What should fashionable women be wearing this September? The answer, according to Vogue Magazine, is red. It’s London Fashion Week. The color of the moment is red—bright and brave.
Nowadays, most of us wear what we choose. But things were very different in the past. In 15th-century England, only the rich and powerful were allowed to wear the red. The English King Henry VIII passed four laws to make sure everyone followed the rules. Why red? According to Professor Lisa Jardine of University College, London, the answer is all about money and power. The chemicals that turned cloth red were expensive then—so only rich and powerful people could buy red clothing.
Red also had other, more negative(负面的) meanings for women. So Queen Elizabeth I often wore white as a symbol of her purity(纯洁)—and Queen Elizabeth II wore a white dress for her coronation(加冕仪式). But times are changing, and these days, women can wear their favorite shade of red without fear. Even the Queen is wearing red in public, and it is one of Princess Kate’s favorite colors.