It began with mollusk mucus -- not the most inviting thought -- a gooey, staining secretion from sea snails. Its dark-red color so delighted folks in ancient times that they used it as a coveted fabric dye. The Greeks coined it porphura. Medieval Europe combined it with rare blue dye to create what they called purple -- a bold, distinctive and expensive hue reserved for aristocrats and royalty.
That's when the color's allure took hold, back when it was difficult to come by.
Today, purple is prevalent yet it still possesses a look-at-me quality -- as evidenced by the purple-lit buildings throughout downtown Baltimore that celebrate the success of the purple-clad Ravens this season.
FOR THE RECORD - An article in the Today section yesterday misidentified a business in Waldorf that specializes in purple merchandise. The name of the business is Passion for Purple.
This fusion of the primary colors red and blue has always evoked passion, self-assurance, status and sensuality. Not only has purple held its own among modern-day teals, fuchsias and burnt oranges, it's garnered a devoted fan base of folks who can't seem to get enough of it.
"People who love purple are obsessed about the color," said Bernadette Jones, who runs a purple-lovers gift store, Purple Passion, out of her Waldorf home. Among the more than 70 items she sells: Pencils with purple erasers scented with lavender oil, purple office staples, hand-painted purple sandals and lavender lemon pound cake.
Yet the items for sale are almost outdone by her purple-themed attire: purple blouse and sweater, purple ring, necklace, earrings, fingernails and purple satin shoes.
Fashion may be one area where purple struggles a bit for acceptance in the color family, although Jones proudly revealed that purple makes up half her wardrobe.
"At my church, people get offended when I don't wear purple," Jones said. "They say to me, `Oh, you're not wearing purple today,' and they seem disappointed."
Jones is merely following in the footsteps of others who were known for their purple, such as Alexander the Great and emperors of the Roman Empire.
Through the years, purple's significance has varied as the color has spread.
"From as far back as the ancient Jewish kabbalah and
in Christianity in the Middle Ages, purple was really looked at [as] holding a quality with leadership," said Kate Smith, founder of Sensational Color, an Arlington, Va., company that teaches the psychology and usefulness of color.
During Old Testament times, she says, purple was associated with splendor and dignity. And "when Catholic priests are raised to the level of bishops or cardinals, the term is, `raised to the purple.'"
