Brown is the color of dark wood or rich soil. It is a composite color made by combining red, black and yellow. The color is seen widely in nature, in wood, soil, and human hair color, eye color and skin pigmentation. Culturally, it is most often associated with plainness, humility, the rustic, and poverty. Brown says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the color of our earth and is associated with all things natural or organic.
HOW THE COLOR BROWN AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY
supplies a feeling of wholesomeness
stabilizes
provides a connection with the earth
gives a sense orderliness
In Ancient Rome, brown clothing was associated with the lower classes or barbarians. The term for the plebeians, or urban poor, was "pullati", which meant literally "those dressed in brown.
In the Middle Ages brown robes were worn by monks of the Franciscan order, as a sign of their humility and poverty. Each social class was expected to wear a color suitable to their station; and grey and brown were the colors of the poor.
The 17th and 18th century saw the greatest use of brown.
In the late 20th century, brown became a common symbol in western culture for simple, inexpensive, natural and healthy.
Brown is the least-loved of colors. A survey showed that brown was the favorite color of only one percent of respondents, ranked below white and pink, and the least-favorite color of twenty-percent of people, even less popular than pink, gray and violet.
“I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.” — Winston Churchill