Something that has always occupied my mind, What was the most in fashion colour of each decade. This has always been interesting to me. By this I mean the colours, used the most in fashion, wallpaper, paint, advertising, food, decoration, album covers and graphics etc (Nothing to do with race all you flamers!!!!). My suggestions are below, if you disagree or agree feel free to comment.

2000's - Grey, stainless steel colour, shiny chrome (Appliance, prius cars, metallic paint, chrome bling bling dubs, stainless steel coins, platinum, diamonds etc)

1990's - Green, forest green (As in the obsession with greenies and environmentalism, starbucks etc).

1980's - Definitely Red - Fire engine red, in titles clothing, decoration advertising (Red is the colour of money and greed hence the red camaro cars and yuppies of the 80s, also ladies makeup)

1970's - Orange - Groovy and sunny day glo orange. The decade of disco, leisure suits and excess, bright orange was the way to go

1960's - Pretty girl pink, think peppermint twist, pink cupcakes and pink dresses on the supremes, ice cream sundaes - this moved towards Crimson purple in later 60s hippies and psychedelia.

1950's - Sky blue, the blue of optimism and peace, blue cars, blue sport coats etc, the blues. Blue wall paper, kidney shaped tables.

1940's - Khaki, war time utility colour, also drab green, camouflage paint, green pillboxes, jeeps etc

1930's - Yellow and blonde, eggs the sunshine, grain and dust (Yellow also as the colour of poverty but also sunshine - blonde actresses, Yellow taxis and Ford V8's, shirley temple.

1920's - Blue/green tourquise - think peacocks, flapper brocade dresses, dark green cars, large aspidistra plants. green coloured record labels.

1910's - Dark/Brown, heavy oak furniture, brown dresses, brown coloured tram cars, brown hats, the colour of the mud in the trenches.

1900's - Crimson (Hard to guess) I noticed a lot of advertising used crimson surrounds and that heavy edwardian dresses were often colours like crimson and brown, chintzy sofas, housepaint, lipstick and the floradora obsession. In the British world crimson red was the colour of empire and prosperity.

So what do you all think?

I want to add

2010s - So far, Black the colour of newsprint, tablet computers, oil slicks and the state of the worlds prognosis, killer earthquakes, extreme weather.

[Edited 2/3/12 22:45pm]

I dont remember the 80's being about red at all... Mauve's, and light colors... Lots of pastels...

tinaz said:

I dont remember the 80's being about red at all... Mauve's, and light colors... Lots of pastels...

...This.

I was a kid then and I just remember seeing a lot of really bright, vivid colors in general. I remember a lot of neon stuff lol.

Dren5 said:

1990's - Purple, teal. I noticed a lot of sports teams were sporting these color schemes (Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Ravens, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Florida Marlins, Charlotte Hornets, San Jose Sharks, Jacksonville Jaguars ).

[Edited 2/3/12 20:03pm]

i c it like this....

1950's army green

1960's were turquoise blue

1970's were orange

1980's purple

1990's cream

2000... pink

2011 red

Interesting list. I do remember a lot of nail polish and lipstick being red, with thinking colours like pink and brown were special, but I was 6 and under then after all I think of fuschia and turquoise too when thinking of the 80's though. And in the 90's, I think of different greens including neon, day glo, forest green, mint green, lime green.

Black is the most fashionable color of any decade. Why you want to dress top notch black is always included. Try to go formal in pink or yellow

[Edited 2/3/12 22:05pm]

Dren5 said:

tinaz said:

I dont remember the 80's being about red at all... Mauve's, and light colors... Lots of pastels...

...This.

I was a kid then and I just remember seeing a lot of really bright, vivid colors in general. I remember a lot of neon stuff lol.

Yes I think you're right, it was about bright colors. I think the post is choosing a representative of the times, not saying what was the "official" color of the decade. So red represents bright primary colors very well.

Deadcake said:

Dren5 said:

...This.

I was a kid then and I just remember seeing a lot of really bright, vivid colors in general. I remember a lot of neon stuff lol.

When it comes to fashion - neons were in for a time, pastel sweaters, tube skirts, teaming yellow with dark grey was a novel idea never done before. Things like the colors of new cars for example, primary was in - lots of red, yellow, blue. Metallic shades weren't he norm yet like they are today.

A lot of deco colors .... remember Miami Vise? those were a lot of colors during the 1980's

pastels like others have said, neons hot pinks aquamarine

But I'd say a lot of it was spread out, I don't remember red being such a big color outside of Michael Jacksons Beat It jacket

^ In addition to the MJ jackets, Madonna's makeup and every stylish woman and girl too wore red makeup. Pastel colours were more around 86/87, neon around 89-91

alphastreet said:

Everyone had the thick black eyebrows and red lipstick with hoops in their videos, even if it clashed with what they wore I liked the variety of 90's makeup and hairstyles, although I think the 80's are a better decade and more fun.

Deadcake said:

alphastreet said:

^ In addition to the MJ jackets, Madonna's makeup and every stylish woman and girl too wore red makeup. Pastel colours were more around 86/87, neon around 89-91

Woman in red was from the 80s

And don't forget Magnum PI's Ferrari