Knitch Magazine

You cannot escape its impact. Your attention is captured. You become acutely aware. Your mind is placed on high alert. Physically, your body begins to change. Your senses are stimulated as you become suddenly energized by a burst of oxygen that races to your brain. You are overcome by feelings of expectation, of optimism or, perhaps, even of danger.

Welcome to the raw energy, enthusiasm and excitement of the color orange.

Photo left: Vogue Knitting's TNNA Fashion Show entry was a brilliant orange dress that made everyone take notice.

Photo by John Lang, 2009. Courtesy of Lang Photography.

A complete opposite to the deep blue of the spring and summer season, orange is flamboyant, demanding and invigorating. If you’ve been lost in the blues, orange will drag you out of them – insisting that all is right with the world as we look forward to a new beginning. This may be because each new dawn bursts forth on the horizon in a fiery display of orange.

If you’ve ever wondered why the sun takes on this deep, gorgeous hue, you probably learned about it in your physics class when you studied the light spectrum. Sunlight is composed of different colors, each with its own unique wavelength. As sunlight is filtered by the earth’s atmosphere, different wavelengths of colors become visible. In the daytime, when the sun is directly overhead, the sky is blue because the long blue wavelengths can travel through atmosphere to reach our eye. But as the sun sets and its rays must go a greater distance through the thick atmosphere of our planet, the longer wavelengths of blue are scattered. So we see only the shorter, red and orange. The sky is set on fire.

That’s the science of the color. The history is made intriguing by the fact that the first English language reference to it occurred in the court of the scoundrel King Henry VIII. Up until that time, the color was referred to “geoluhread,” an old English word meaning “yellow-red.” And, yes, orange is frequently claimed to be the only word in the language that doesn’t rhyme with anything. (Not true. Does anything rhyme with “purple” or “silver”?)

Photo right: Katherine Heigl sporting a burnt orange cardigan at the grand opening of the new pet store, OrangeBone™, in Los Angeles.

The fruit, which is indeed the source of the color’s name, was originally known as “naranja,” a Sanskrit word. This sweet and flavorful delicacy was first grown in India, gaining popularity in the Western world during the sea-trading heydays of the Roman Empire. Then, it was particularly popular amongst the well-to-do military class. The color — and the flavor — were a hit and as citrus orchards spread throughout the world so, too, did the accessibility and popularity of the orange.

In modern times, the orange has become such a favorite of children that the first flavors of many products are often the color and the flavor of this juicy, delectable fruit. Orange Crush. Orange Jell-O. No childhood is complete without them.

And now, for all us grown up girls, we are heralding a new energy and excitement in fashion. We see designers like ZacPosen, Max Azria, Louis Vuitton, and Jason Wu adding a luxurious burnt orange to their collections. Prada, Philip Lim, Carolina Herrera, and Charles Nolan are also presenting this eye-catching hue in their 2009 Autumn/Winter designs — with goddess gowns worn by Hollywood lovelies like Blake Lively, Melissa Leo, Natalie Portman.

This is not the bright, Hallowe’en orange of the 1970s, but a more sophisticated version that’s being applied to a stunning array of long, flowing frocks in silk and chiffon, cute cropped coats, and eye-popping accessories that brighten up any outfit. We’re even seeing this blazing hue in dramatic, decidedly non-traditional bridal wear. Fashion experts advise that this zesty shade is especially flattering when worn with other warm colors — like the softer shades of gray we’re loving this season.

One particularly interesting and unexpected use of burnt orange is seen in this spectacular priests’ chasuble. Designed by Father Andrew for his Goods of Conscience line of clothing and accessories, the robe is made with the unique Social Fabric® from Guatamala, and features a contrasting red, hand-painted excerpt from St. John’s gospel. (Learn more about Goods of Conscience in the KnitchMagazine feature, Intelligent Design.)

Photo right: Designed by Fr. Andrew, this burnt orange chasuble glitters with gold in the light of the church.

Perfect for the autumn, when trees are transformed to a blaze of burning orange, this is the color that combines the passion and energy of red with the unbridled optimism of yellow. It’s a new attitude. It’s a call to attention. It’s so hard to ignore that every emergency calls for it.

This season’s fashion alert features a color that is anything but shy. So, if you want to be noticed, but don’t want to settle for the age-old little red dress, be different. Be dramatic. Be daring. Burst into autumn in a blaze of brilliant, burnt orange.

Photo left: Orange Crush was introduced in 1916. “Crush” refers to the process used to extract oil from oranges for the soda.