the world in the past – laws that decreed what people could wear, own and eat. Purple, from the Romans to the Elizabethans, was reserved for the ruling class, an edict easily enforced by the crippling cost of dye.
Lilacs, jacarandas, wisteria, crape myrtles, seas of iris, lavender and alliums carried on throwing their petals to the wind, growing lushly and creating staggeringly beautiful microcosms of otherworldly wonder and delight! Orchards produced figs, blood plums and grapes. Vegetable gardens were abundant with aubergines, red cabbage, globe artichokes and beetroots.
And so, it is with gratitude to a more egalitarian age, where ultraviolet has been named as the Pantone Colour of the Year 2018, that I can design for you a scarf in purple. What once would have been an act of defiance (unless you happened to be a Roman emperor or Elizabeth I) can now be a simple statement of style.
COLOUR FACTS: PURPLE
While “born to the purple” can be used to describe nobility, it actually refers to someone who has been born to royalty while their parents are ruling.
The band Deep Purple were originally called Roundabout, but changed their name in 1968, in honour of Ritchie Blackmore’s grandmother’s favourite song.
In Victorian times, widows were expected to wear black and mourn their husbands for at least two years. After that, purple indicated that they were in half-mourning.
Carrots were originally purple, yellow or white. A new strain with more beta carotene was developed in the 17th century.