When it comes to the color purple, some people will surely stand up and say that it was the color of the nobility in ancient times, and ordinary commoners simply couldn’t afford to wear it. Is that really the case? Raise your hands if you have such doubts. In fact, it’s quite normal to have this kind of thought, because purple pigments were indeed very scarce in ancient times. However, after all, things are not always that absolute.

Ⅰ. Why Purple Was for Nobles

There are mainly two reasons for this statement. One is that purple dyes were expensive, and the other is the ancient class system or prevailing fashion trends. However, it should be noted that purple is not just a single shade. There are actually thousands of color differences on the color chart. So, to be honest, when it comes to drawing a conclusion, purple can’t really be considered an exclusive color for the nobility.

Let’s talk about the dyes first. The more common plant-based purple dyes are lithospermum erythrorhizon (purple gromwell) and Biancaea sappan purple. These are purple dyes extracted from different plants, and the colors they produce also vary.  

However, the color fastness and stability of plant dyes are definitely not as good as those of mineral dyes. But as early as the Han Dynasty in China, there was a kind of mineral purple, which we now call “Han purple“. Archaeologists discovered it when the Terracotta Army were unearthed. It is also hailed as the fifth great invention comparable to the four great ancient inventions of China. It is an inorganic pigment of barium copper silicate in a single purple series, artificially prepared during the Qin and Han dynasties. This material is also related to the manufacturing of lead-containing glass in ancient China. According to legend, it was an accidental product of alchemy.

However, searching for and extracting minerals is much more difficult than dealing with plants. It requires more energy and time. Therefore, the preciousness of “Han purple” indeed surpasses that of plant dyes.

Ⅱ. The Purple – Class Stereotype

Indeed, the color purple is also associated with fashion trends and the class system. When it comes to the origin of this stereotype, we have to mention Duke Huan of Qi. According to “Han Feizi“, Duke Huan of Qi used to take pleasure in wearing purple clothes on a daily basis. This behavior led the people of the state to imitate him enthusiastically. Before long, the price of purple fabric in the market soared. The price of one bolt of purple fabric was far higher than that of five bolts of ordinary plain-colored fabric.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of Qi’s preference for wearing purple clothes led to the widespread popularity of purple clothing throughout the state of Qi. At that time, purple fabric was expensive and the manufacturing process was complex. This trend affected the normal consumption and hierarchical order of society. Therefore, following the advice of Guan Zhong, Duke Huan of Qi deliberately showed his disgust for purple clothes, and successfully changed this trend. This shows that in ancient times, the clothing preferences of rulers could have a significant impact on social customs. At the same time, it also reflects that to a certain extent, there was already an awareness of class distinction in terms of clothing colors.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, due to his preference, purple was designated as the exclusive color for emperors. High-ranking court officials were also allowed to wear purple clothes to show their nobility. In the Tang and Song dynasties, this darker shade of purple was promoted to be the color of the official uniforms for officials of the third rank and above. Its status was second only to the color red.

Above is a glass grape from the Northern Song Dynasty, and below is a begonia-shaped flowerpot holder with rose purple glaze from the Song Dynasty. Both are proofs of the Song people’s fondness for the color purple during the Song Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, there was once a ban on “Mozi” (墨紫, a purple shade close to black), but starting from Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, it was fully opened to the common people, allowing both the noble and the common to enjoy it. In the Song Dynasty, the color of purple porcelain glaze was developed, which further promoted the aesthetic of colors in the Song style.

Throughout the dynasties, there were idioms such as “Huai Jin Chui Zi” (怀金垂紫, wearing gold and having purple silk ribbons), “Jin Yin Zi Shou” (金印紫绶, holding a golden seal and wearing a purple ribbon), and “Er Jin Tuo Zi” (珥金拖紫, wearing gold and purple), all of which use purple to symbolize high official positions and rich emoluments, fully demonstrating a prominent status. The color purple gradually became closely associated with imperial power, nobility, and prominence, and became a byword for glory, wealth, and prosperity. However, in the Ming Dynasty, because the imperial family had the surname Zhu, and there was the taboo of “disliking purple for it overshadowing red (恶紫夺朱)” (since “Zhu” in Chinese can also mean red), the color purple was suppressed again, and purple official uniforms were also abolished in the Ming Dynasty.

Ⅲ. The Purple Trend

In fact, the color revolution of clothing has never stopped. It’s not just about the fashion of purple clothing in China. During the Roman Empire, purple was a treasure of the wealthy. A noblewoman from Thessaloniki on the northern shore of the Aegean Sea was buried wearing a purple gauze dress interwoven with gold threads. This gauze dress was woven from silk and gold threads and dyed purple with a mixture of woad and madder to replace the expensive murex purple dye. The ancient Romans were fond of purple. They would unravel the purchased Eastern silk into threads, wash off the original color, and then weave it into a light and thin gauze dress, and finally dye it purple. Because at that time, purple was a symbol of status and position, and only the nobility and the rich could wear it.

Purple is also the “battle robe” for many female politicians. At the inauguration ceremony of the new US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a large number of female politicians wore purple clothes or accessories with purple elements. This is because purple represents “unity” and is the color formed by the blending of the “blue” of the Democratic Party and the “red” of the Republican Party. At the same time, choosing purple also has the meaning of paying tribute to Shirley Chisholm. She was the first African-American woman in US history to announce her candidacy for president and often used purple in her campaign flyers. In addition, the suffragettes also once chose purple, which represented “the royal blood flowing in the veins of every suffragette, and the instinct of freedom and dignity.”

Summary

However, considering the historical records of both the East and the West throughout the dynasties, it can be speculated that if there were any restrictions, they were related to the attire worn in certain specific scenarios. For example, the dark purple color used for official uniforms. Meanwhile, light purple was still accessible to people of all social classes. After all, the darker the color, the more dye it requires. Or when mineral dyes were used, it indeed took a certain amount of wealth to afford the dyeing process.

In modern society, there really aren’t that many obvious color rules anymore. You can wear whatever you like. But when it comes to fashion, Princess Diana was truly a legend. I’m just here, admiring her beauty and amazing outfits. 🥰