Filters: Sex and Other Misconceptions 177
Color has come to connote specific messages in cultures through
the ages. In past eras, certain colors have projected wealth due to
expense of production. There were even sumptuary laws to pro-
hibit the use of selected colors, such as purple, as well as wearing
decorated styles of clothing by anyone less than royalty.
The contrast with the practices of modern America is startling—
if you were a Medieval lord, you would wander the streets of
Detroit in shock over the colors used in clothing. We live in a world
where an average American can buy clothing in any color he or she
wants. We have evolved to a perception that anyone, literally, can
dress like royalty. In terms of commerce, a practical effect of that
shows up on Canal Street in New York City (or in sidewalk stations
along Lexington Avenue, and so on) any day of the week. Peddlers
offer copies of designer bags and shoes.
Americans are not unique in our desire to have what the more
privileged have, with color being a key element in that distinctive
look (for example, the little black dress.) We simply have easier
access to the knowledge of what they wear and how to get it. We
evolve culturally as a result of that awareness and consumer power.
An important characteristic of our society is that we can form tribes
on an ad hoc basis because we have the resources, creativity, and,
for the most part, societal acceptance of clothing, accessories, cars,
and even buildings with “new” colors: mint, sunburst, and dark choco-
late. During the 1970s, if you were “in” as a suburban homeowner
you crammed your new split-level with appliances in harvest gold
and avocado. You were not “in” if they were still there 10 years
later, though. Members of every subculture, such as the suburban
homeowner, have their own symbols of belonging. Golfers have a