Shades of Blue - Variations of Blue in Culture

Variations of Blue in Culture

Note: For blue in general in culture, please go to the main article on the color blue

Cartography

• In historical atlases published in Germany, light blue is traditionally used as a color to represent Germany, as opposed to pink for England and the British Empire, purple for France, and light green for Russia.

Fashion

• Dark clothing for males such as black, brown, or dark blue business suits have become much more popular since the mid-1990s, as opposed to the pastel colored business suits worn in the 1970s by major leaders in such institutions as the United States Congress (the vast difference in the clothing worn in the 1970s as opposed to the 2000s (decade) can be readily seen by looking at a videotape of the Watergate hearings).

Law Enforcement

• In many parts of the world, police wear dark blue uniforms.

Sexuality

• In Russian, the word for light blue, голубой, can be used to mean 'homosexual'.
• In English, phrase "blue joke" means dirty joke (a joke intended for adults; see blue comedy).

Sociology

• In Western civilisation, those in the upper classes in high places of political or economic power often wear dark blue suits. Ordinary members of the working class (especially those who work in the computer industry) often refer derisively to these management functionaries as the suits. This terminology is also used in the television industry—the network executives are often referred to by the creative people (actors, directors, and screenwriters) as the suits.
• Dark blue or medium blue can also represent the working class. A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who typically performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. Industrial and manual workers wear durable clothing that can be dirty, soiled, or even scrapped at work. A popular element of such clothes has been a light blue or navy blue work shirt and blue is also a popular color for work coveralls, the shirts and coveralls both typically made from denim.
• At the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames in London, dark blue is the colour of the University of Oxford and light blue is the colour of the University of Cambridge. Dark blue and light blue are also nicknames for students of these respective universities.