Luminance in Clothing
Luminance is an indicator of how light and bright a color is. It is the amount of light that gets reflected by any colored surface.
It is important to understand that every color has a different amount of luminance at full saturation. This is due to the fact that different hues have varying wavelengths. Also, the luminance of a solid color, such as that in cloth, is at most as bright as the light that is shone upon it.
It is easiest to see the luminance of color when you desaturate it. The following example illustrates this quite well:
Both colors (cyan and red) seem to have a similar amount of luminance at first but as soon as you show them unsaturated, red appears much less light. Note that both colors are at their full intensity (saturation).
Luminance is not just affected by the hue of any given color, but also by the value. This is where most people start mixing up definitions…
The value of a color is the amount of white or black mixed into a hue, generating a tint or shade of said hue. Adding white (tinting) increases the luminance AND value of the color. Adding black (shading) decreases the luminance AND value of it.
This happens because pure white is the “color” with the highest luminance, whereas black is the one with the lowest luminance.
Why is luminance not the same as value, then? Well, here comes the fun part:
Although these two parameters are closely tied together, color value and luminance are not the same. The illustration above shows this.
It shows two very different colors. On the left-hand side, we have dark yellow, and on the right-hand side light blue. The former is tinted, the latter is shaded.
Now, this is where it gets interesting: Both colors have the same luminance even though one has added black and the other added white! In other words, their luminance is identical but their values are completely different.
What does this have to do with fashion?
There are two major things we have to consider for luminance in fashion:
The lighter and brighter the color, the more it “pops” and is eye-catching
Luminance is influenced by the amount of reflected light off of a surface. This means that the texture and material of clothing also affect perceived lightness/brightness.
Wool, for example, doesn’t reflect color as well as cotton, which makes it’s color “pop” less. On the other hand, sequins on a dress reflect light very well, which is why fashion designers put them on dresses in the first place.
Use your new insights on luminance for fashion to your benefit. Read our article on dark and light colors in clothing to learn more about the topic.
