Yellow symbolises the sun, bringing warmth, light, and radiance, and is linked with joy, optimism, creativity, children, and sunny weather.
As one of the three primary colours, yellow is opposite to purple on the colour wheel, which is where blue and red, the other two primary colours, meet.
The chakras, originating from ancient Indian Vedic texts, are utilised in modern Vedic practices like yoga. The colour yellow represents the solar plexus chakra known as ‘Manipura,’ situated at the centre of the body. This chakra visually embodies our capacity for action, willpower, strength, desire, and optimism.
During the Romantic period of the late eighteenth century, yellow fabric was utilized to craft sunny, pastel dresses, and this trend continued into the Victorian era, where it was used to create sumptuous and elegant gowns.
In the 1920s, a dark golden yellow hue was frequently combined with black to evoke the sultry Art Deco glamour. It was often incorporated into designs featuring sun-ray and geometric motifs or utilized as part of a bold, streamlined print.
The classic and elegant style of the 1950s embraced fresh, pastel yellows, as seen in Grace Kelly's one-piece swimsuit in the film 'To Catch a Thief' (1955). The mid-century modern look of the early 1960s continued to favour pastel shades, exemplified by Jackie Kennedy in a yellow gingham Lily Pulitzer dress (1960) famously captured in a 'Life' magazine photograph. By the mid-1960s, the Mod style adopted a brighter and bolder yellow, in line with the vibrant colours of the 'Youth Quake' era.
In the movie 'Clueless' from 1995, the character Cher, a wealthy young Californian portrayed by Alicia Silverstone, made a fashion statement by wearing a yellow checked mini-skirted suit - a contemporary and upscale interpretation of mid-1990s fashion.
Famed designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019), known for his attention-grabbing yet unconventional approach to fashion, once donned neon yellow attire - a 'Jolie-Jaune' campaign to promote road safety in France, despite describing the life-saving garment as unattractive - 'moche'!