Before we talked about single wavelengths hitting on our eyes. Now let’s see what happens when two or more wavelengths hit on our eyes. When we receive 2 or more wavelengths our brain cannot distinguish the two wavelengths or colors separately.
Violet vs. Purple: difference explained in simple terms
Some people call it purple and some call it violet. For a long time, I also thought both purple and violet are different types of purple colors. Let’s see in simple terms what the difference is between purple and violet.
Purple and violet are two different colors. Violet is the true color that we can see naturally in the world. Also, violet is made from a single wavelength of light while purple is the color our brain perceives when our eyes receive both red and blue light at the same time.
To understand purple and violet we can go down the rabbit hole of light and color vision of humans. But I will explain these to you in simple terms.
What is the difference between violet and purple?
As said before violet is the true color that we see and purple is the perceived color by our brain. the reason why we see both these colors the same is that both of them are processed the same way by our eyes.
Mixing silver color with acrylic pa.
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You cannot mix violet color either with light or paint colors. It is a true color that we cannot make otherwise just like red, green, and blue or primary colors. You will only see a violet color when your eyes receive a single wavelength of 380 nanometers of light.
But you can mix the purple color with both light and paint colors. You just need to combine red and blue color lights or paints in a 1:1 ratio. When mixing purple color paints always use magenta and blue color in a 2:1 ratio for the best saturation and intensity of color.
What is light and what lights can we see?
Light is a form of energy in the world. We receive light from the sun in the daytime and light from bulbs in the nighttime. If you have heard of something called the electromagnetic spectrum, light is a part of that. Light has both electric and magnetic fields to it, just like all the rays of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Electromagnetic vector created by brgfx – www.freepik.com *ignore the purple color in the visible light in the above electromagnetic spectrum image after the violet color. It is not correct
Interestingly, like most other animals with vision, humans can see a part of this electromagnetic spectrum. We call this the visible light. Different energies of electromagnetic rays have different wavelengths. So the visible light part of the electromagnetic field has a wavelength between 380 to 700 nanometers.
The reason why we can only see between the 380 to 700 nanometers is that our eyes only have cells to detect these wavelengths. After detecting these wavelengths our brain gives us an impression of color for different wavelengths in the visible light spectrum. That is how we can see the world beautifully.
But as our eyes do not have cells to detect electromagnetic rays outside of the visible light spectrum, our eyes cannot see them. As an example, we cannot see radio waves that have a very long wavelength and are outside of the visible light spectrum.
Why wear purple outfits?
Purple is a color often associated with royalty and nobility. So, why not treat yourself like the queen you undoubtedly are and add some purple to your closet? Below are some great color combinations to get you started if you are thinking about how to wear purple.
At one point, purple seemed to have fallen out of favor. But, designers have now been embracing it and there were plenty of purple outfits seen on the runways of many of the big-name fashion houses for the new winter and fall season.
Givenchy – Adeam – Salvatore Ferragamo
Ulla Johnson, Alberta Ferretti and Richard Malone all gave us shades of deep purple for winter and fall 2020.
While purple can often be polarizing, with people either loving it or hating it, there are so many different shades that you’re sure to find one that you love.
You could opt for anything from the palest lavender through to the brightest violet or the deepest plum.
The color lovers site is a good tool if you are not sure which colors go together, or you are looking for different combinations. You can find palettes, which I’ve used in the combinations below, to help you to shop your closet.
Here are some fabulous choices to wear with purple to get you started. Don’t forget to let me know how you wear purple in the comments.
Purples clothes and accessories to choose in stores now
Before taking a look at what colors to wear with purple, let’s take a look at some of the most stylish purple clothes to choose from.
Purple blouse
A purple blouse can create a real statement with a simple pair of black or white pants, or a pair of jeans.
Psyche @economyofstyle above opts for a casual yet stylish purple outfit.
Check out this top that you can wear with this similar pair of purple joggers, sneakers, crossbody bag and earrings.
Purple t-shirt
How about a purple t-shirt rather than the usual black, white or gray? LARACE swing tunic top (below) features flattering draping around the belly area if you would like to hide a tummy.
It also has a v-neck, which is useful for creating an elongating effect, and the sleeves will cover the upper arms if this is an area you prefer to cover.
Purple sweater
If you are treating yourself to a new sweater as the weather turns colder, purple knitwear could be a stylish addition to your closet.
Purple cardigan
Rather than a sweater, you could also look at a flattering cardigan, like the drape front option (below) which has very good reviews on Amazon with one wearer saying it is the best cardigan she has ever owned!
Purple jacket
You could always opt for a smart purple blazer.
Melissa @melissabultburns above wears or purple blazer with jeans.
Get her look with this similar printed blouse, blazer, bootcut jeans, shoes and a bag from Chanel.
Or, you could choose a more casual moto style.
Purple coat
Are you investing in a new winter coat this year? Rather than opting for a neutral shade, you could choose purple to add a big impact to any outfit.
Purple dress
Mel @bagandaberet above (read her style interview here) pairs her purple maxi dress with leather boots.
Recreate her outfit with this similar maxi dress and boots.
Purple skirt
For a more formal option, you could choose a purple skirt.
Purple pants
Of course, you don’t have to stick to purple only on the top of your outfit. You could add impact with a pair of purple pants and keep your top half neutral.
Purple jeans
If you’re more of a jeans person than a smart pants person, you could choose a pair of purple jeans to update your jeans-and-sweaters outfits for the winter season.
Laura @ljcstyling above opts for an outfit of neutrals and accessorizes with black.
Check out this similar sweater, jeans, boots, backpack and wear it with belt from Gucci.
Purple leggings
With many of you at home more than usual right now, you may prefer to think about purple loungewear rather than anything too formal. A pair of leggings are perfect for days at home or for getting out for some exercise.
There’s plenty of inspiration on what to wear your leggings with in this extensive guide to how to wear leggings over 40.
Purple shoes
If you don’t want to add purple to your outfit with your clothing, a pair of purple shoes or boots would be a stylish, and unexpected choice.
Purple accessories
If you aren’t keen on wearing purple in your outfits, then a great way to add a touch of purple is with your accessories. You could, for example, wear a crisp white shirt and your favorite jeans along with a lavender handbag or shoes.
How to wear purple
Now, let’s take a look at some ways to way your purple clothes and the colors that go with them.
Purple with white
Sheree @shesheshow opts for purple and white, adding a touch of green with her sunglasses.
Steal her look with this similar shirt, pants, sandals, bag, scarf and sunglasses.
Purple and black
I always think a pale purple is one of those tricky colors to get right. It can end up looking too “little girl”. But, this shade has definitely been a favorite on the catwalks recently.
And, I think if you “ground it” with darker shades, then it can stop it from looking too sickly sweet. Black is always a safe and stylish choice.
Purple and green
Purple looks fabulous teamed with neutrals but it can also be worn with other strong colors. Kim @kimair above (read her style interview here) opts for an unexpected color choice which works wonderfully by pairing her lilac shirt with green combats and bright shoes.
Violet Color Meaning
Violet combines with passion and power of red with the calm and stability of blue, making for an elegant, flowing color.
We already know its deeply associated with nobility, royalty, religion, and luxury due to its historical value and rarity.
However, in modern terms, its come to be associated with creativity, unconventionality, independence and thinking outside the box.
This is partly due to its rare nature, making it an ‘unnatural’ color in some ways.
Only a few flowers really show the color, including violet of course, but also lavender and lilac.
These tend to be delicate, beloved flowers.
There are also some purple fruits, generally rich berries such as blueberry and mulberry, as well as eggplant and plum.
In many cultures, violet has been associated with bravery, wisdom, and spirituality.
The purple heart in the US, for example, commends bravery with a bright purple.
Many religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism, use purple for some of their highest-ranking members.
Violet Color Theory
Complimentary Colors
Violet’s direct complementary color is green.
You can find a color’s compliment by finding out what’s directly across from it on the color wheel.
Citrusy lemon yellows are a great contrast to violet’s deep purple, but you can also go for violet’s split complements to get more variety.
Split complements are the two colors adjacent to the complementary color on the color wheel. Thus, for violet, those colors are orange and bright green.
Together, the three make a beautiful set of citrusy colors that completely pop with the addition of violet.
Contrasting Colors
You can also go for a triadic color scheme when working with violet.
A triadic color scheme uses three colors that are equal distances apart to balance each other out on the color wheel.
To get the three colors, simply pick out our starter color, then build an equilateral triangle on the color wheel using that color as one of the three points.
The other two points will be the other two colors.
For violet, those colors are red and green.
The balance of these three together makes for a harmonious color scheme.
Is a Violet a Warm or Cool Color
Violet is inherently neutral in warmth or coolness.
Depending on the amount of blue or red added, it can easily become warm or cool-biased.
Violet Color Shades
Light Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Light Violet | 7A5299 | 122, 82, 153 | 20, 46, 0, 40 |
Light violet is a slightly brighter shade of violet than the original color.
Dark Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Dark Violet | 9400D3 | 148, 0, 211 | 19, 38, 0, 0 |
Dark violet is a slightly darker shade of violet, using more red and blue overall.
Persian Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Persian Violet | 8c8eb2 | 140, 142, 178 | 25, 20, 0, 24 |
Persian violet is a greyer violet, adding a kind of more powdery yet darker elegance to the color.
Blue Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Blue Violet | 4d1a7f | 77, 26, 127 | 39, 80, 0, 50 |
Blue-violet is closer to periwinkle than pure violet, adding much more blue.
Red Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Red Violet | 953553 | 149, 53, 83 | 0, 64, 44, 42 |
Red violet is closer to a mauve color than pure violet, adding more red.
Pink Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Pink Violet | CA226B | 202, 34, 107 | 0, 83, 47, 21 |
Pink violet is more saturated and brighter than regular violet, and, as the name suggests, much pinker.
UltraViolet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Ultra Violet | 5f4b8b | 95, 75, 139 | 32, 46, 0, 45 |
Ultraviolet is a darker, more saturated violet with a much deeper amount of purple.
African Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| African Violet | b284be | 178, 132, 190 | 6, 31, 0, 25 |
African violet is a greyer yet deep violet, making for an elegant color.
Chinese Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Chinese Violet | 856088 | 133, 96, 136 | 2, 29, 0, 47 |
A warmer, lighter violet that verges on aubergine looks like a light red wine.
Japanese Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Japanese Violet | 5b3256 | 91, 50, 86 | 0, 45, 5, 64 |
Japanese violet is an intense plum color that verges on a purple burgundy.
A beautiful, deep color.
Spanish Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Spanish Violet | 4c2882 | 76, 40, 130 | 42, 69, 0, 49 |
A rich, saturated violet, verging on a slightly warmer color.
Russian Violet Color
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
| Russian Violet | 32174d | 50, 23, 77 | 35, 70, 0, 70 |
Russian violet is an intense purple.
