Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service, and Social Justice

Why do people not like the color orange?

It was a muggy mid-October Wednesday. The cold winds from that morning had settled as the midday sun’s heat rapidly warmed up campus. My routine is simple and precise: ride the Anderson elevator to the third floor, greet people, and clock in just before I ease myself into the chair of the Wesley Center front desk. But during that particular Wednesday, a thought occurred to me as a fellow student worker entered the office and chatted with me, or in a more honest manner, I chatted with them. Why is it that there is a sudden barrage of orange everywhere once autumn has entered the annual season door? During any other time of the year, you could hear the clear frowns and contemplative hums at the sight of orange.

It isn’t until the green of the oak tree leaves fade to orange, then does the favor of fall come into play in the narrative of this deeply misunderstood color. But outside this whimsical weather system and its macabre holiday paired with the blazing color of orange, it suddenly feels as though orange is not just an exception, but a lifestyle for an entire three months.

Amongst the general populace, there are those that stay true from the sudden wave of orange acceptors. Those that will continue to frown, or as I dare call it, hate on orange year long. The true antagonist orange averse.

And despite being the orange advocate that I am and an all-year round lover of it, I had to put down my biases towards these people and listen. What was it that made people dislike such a lively color? Why was fall the only time of acceptance for it? When is it okay to like the color orange? And most of all; Why not orange?

“Orange is just an ugly color. It doesn’t really look good with anything.”

The above statement was from a friend that I consider to strongly be “orange averse". The reason I quoted them was because their statement would begin to ring true in other conversations I engaged in as I ran out into the world to gather more input on the matter. Despite the devastatingly negative and fictitious take, I had to lay my guard down to shift perspective in order to answer my inquiries.

“Orange really looks good on specific skin types.”, was another common statement made when it came to wearing the color. The thought behind this was that the color had to complement the other colors and tones in order to be perceived in an aesthetic manner. I thought this to be a fair argument, especially from the experience I received as I walked around campus and had such responses when I wore my orange raincoat. Eventually, I engaged in more conversations where this was the most common response, so I began to take a step back from the blatant crowd of the orange-averse. There just seemed to be so many unspoken color rules and exceptions that emerged from these talks.

Pictured here is Hafsa's iconic orange raincoat

Once I had established that most people’s aversion to orange rose from a similar echo chamber; that it wasn’t exactly the color itself but the aesthetics of it when applied to real life, then did I go on to confront the other orange-averse group; seasonals.

“Orange, rusted or dark, looks really good during fall.”, is the first response I receive while in the Starbucks line, with the large posters for orange drinks and advertisements for fall treats adorning the scene. Fellow students roamed the scene with rusted orange shirts and pants with the scent of pumpkin spice permeating the air. The moment couldn’t have been better pieced together, the aesthetic and reason of orange to the public’s eye; fall.

I reflected deeply on the discussion that I’ve engaged in and noticed two possible explanations for the “orange aversion”. One, people choose colors that help them blend in or calm them. It is a known fact there is a psychology to colors, but at the end of the day, it is not specific colors but the meanings we’ve ascribed to them that contribute to how we view them. Orange is often associated with danger signs, construction, and tacky logos of superficial companies. These things may contribute to people’s views on that color. Two, The contrast of orange during fall when most dark and warm colors from nature come together has caused us to naturally associate the color with only being acceptable with the season itself. It is a color that outside of this warm colored season with cold winds, that we find such a vibrant color acceptable. It is for that reason that nostalgia and comfort collide to make this color seen in a more appealing light.

Despite these reasons, I still find myself loving the color as is regardless of the season or reasoning. And as much as I’d hate to admit that orange can be a confrontational and arrogant color, it is still a vibrant color that symbolizes joy, energy, and happiness.

Just remember to pause and think the next time you pass through a forest and drive by a scenic route and notice the leaves crimson red and brilliant orange amongst the calm blue sky, remember to “have an Orange day.”

Article Written by Hafsa Ahmed (Senior)

Social Justice Administrative Assistant of the Wesley Center

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Why do people not like the color orange?

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