Many of the colors that we have nowadays for cloth simply did
not exist in the Renaissance -- notably, the aniline dyes of the
mid-1800s and those chemical dyes developed since. All of the
hues of fabric were organic colors -- madder or cochineal for
reds, blues from wode or indigo, and so on. This meant that the
colors were generally softer, and almost incapable of clashing
as the harsh, vibrant shades of today can.
Whatever the colors may have been, some of them had names so
obscure we cannot possibly relate them to any hue. Really, any
color could be called Ape's Laugh or Love-Longing! For the writer
of fiction, these can add a certain atmosphere, as gallants or
lady wrangle over the color for the upholstery or a new doublet.
Certainly, men still thought it manly to want to look well, and
therefore worried about such things, so it will matter to anyone
of the better classes, not merely ladies. To not care is the mark
of a peasant lout.
For your ease, we have assembled the names under general hues,
with dates for when they were first known or when they were notably
fashionable.
REDS:
Bristol Red -- 1500-1580; 1550-80: a "pleasant"
red.
Scarlet: bright red -- 1522
Redds -- 1522
Crimson -- 1522: red
Murrey -- 1522: mulberry colour; 1550-80: purplish red
Carnation -- 1547-53; 1550-80: resembling the colour Raw
Flesh
Incarnate -- 1547-53; 1550-80: raw flesh red
Horseflesh -- 1559, possibly a very dark flesh red, like
raw horsemeat
Ham-Color -- 1550-80 , possibly the light red of ham
Soppes-in-Wine -- 1559; it used to be normal to put soppes,
pieces of toast or stale bread, in wine, so since all wines are
reds, this is probably a lightened shade of wine.
YELLOW-REDS: (the old word for
"orange")
Marigold -- 1559, marigold yellow-orange, probably dyed straight
off the flowers
Orange-Tawney -- 1522: worn often in plays.
Peach -- 1550-80; deep pinkish orange
BROWNS:
Russet -- 1512, reddish brown or grey worn by countrymen.
Puke -- 1522, dirty brown;1550-80
Sheep's Colour -- 1522; 1550-80; natural
Tawney -- 1550-80: yellow or golden brown
Light Tawney -- 1522, light yellowish tan.
Orange Tawney -- 1550-80: orangish brown
Lion's Colour -- 1522: tawney, yellowish tan
Coleur de Roy -- 1531, bright Tawney color worn by the officials
and servants of the King of Scotland.
Dead Spaniard -- 1550-80; pale greyish tan
Hair: bright tan -- 1550-80
Maiden Hair -- 1605, bright tan
Isabella: light buff -- 1550-80
Brown Bread -- 1550-80, probably the color of whole wheat
Meal -- 1559; likely the color of some ground grain, which
puts it in the very light browns
YELLOWS:
Yellow -- 1500-1580; used for mourning.
Primrose -- 1597, pale yellow
Canary -- 1550-80, warm yellow
Cane Color -- 1550-80: yellowish tint.
Straw -- 1578, light yellow
Ginger -- 1586-87.; possibly the dull yellow of ground ginger,
but slight chance it may be a purple related to gingerline
GREENS:
Lincoln Green -- 1500-1580;1550-80; color used by archers,
also named after the town, Lincoln where it originated.
Popingay Green -- 1522, blue-green.
Popinjay: Bluish Green -- 1550-80
Gooseturd Green -- 1577, yellowish green.
Goose-Turd -- 1550-80; yellowish green.
Willow -- 1550-80: light green
Turtle -- 1559; a dulled green
Pease-Porrige Tawnie -- 1577, a yellowish-brown green
Verdigris -- 1550-80: the cool bright green of oxidized copper
Gosling Green -- 1550-80
Bottle Green: a dark green -- 1550-80
The Devil in the Head -- 1577, also called Hedge; this might
be a shade of green
Palme -- 1559, possibly a palm green
BLUES:
Watchet -- 1522; 1550-80: blue
Milk and Water -- 1550-80; bluish white
Whey -- 1553, pale bluish colour.
Whey -- 1550-80: pale whitish blue
Plunket: light blue -- 1550-80
Coventry Blue -- very popular color during Elizabeth's reign
Long Fine Blue -- 1522
Popongaie Blue -- 1577
Beans-Blue -- 1550-80: the color of blue bean-blossoms
Flax-Blue -- 1550-80: flax-flower blue
Brown-Blue -- 1522, probably a very dull blue
Biscaye -- 1577, possibly a grey-blue or blue-grey
Sea-Water -- 1547-53, one suspects a sea-blue
Water-Color -- 1550-80, possibly a pale, soft blue or grey-blue
Celestial -- 1559, possibly a sky blue, but anything is possible
GREYS:
Russet -- 1512, reddish brown or grey worn by countrymen.
