Etymology is the study of the origin and evolution of words, and I find that really interesting. I’ve been looking into the etymology of colours along with their meanings and how that ties into their use in fashion. One of the most used colours in the fashion world is black – it is both timeless and versatile, but it has many different meanings and associations, along with an interesting etymology.
Read on to find out where the word comes from, what it means and how the colour black is used in fashion, along with some shopping ideas from the current collections if you’d like to add some black fashion ideas to your wardrobe.
The cover image shows from left to right 16Arlington Fall 2024 Menswear, Carven Fall 2024 Womenswear, Helmut Lang Fall 2024 Menswear, and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Fall 2024 Womenswear.
Etymology
The word “black” comes from the Old English word “blæc”, which means “dark, without light”, or figuratively, it means a moral or spirtual darkness. “Blæc” comes from the Proto-Germanic “blakkaz”, which means “burned” or “burnt”. This word is thought to be connected to the Proto-Indo-European root “*bhleg-” which means “to burn, gleam, shine.” This root then evolved into a number of words in other Indo-European languages related to brightness and darkness.
There is also the Old Saxon “blak” meaning “ink”, the Old High German “blach” meaning “black”, the Old Norse “blakkr” meaning “dark”, the Dutch “blaken” meaning “to burn”, and the Swedish “bläck” meaning “ink”.
Meaning
Black as a colour has many different meanings that make it popular for use in fashion and many other applications – it is associated with mystery and the unknown, and with evil and death. It is a popular choice for the outfits of villains but is also the colour of mourning in Western cultures and is worn to funerals. It is considered elegant and sophisticated, but can also be rebellious and non-conformist.
Black is associated with power and authority, making it a popular choice for uniforms. It is also considered a formal colour, and at the same time it is associated with mystery, intrigue and seduction, having been used in both film and literature to symbolize danger and the unknown.
The meaning of the colour black changes with cultures – in China it is associated with disorder while in Japan it is associated with mystery and the unknown.
Use in Fashion
Black is a very popular colour in fashion – it’s very versatile and can be matched with pretty much any other colour. It’s considered to be elegant and formal and is often used for formalwear – for example tuxedos and suits or evening gowns. It is considered a timeless colour that never goes out of style, it transcends trends and is always in fashion.
It can also be considered a rebellious and non-conformist colour, and has been adopted by counterculture movements such as goth, emo and punk, and is associated with them.
Certain designers are associated with the colour – think of Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester, or the AW2024 collection by Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino. It’s a rare collection that doesn’t include any black pieces, and most of us have that one (or more) versatile black handbag or pair of black shoes that can be matched with any outfit.
London College of Fashion alumna (PGCert Fashion Buying & Merchandising). 15 years in fashion across styling, buying & merchandising, trend forecasting, e-commerce, and marketing. Includes roles at Vivienne Westwood and multi-brand retail stocking 50+ brands including Adidas, Nike, and Puma.
