Danielle Colby Striptease Historian | The Queen of Rust

When Did We Start Wearing Purple?

Added 2021-08-13 03:31:11 +0000 UTC

Where do red and blue meet? In the color Purple of course!

But when exactly did folks start wearing purple?

Would you believe that it was a cute little snail that was first noticed leaving a trail of this unusual purple color that is so difficult for the human eye to distinguish? In fact, Hercules's famous pup was charged with eating one of these snails and developing a wild purple drool.

In reality, so rare in nature is the color purple that not many humans had the opportunity to lay eyes on this mysterious hue outside of tropical habitats.

As the ruling class and leaders began to claim the color for themselves, purple began to signify piety, and spiritual wealth because the ruling class that claimed it was revered as living descendants of Gods.

The color was so highly protected that the only use of the color outside the hierarchy of the crown were senators allowed togas with a single stripe of purple.

In fact, one could be charged with high treason for wearing this sacred color. As was Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey in 1547.

Over time the color became more affordable to produce and was then ingratiated into the mainstream in 1856 by chemist William Henry Perkin while trying to synthesize quinine, an anti-malaria drug.

It was also an important color to usher in social change in the women’s suffrage movement, the feminist movement, and the LGBTQ movement.

Purple is a powerful color that started out steeped in mystery and was specifically meant for royalty. Is it any surprise that it was Prince’s signature color?