Have you ever noticed that men don’t get colours?!
Although we know that statistically men are much more likely than women to be colour blind, this is not what I’m talking about.
I first noticed this as a newlywed, when we were decorating our bedroom.
The curtains we’d picked were the perfect shade of salmon. I’m sure (if you are female) you can picture it in your head and know exactly what I mean.
Not according to the hubster though. They were orange! Eventually he relented and decided that “apricot” was a fitting name, but there was no way he agreed that they were “salmon”!
Purple? That doesn’t even begin to describe a particular colour! Rather, a woman would know that it is in fact lavender; mauve; wisteria; lilac; mulberry; violet; indigo; grape or amethyst, to name just a few.
Green? Lime, apple, mint, olive, khaki, eucalyptus, bottle, emerald, sea, moss, aqua, chartreuse …
A Limited Colour Vocabulary
Or think about blue. A man’s colour vocabulary would be limited to “dark blue”, “light blue” and maybe “bright blue” (if you’re lucky!).
Ask a woman to describe a particular shade of blue and you will likely hear any of the following:
- powder
- ice
- cobalt
- steel
- indigo
- wedgewood
- turquoise
- jacaranda
- sapphire
- cornflower
- electric
- midnight
- navy
- periwinkle
- baby
- cerulean
- tiffany
- sky
- royal
- azure
- airforce
- denim
- french
Perhaps it’s because men don’t get colours, that their fashion colour choices are also much more muted than what is available to women. Have you ever tried to purchase PJs or a sweater for the man in your life – that are NOT dark blue or green, black or grey? It’s nearly impossible, no matter what the season!
Upon reflection, human beings are one of the few species where the female is clothed (feathered/furred/whatever!) more colourfully than the male. And I for one am glad!
What’s been your experience – have you find that men don’t get colours?!
Usually, I agree. But when we were renovating, we were the other way around. I COULDN’T HAVE CARED LESS about which shade of white the walls were. But hubby took weeks to decide. Paint colour charts. Comparisons. Fabric swatches held up against paint samples. Test patches. AARGH.
My hubster is a bit like this with ANY DECISION AT ALL … it drives me crackers!!! We built a home about 20 years ago, never again 😉
It’s exactly the same in our house !!!! I’ve told A that I am in charge of the inside of the house and he can be in charge of the outside.
Have a wonderful day !
Me
Funnily enough, the hubster has always been super involved in all decorating decisions, so it’s been a bit of a pain when he’s not really into “colours”!
SO YES, my hubby had an old grey ute and he used to call it BLUE – WTF? I mean it was not even pale blue. I often wonder if he’s coloured blind? Great post x
What the! My hubster and I disagree over aqua all the time, I think it’s more of a green but he calls it blue … ??!
I swear my husband walks around with his eyes closed! He is flat out remembering a particular colour, as for picking a shade. I’d hardly think it was possible for him!
I’m glad to know I’m not alone. I feel for my sister though – her hubster really IS colour blind!
This is connected to vocabulary. Women’s vocab is so much larger then mens. Maybe it is not their eyes, it there brains!
Haha yes definitely their brains, good one Sarah 😉
Currently choosing colours for our new house ….. I missed one meeting and nearly ended up with black bench tops, white walls and green cupboards in my laundry that apparently would match the cream tiles and the yellow curtains. His version of a colourful laundry.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. Building a new house is fraught with so many decisions – thank goodness you were able to intervene in this one!
You’re right Janet, men don’t get colours. And they don’t get cushions either! 🙂
So true Lisa!
You are so right! I have a bit of a thing for cushions myself 😉
So true. They aren’t as detail orientated as us women. Blue is just blue, not aquamarine or cobalt or turquoise. As far as co-ordinating an outfit for a special occasion, forget it! Most men have no idea how to match colours.
I forgot to mention this – putting an outfit together! I still remember cringing at what my hubster dressed our son in when they came to visit me in hospital after the birth of our daughter 😉
My family think I’m colour blind, I can assure you I am not, what do they know anyway xxxx
Chances are Rae, THEY are the ones that are colour blind!
I think you just described my hubby … red is red, blue is blue and that’s it!
Maybe it would make for a simpler life? But I would miss all the nuance of colour!
Yes I totally agree. I can always describe colours well with Boatman, but then it’s a whole new ball game with his mum. She is more ‘fashion minded’ than me, and I feel a lot like a bloke when talking material colours with her. 🙂
Hubster teases me sometimes that I am trying to be all posh by saying colour names like “cyclamen” or “jacaranda blue” but it’s not about being posh, it’s about being ACCURATE dammit!!!
You are absolutely right Janet. Men have such a limited knowledge of colour. I have had the argument over a colour with my hubby before, should just agree and move on lol
OMG, I think I’m a man! Actually I’m just kidding. Dave is actually pretty good with colour, but being a printer colour is a big part of his job. But that doesn’t make him care about it though! Lol! We do see colours slightly differently though, we once had a massive argument over whether a jumper I had was blue or purple. Honestly I think it might have started out blue but faded to be more purple and that is why I still saw it as blue but he saw it as purple, but it was a bone of contention for a long time! #teamIBOT
That is a classic story Kylie! There really should be no excuse for your hubster, he should be up on the full Pantone range 😉
My hubby is pretty good with colours. It’s rare though for a man to differentiate between his colours.
For all I’m picking on him in this post, my hubster is not TOO bad with them either … but I do remember the newlywed example as if it was yesterday, it really stands out in my memory! 😉
When I first started dating hubby he was in his late 20’s with holden bedspread and plastic drawers i like to think he knows colours a bit better know….but mostly I’m kidding myself lol
We had a funny back and forth about the colour of his ford focus the other day…it’s charcoal but I can’t remember what he ended up calling it. He has good taste though in many things 🙂
My father is colour blind and so is my eldest son. Apparently it’s carried on the mother’s gene. I know exactly what you mean, although my husband, as a graphic designer, knows every colour on the spectrum!
My ex husband was so particular about colours. Not great with describing them but very particular about them and what could or couldn’t be in the home/ in my wardrobe etc.
My new partner, he’s surprised me with his accuracy of colour description, but then it is part of his job to know things like that.
I’m male!
LOL Vanessa 🙂
I absolutely, COMPLETELY agree. Just the other day, I was wearing a navy blue dress which Hubby thought was black.