With the beautiful colors of the autumn foliage returning, it’s officially fall once again. Despite the colder temperatures and cool breezes, the warmth of fall and its rainbow of colors continues to spread the warmth. Autumn brings in new colors from yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. But the leaves aren’t the only things changing this season; fall ushers in a new fashion sense and lifestyle. The autumn color palette controls what we wear, drink, eat, and even do. So how does this season affect society throughout the seasons of September through November?
One thing autumn plays a part in is the color scheme of clothing. In stores, you will often see more neutral and warm colors such as oranges, browns, purples, reds, and even subtle yellows. Bigger fashion events such as the Met Gala, also display these warm tones through the different celebrities and designers.
Fall also affects the trendy, seasonal food and drinks we buy. Foods such as pumpkin pie, apple pie, caramel apples, pumpkin, and bread are seasonal classics. Thanksgiving also incorporates some traditional foods like sweet potatoes, doughnuts, turkey, and mashed potatoes. Several drinks also become popular during this time, including, apple cider, pumpkin coffees, spiced tea, and more!
Further, even fall-based activities take after this “fall pallete,” regardless if it’s a coincidence or not. Apple picking during this time involves the darker red scheme along with some warm browns. A pumpkin patch is filled with varying shades of orange and mute greens. Even a maze has fall colors with light browns and pale yellows in the corn stalks.
Overall, when the leaves start to show their colors, the world changes accordingly. But why do leaves change from bright green to a variety of colors? As the temperature begins to drop following the summer season, the sunlight also begins to dwindle. Trees produce chlorophyll, a strong, green pigment that overpowers any other pigments in the leaves, which is why leaves remain green throughout the spring and summer. However, when the sunlight begins to lessen, chlorophyll begins to break down, allowing the true colors hidden underneath to shine through.
Not everyone gets to experience the beauty of fall though. Areas such as Hawaii don’t have the same colorful leaf changing because of their proximity to the equator. Due to their temperatures remaining relatively the same year round, Hawaii, and similar areas, don’t experience the vibrant color change. Although the weather does affect the leaves, it is merely changing from their “summer” to “winter” season.
Despite not everyone seeing the different colors that we are accustomed to in Michigan, the changing of seasons continues to impact everyone. With fall beginning and our leaves changing, it’s time to pack up the summer fun and engage in our fall festivities.
