When I'm old I will NOT wear purple, nor a red hat. I'm sure you have read Jenny Joseph's famous poem, Warning! If not, here it is...

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

I guess I want to know why she chose the color purple to represent old age. Possibly, it is a color not worn by very many people. Is it not worn because it implies old age?

And here is where AI works to our advantage, the symbolism of the color purple...

Royalty and luxury

Purple is associated with royalty, nobility, and luxury because it was once a color only accessible to the upper class. The dye for purple was made from sea snails, and it took many snails to produce a small amount of dye. The symbolism of color is cultural and not universal. The more rare the colored pigment, the higher the value of its meaning. 

Stability and energy

Purple is a combination of red and blue, which represents the stability of blue and the energy of red. 

Creativity and independence

Purple can symbolize creativity, independence, and bravery. In creative workspaces, purple can encourage employees to think innovatively.

Mystery and exoticism

Purple is not common in nature, so it can also be mysterious and exotic, inspiring curiosity. 

Calming effect

Purple can have a calming effect. 

Sadness

In some European cultures, purple can represent sadness and is sometimes connected to mourning. 

 

 

As I have read this poem over the years, the colors have always thrown me off. For me, wearing purple with a red hat is not at all in my fashion storehouse. However, as I've aged, the words of Warning! have given me ideas and a security found in the fact that others my age do weird things. I think it is a loss of filtering that we grow to enjoy as our need to not be forgotten comes through.

 

 

 

 

 

You wear purple, I'll wear green, and you top it off with red! We will call ourselves rebels. "Rebels of the Round Table!"