Grey is an achromatic colour, along with black and white, meaning it lacks red, yellow and blue pigment. It mixes well with many colours as well as with other shades of grey, making it a versatile colour in clothing selection.
Grey can range from charcoal to slate; from battleship to smoke; from shark to dove.
Grey is found in nature; grey rock symbolises steadiness, immovability and endurance. It is also found in industry as metal and smoke and evokes functionality, work and production.
Silver is a mined precious metal and is associated with the Moon and its silvery reflected light, softer in the sky than the sparkle of the stars.
Grey hair comes with age and is associated with wisdom, knowledge and sophistication.
Grey has historically been associated with the poor. 'Les Grisettes' was the name given to french working girls, who were meant to fade into the background.
Christian Dior used grey flannels and silks in his 'New Look' (1947), which marked the beginning of 1950s elegance in fashion. 'The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit' (1956) starring Gregory Peck showcased 1950s post-war conformity and sophistication in men's fashion.
Silver clothing became fashionable in the 1960s, from Paco Rabanne's silver metal minidresses to Andre Courreges's foil fashions. Silver symbolised the future and space travel. The crew of 'Mercury 7' - the world's first space crew, wore shiny, zipped-up space suits.
1970s disco-era fashions loved silver lame and sequins, which could reflect the rotating glitter ball, scattering light around the dance floor, for a supernatural effect.
1990s Minimalism, with its heavy use of black and neutrals, used grey in clothing and interiors. After, the 1980s excess and gaudiness, grey was chosen for its sombre, understated image and association with restraint and sophistication.
As part of the athleisure and street style trends of recent years, grey marl has become popular, perhaps as camouflage for surviving the 'Urban Jungle' and reflecting the trend of widespread urbanisation.
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