What Does Turquoise Clothing Symbolize?
Turquoise in Fashion and Clothing
When you think of turquoise, what's the first thing that comes to mind? It is either the gem or the color. Turquoise, closely related to cyan and aqua, is a mix of a primary (blue) and a secondary color (green).
Effortlessly combining the uplifting and tranquil nature of blue and the glorious natural splendor of green, the color turquoise (“blue-green”) reflects the balance the world creates and is usually linked to growth and new life. Now, what does turquoise clothing symbolize?
The Symbolism of Turquoise Clothing
Wearing turquoise clothing symbolizes many things. Some of the traits associated with the color turquoise are calmness of the mind, quiet, subtle power, wisdom, growth, emotional balance, femininity, sophistication, tranquility, wholeness, serenity, creativity, good luck, intuition, patience, and loyalty.
Blue-green, or otherwise turquoise, cyan, or aqua, is a calming but fun color.
Turquoise is a French word derived from the word “Turkish stone” (Turquoise -pierre) because the gem was first imported from there. However, the gemstone was first mined in Egypt, dating as far back as 6000 BC, where it was even used for tombstones.
The blue-green shade of turquoise has a tranquil nature. For several years, many cultures associated it with immortality, nobility, and wisdom.
In fashion, turquoise represents calmness, emotional balance, femininity, creativity, and sophistication. That said, how does the human psyche interpret turquoise and how can YOU use the following insights to your own benefit?
The Color Psychology of Turquoise
Color psychology is simply our perception of colors -how our minds process the colors we see- because colors have a way of communicating to (and reflecting) our moods.
Moreover, the color of the clothes we wear can have a profound impact on our actions and our psychological reaction. So how does our mind process turquoise?
Although our perception of colors is entirely subjective, turquoise is scientifically perceived as cold. It combines the properties of blue and green, which are both calm colors and create a balance. In our minds, turquoise creates an atmosphere of calmness, growth, creativity, purity, and love.
According to Empowered by Color, turquoise is also believed to enhance spirituality, clear thoughts, and open up the heart to possibilities. However, just like every good thing, it is important to wear it in moderation. Too much of it portrays emotional imbalance because it can make us over-analytical and fussy.
Turquoise opens a line of communication between what we say and how our hearts interpret it. In other words, it controls our emotions by creating balance and stability.
Turquoise “rejuvenates our spirits” when we are mentally stressed, tired, or just downright exhausted. Whether used on a wall or clothing, turquoise gives you a calm feeling that helps with clear thinking and decision making.
Effects of Pure (Prime) Blue-Green on Others
As the name implies, “prime turquoise” represents blue-green in its purest form (pure hue). Neither white, black, or gray has been added to it. Blue-green is located on the cold half of the color wheel, making it a cold color.
Pure blue-green, let’s call it prime turquoise, bright cyan or aqua, fosters creativity, critical thinking, and has the ability to put the mind at ease.
Because it creates a stimulating and influencing aura rather than a forceful and demanding outlook, various organizations use it as paint around the office to enhance employee developmental skills – albeit sparingly.
In addition, the color cyan is usually associated with calmness, serenity, creativity, friendship, tranquility, intuition, and even love. When worn, it also gives a person an aura of confidence and friendliness, making them seem more approachable.
Just think of the strong color of bright blue-green shorelines that radiate tranquility and serenity. This is exactly the effect cyan can have on people when they see others wearing it.
Bright turquoise or aqua can help public speakers concentrate and have clear thoughts. By calming the nervous system, it gives the speaker a sense of control over speech and personal expression. Print your keynotes on turquoise or wear a blue-green tie to get the effect it generates when you glance down to have a look.
Both women and men can wear pure turquoise accent pieces, but the scales are tipped in favor of women when it comes to wearing it as a canvas. If you intend to influence and control your environment creatively, then you should most definitely choose cyan. But, please do so subtly – wear a bright blue-green sweater at most and not more of the color.
A pullover of almost pure, prime blue-green. It stands out perfectly and when combined with the right accessories, it radiates style. | Socks: Super Fruit
The Symbolism of Dark, Light, and Muted Turquoise
Interpretations of Dark Blue-Green
Adding black to any color makes it a shade of the color in question. Across the blue-green spectrum, the shade of turquoise you get depends on the amount of black added.
In this article, we'll sometimes refer to the dark hues of turquoise as shades of turquoise. Shades of turquoise are derived from adding varying amounts of black to the original prime blue-green hue.
The color turquoise as we know and love it actually has trace amounts of black (and gray) added to it, making it a shade of blue-green. It is not actually a pure hue, but rather slightly darkened. In 2010, turquoise was named the official Pantone Color of The Year, making it very well known.
We also all know “dark turquoise”. We usually call it teal or petrol. Both are quite common colors in fashion, actually. They have been especially common for clothing in the past few years due to the trendiness of turquoise.
Shades of turquoise could also be found in some types of seashells or, more popularly, as the backdrop of certain Instagram influencers’ pictures.
The surfaces of deep seas and oceans could be considered a certain shade of turquoise because of their rich and deep turquoise color. According to Tina Sutton's and Bride M. Whelan's Book on Color Harmony, this is why blue-green shades tend to have a similar calm and quiet connotation. The same goes for when they’re worn as clothing.
This is not a suit someone would usually wear. It’s quite rare to see a turquoise suit - especially combined with orange accents. But, sometimes it’s good to be unusual.
Shades of turquoise enhance creativity and inspiration. They are colors of calmness, bringing relaxation and balance to the body. This is probably due to their close chromatic relationship with the ocean. The ocean, being part of nature, soothes the human soul, and that's what a shade of turquoise does as well. It soothes the body and soul with its calmness.
Insights Into What Light Blue-Green Can Symbolize
Light turquoise, which is a tint of blue-green, results from adding white to a pure blue-green hue. An example of a light turquoise is mint, but there are many other names for blue-green tints.
Mint, due to the addition of white, softens the already soft original appearance of cyan (or aqua) making it a very refreshing color – like a cold drink on a hot summer day.
The tint gives off a very cool feel when worn. It is creative and light-hearted, yet it can stand on its own due to its high individuality levels. Light blue-green is a fun and inspirational color that symbolizes truthfulness, trustworthiness, and style.
Mint can be incorporated into your beachwear when going sunbathing with friends during the summer, as it fits the beach's ambiance. This is why we all saw so many men’s bathing trunks in the color mint the past few years. It was (and for most of us still is) trendy!
However, it should be worn with caution for everyday looks. Too much of it could make you seem juvenile or unfocused. This is especially the case of you’re a man. Women can get away with wearing a lot of mint more easily.
The Symbolism of Turquoise Tones
When you add gray to turquoise, you get toned turquoise. It is an unsaturated version of blue-green between turquoise tint and turquoise shade. Turquoise tones, therefore, assimilate the properties of both blue-green tints and shades.
However, the tone you get from mixing in gray depends on the type (darkness or lightness) of gray added to it. Because gray is added to turquoise tone, it gives a muted or dull appearance. Depending on the person looking, a turquoise tone is usually considered sophisticated, professional, impulsive, or even playful. In contrast, it can be perceived as jealous and possessive – albeit rarely.
An example of a turquoise tone would be “aqua smoke” (wow!). There are many interesting names for different tones of blue-green – one crazier than the other. So, we simply call them tones of turquoise.
In clothing and fashion, turquoise tones can be pulled off as both canvas and accent pieces because they have a muted feel. Because of that, these colors are easy to wear and tend to look very pleasing.
Turquoise tones are very modern. Nowadays, they are often used in web design and furniture. Designers have been going nuts for blue-green tones for the past two or three years already, which is why we see them so often.
In design, turquoise tones are usually associated with structure, reliability, independence, and credibility and it is believed that they even promote spiritual development and engagement.
Turquoise in a Nutshell
More often than not, turquoise, cyan, aqua, teal, petrol, and mint are some of the most spectacular colors in the whole spectrum. Although they exude both questionable and favorable qualities, they all represent calmness, stability, friendship, open-mindedness, and even relaxation.
Sadly, the variations of blue-green can also symbolize immaturity, uncertainty, and emotional imbalance.
So, as long as you don’t overuse blue-green in your outfits, you should be fine. All tints, shades, and tones are quite simple to wear – especially as accents. And if you know how to match and combine these turquoise elements with other colors, you're bound to look smashing!
We suggest you read up on our articles concerning the topic of color clothing. We’re sure you’ll like this one:
