The meaning of colours

Choose your cashmere accessory this winter with our colour guide.

This year, Caroline Gardner offers the widest range of colours in cashmere it has ever offered. Our cashmere hats, gloves, wrist warmers and bedsocks come in a broad array of bright and colours to complete your winter looks with an unexpected twist!

Cashmere Hats

FIND YOUR HAT >

We appreciate it might be hard to choose from such a wide range of colours, so we thought we could help you decide which accessory to go for by giving you a background into the meaning of the shades of our cashmere so you can opt for the best accessory to express your personality and identity!

Colours are one of the pillars here at Caroline Gardner. We love combining hues to create unexpected designs and unusual palettes. After all, the unique and quirky use of colour and placement is what Caroline Gardner is best known for!

Cashmere Socks

FIND YOUR SOCKS >

Despite our unconditional love for colours, they haven’t always been as appreciated and widespread. Western culture has shown some contempt towards colours as they were seen a distraction from the purity and intellect of shape and drawing. For example, some religious groups opted for an all-black and white palette in their wardrobe to show severity and humility.

Luckily, colours are now an integral part of our daily life. Colours are all around us. Street signs, brand logos and neon signs, clothes and flower shops are filled with vibrant shades. Colours have become so important, they are even common in our vocabulary. Think about expressions such as “golden opportunity”, “have a green thumb”, “show one’s true colours”! And it might not seem surprising now to include them in our daily language, but in Ancient times, colours were rarely mentioned even in literature! Homer’s epic poems only contain references to white and black with just around forty references to red and yellow altogether in twenty eight thousand verses!

The meaning of colours varies depending on where you are located in the world. Religions, cultures and traditions also influence how they impact our emotions.

Here we walk you through the meaning of the colours you can find in our cashmere range, hoping you’ll find some inspiration for your choice!

Colour Wheel

Yellow

Strongly associated with sunshine, warmth and Summer, yellow is a bright, happy colour. Despite it being sometimes associated with negative feelings, such as jealousy and deceit, we believe yellow is a way to add a sparkle of optimism to your wardrobe. Yellow is also considered the colour of friendship, so if you are looking to surprise your friends with a meaningful gift, this colour might be the perfect choice!

“Till one comes to think of it, one hardly realises how many important and pleasant things are yellow”

The Bloom in Yellow, Richard Le Galliene, 1900 

As seen in …

  • Mustard: strong yellow, like the condiment
  • Cream

Orange

The Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky compared orange to “[…] a man, convinced of his own powers. Orange is in fact an energetic, expansive, vibrant shade that can bring a refreshing touch to your wardrobe. It represents cheerfulness, enthusiasm and creativity. It is also a bold choice for a cashmere accessory to make you look expansive and confident.

As seen in…

  • Orange
  • Nutmeg
  • Coral: soft pinky orange like faded

Pink

In the 20th century, women in fashion women in fashion and celebrities, such as the stylist Elsa Schiapparelli and actress Marilyn Monroe, made it the colour of the women who wanted to be both seen and heard. This hue is strongly associated with femininity and harmony. Love and romance, caring and tenderness are feelings that evoke from this shade. Nevertheless, the spectrum of pink is wide and ranges from the calm pale pink to the boldness of bright pink. Our cashmere range features different shades, so you can opt for the feel to better express yourself!

As seen in:

  • Pale pink
  • Bright pink

Purple

Purple, the mix of red and blue, has been historically associated with nobility and royalty. It is also a spiritual and elegant shade. Like pink, it can be seen a synonym of femininity and seduction.  This is therefore the perfect choice if you are looking for a feminine and delicate look.

As seen in:

  • Lilac
  • Aubergine

Green

Whenever we think of green, forests, nature, leaves and meadows come to mind, In fact, green is the colour used to express environmental friendliness and respect for the environment thanks to its presence in nature. But green is much more than that. It is youthful, peaceful and refreshing. It is said to be relaxing to eye, making it a perfect to complete your outfit with a delicate touch.

As seen in

  • Dark green
  • Teal: strong green with a dash of blue; after the band of the duck’s wing
  • Moss: yellowed green

Blue

“And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Time on my hands should be time spent with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers”
I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John

Feeling blue, have the blues are phrases we all know to express sadness. Nevertheless, blue is a harmonious and calm shade. Blue, which presents several different variants from lighter to deep dark shades, is often associated with power and seriousness. It is also a way to convey trust, dependability, wisdom and stability. Blue is an extremely versatile colour, highly appreciated in fashion because of its elegance and sophistication.

As seen in

  • Navy: dark blue with little grey
  • Light blue

Grey

It is not uncommon to think of grey as a plain and unglamorous colour. Actually, grey is an extremely modern shade, widely used in design to create minimalist, sophisticated and balanced looks. Gray is modest, balanced, calm and the perfect finish for a timeless and elegant outfit.

As seen in…

  • Grey
  • Light grey
  • Dark grey
  • Oatmeal

Black

If you are looking for a timeless accessory to complete your outfits for every occasion, then black might just be what you need! It is believed black can be paired with any other colour. In Western colour, black can mean mourning and austerity, but it is also regarded as a professional and luxurious colour. Elegance and power are evokes from black, which will make you look stylish and sophisticated.

As seen in…

  • Black
  • Charcoal

We asked our team to take selfies of themselves wearing their cashmere colour choices and tell us what they say about them

Nicola in her coral hat

Nicola, Design Director

...matched her hat to her fave red cups to submerge herself in the festive season.

Coral Cashmere Rib Hat >

Steph in hat

Steph, Stationery & Accessories Designer

...loves walks in nature and likes to bring a little reminder of the calm of the countryside to city life.

Green Cashmere Cable Hat >

Trinity in hat

Trinity, Card Designer

...picked bright pink to express herself boldly, and loves to clash it with the other vibrant hues in her wardrobe. 

Pink Cashmere Cable Hat >

 

 

We hope now you’ll find just the right cashmere accessory that will not only you will keep you warm and cosy, but also represent your personality with style!

THE CASHMERE SHOP >