Published in L'Officiel Hommes Italia No. 10

     Way back in 1963 Bauhaus member Josef Albers made a huge contribution to color theory in his book Interaction of Color. He proposed that colors are governed by an internal logic that is unwavering. This landmark work, and much of the field of color theory, has regrettably been co-opted by psychologists, who conspire with branding agents and marketers. They apply it in a quasi-scientific way to sell the public all manner of things it probably could do without. Color is the first thing that the brain recognizes, followed by numbers and finally words. Hence, the importance placed on a brand’s corporate color scheme. Armies of consultants ask such soul-crushing questions as, “What color suits the brand’s personality? What color fits with the characteristics of the product or service? What color does the competitor use?” Yet after all the surveys, market research and trademark registrations, colors refuse to be proprietary. For all the effort that corporations put into claiming them, colors remain intangible. Yet colors do serve as strong identifying characteristics and there are certain gentlemanly items whose color could be nothing but; the color has become inseparable from the function.

     The green on a pack of cigarettes. It is an immediate signifier that you are about to enjoy the cool, minty freshness of menthol. Whatever the brand, their particular font and logo, the menthol green is a universal identifier. Medicinal, cooling you in the heat, it is a green that combats the fiery reds and oranges of summer. This green cancels out the summer swelter and leaves you refreshed, ready to tackle the rest of your day.

    The black of a vinyl record. The fine shellacked grooves housing the sounds. Not a black like death mind you, records are alive and doing just fine—making a comeback even. Your hi-fi stereo spilling out the tasty sounds as the light reflects off its limitless black sheen. Come on inside darling and I’ll show you my etchings, play you some records. We’ll have a drink and see what happens next.   

     The white of a linen tablecloth. It is the least practical color that a tablecloth could be. Every drop and dribble of food will show and necessitate a cleaning. Why do they persist in this choice of color? Tradition? They do so because eating is serious business and should be treated as such. To sit at a table with a freshly cleaned and starched tablecloth, feeling the heavy and solemn texture, you know it is important. Something significant is happening at the table, for white carries a serene power. The white flag that the broken and defeated solider wearily hoists to surrender. He has had enough. Let him now sit before a table swathed in white. For the guy who risked it all, give him this service. One last, fine meal before he is carted away to the prisoner of war camp. He’ll enjoy the dinner with white tablecloth as much as we will.

     The green of a pool table. Blue chalk resting on the bumper. White talcum powder nearby to dry the hands. The dust floating as you chalk your cue. A low hanging light overtop, it leaves no shadows on any corner, the balls perfectly illuminated. The numbered balls in solid orange, blue, yellow, green, red, purple, burgundy, with their striped counterparts, along with the sinister black eight ball and the white cue, all lie on the field of green. The atmospheric cigarette smoke in the shadows as you survey the table. There are endless permutations: the game is always familiar yet never the same. The pool table green providing the foundation for the night’s entertainment.

    The caramel of whiskey. The end of the day has arrived and a very particular color awaits us at home. A color with such richness and complexity, sun-kissed bronzes, earthy browns, pale golds and yellows, decadent ambers, it can only provide the perfect companion for contemplating the day’s events. We settle into our comfortable chair, a hefty lowball glass housing a delicious caramel colored whiskey in hand. A fireplace crackles nearby. It is perfection.   

     There are those select brands who are indeed worth mentioning. Their adopted colors are intrinsically bound with the brand, unmistakable. The daring red of Ferrari. It is you behind the wheel of this most high-performance vehicle, with its superb design, covered in the all-powerful red. One hundred percent bright, one hundred percent saturated, this red is instantly recognizable. You are the black bucking stallion screaming down the highway, heads turn to catch a glimpse of the driver. With a Ferrari under your control, you might be traveling down the road but you have already arrived.  

     Also gaining identity from the equestrian world is Hermès. The iconic orange box with brown ribbon was introduced in the 1950s. That a color so unusual could be so sought after, speaks only to the quality of the product, its rich history and eccentric personality. Like Frank Sinatra said, “Orange is the happiest color”, and with a fetching orange bag from Hermès, you will certainly be smiling.   

     The blue stationery from Smythson of Bond Street. You would think that blue would not lend itself to writing paper but then you probably have not experienced that from Smythson. Their gilt-edged featherweight paper in pale blue with a beautiful watermark carries three royal warrants. As black ink is always in your pen, the light blue pages provide a delightful contrast. The recipients of your correspondence are delighted by your colorful prose and awed by the quality of your paper. Since 1887, Smythson has been inseparable from this most stately shade of blue.  

     For all the simplistic Coca Cola red and childish McDonald’s yellow in the world, colors remain abstract and un-patentable. Color arouses. Color can swallow you whole. They inspire, cause emotion, they bring to mind a joyful memory. Colors serve a function, they signal. Importantly, they let a gentleman know that it is time to smoke, to listen, to dine, play, drink, dress, write; in short, to be the perfect foil to all the varieties of color in the world.