Black is also a practical color. Many Islamic countries make expert use of black, using its absorption of heat to cause hot air to rise. Draped garments in dark colors, such as the thawb and abaya, create a convection current of cool air through the layered folds of the garment.
Black, it seems, has captivated us since the beginning of time. “There have always been black luxuries: ebony wood, black marble and, in Ancient Rome, fine black wool,” Harvey continues. But black also meant virtue and duty, and from the 11th century onwards it was widely used by the clergy. Later royalty, such as Philip II of Spain (1527-98), adopted it, aligning themselves with the respect and authority of the church. “Black had become a color that said you were serious; it said you were serious; it said you were strong, possibly formidable,” says Harvey.
For a long time there has been this duality with black, he explains. “On the one hand, black is class, wealth and distinction; and on the other hand, black is humility, service and dedication.” The distinction between the two had a lot to do with materials. Deep black tints were expensive to create. Commoners had to be content with black fustian, a thick, sturdy twill. Only the nobles had velvets and satins.
Over time, black spread to middle-class merchants and businessmen, but it was rather dull and severe. Noted dandy Beau Brummell, the 19th century equivalent of a social influencer, saw how industrialization was transferring power to the rising middle classes. His reinterpretation of color in his sleek slim-fitting suits was not only a nod to the group’s growing impact, it made black fun again. And although the more austere reigns of William IV, and later Queen Victoria, put an end to frivolity, black was reinvented and remained fashionable, seeming to fit perfectly with the morality and modesty of the new age.
Source: news.google.com