Notes on Grey

Feeling Neutral

The last few years a lot of grey has appeared in clothing and design. Trend specialist will say it has to do with a collective feeling of uncertainty. With not wanting to make any bold statements. Grey is neutral! But it is also linked to the reappeareance of metalics in fashion – grey is  the simpler colour version of metal: Iron, steel, silver. Or with the connection to natures own grey colours found in rocks and stones.

Technical aspects of grey
Grey is termed neutral as it does not have any colour value as such. It does not give out any energy that way you can get energized from more saturated colurs i.e. Red og blue, green, yellow. This is why some find grey dull. Medium grey is traditionally used to measure the right light by photographers and also why a standard computer screen is medium grey.

Grey can be seen as degrees of black. The darker the grey, the ‘heavier’ it feels. But grey does not have the dramatic feel of black.

The same grey square appear different depending on it’s background colour:
This is because grey interacts with the colours that sounds it, generating what is called simultaneous contrast. A physiological phenomenon of the human vison, where by our brain will add the complementary colour to the neutral. The gray in the red square might have tinge of green to it. A grey colour in a yellow square appears slightly violet and a grey inside a blue square appears warmer more golden. Even it is the same gray.

Historical aspects of grey
Grey has historically been the colour of the poor. Previously coloured garments were expensive and for the wealthy. Some colours were even forbidden for the commoner i.e. Purple was only to be worn by royalty!

Grey has associations to:

• fog, grey weather
• grey mood – flat: lack of emotion – depression
• lack of colour = grey
• lifeless as opposed to colourfull
• the grey eminince, conservative cold authority
• humility
• discretion
• uniforms
• aged, getting old
• grey = no colour, lifeless
• ash, dust

Interestingly grey is not associated with a flavour or a scent.

Grey within religion
The Fransiscan monks wore grey cloth cowl – and in Denmark were called the grey brothers. (“Gråbrødrene”).

In the Bible the saying: “To be dressed in sack and ash”. It means to be humble and repent ones sins. In mideveal ages ash was spread over the sinners head at church, when he made a confession. It was taken litterally by the true believers, who was to live the   joyless life of a beggar, dressed in a rough sack, covered by the grey dirt from the ash pile.

Ash is a symbol of death i.e. the English ritual: “From ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”

Grey Elegance
“Less is more”
Perfect for understatement, neutral colours are used in luxery products.

Grey Products
Most electronics, mobile phones and computers (Except for Apple computers that came up with the colourfull range of the Imac in the late 90s) are shades of grey, white or black. Perhaps due to the materials used. Perhaps initially as a way of making simple plastic appear more sophisticated – like real metal.

Words, Language
Earl Grey tea is named after the Charles 2^nd Earl Grey (1764-1845) when he was given a Bergamot flavoured tea as a present.