BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Mrs. Hudson in purple? Why?

**Posted by Sherlockismyfix** August 24, 2014 5:22 am

In nearly every scene, Mrs. Hudson wears some shade of purple. Is this the actor's choice, or a wardrobe decision? What would be the significance? Does this come from canon?

Although I know she can't wear cerise. It drains her.

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 24, 2014 2:45 pm

Whatever the reason, she looks really good in purple!

Mary

**Posted by Sherlockismyfix** August 25, 2014 11:31 am

maryagrawatson wrote:
Whatever the reason, she looks really good in purple!

Mary

Oh, I agree, Mary. But there is a lot of thought behind every detail in this show, and I am very curious about the purpose of this wardrobe decision.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 25, 2014 12:33 pm

The interesting thing is that purple is a very dominant colour on the show as a whole. Here is are two tumblr posts of mine I made about this colour choice. And it is interesting to watch the characters you see in the colour as well: Sherlock, John, Mrs Hudson, the brother of Connie Prince, the secretary in ASiP whose lover is forced to kill himself …

http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/85224771846/a-study-in-purple
http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/85720439406/a-study-in-purple-lilac

Last edited by SusiGo (August 25, 2014 12:37 pm)

**Posted by Sherlockismyfix** August 26, 2014 9:55 pm

SusiGo wrote:
The interesting thing is that purple is a very dominant colour on the show as a whole. Here is are two tumblr posts of mine I made about this colour choice. And it is interesting to watch the characters you see in the colour as well: Sherlock, John, Mrs Hudson, the brother of Connie Prince, the secretary in ASiP whose lover is forced to kill himself …

http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/85224771846/a-study-in-purple
http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/85720439406/a-study-in-purple-lilac

Cool, SusiGo! There is a LOT of purple in the show. I knew about The Purple Shirt, but hadn't picked up on the others.

Oh, and I have one more for you: Mary appears in a purple dress. I can't remember if it is in TEH or HLV, maybe both. ( I am somewhat technologically impaired, so I don't know how to grab a screen shot. Sorry!)

I would love to hear some ideas about what all this purple signifies!

**Posted by Whisky** August 27, 2014 12:22 am

My first two associations for purple:
a) individualism and b) sexual frustration (I think I picked that up from some article about colour meaning...)
now what to make of that...

serious now, isn't there something like colour symbolism? I'm not into such things, but it sure could be interesting...

**Posted by BreathingIsBoring** August 27, 2014 1:15 am

Sherlockismyfix wrote:
Oh, and I have one more for you: Mary appears in a purple dress. I can't remember if it is in TEH or HLV, maybe both. ( I am somewhat technologically impaired, so I don't know how to grab a screen shot. Sorry!)
I would love to hear some ideas about what all this purple signifies!

Both. It's the same dress, as Mary in Sherlock's Mind Palace is the first Mary Sherlock ever saw, so he's examining her to try and find what he missed.

Last edited by BreathingIsBoring (August 27, 2014 1:16 am)

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 27, 2014 1:26 am

Nice juxtaposition of those pictures! It's almost unbelievable we're looking at the same actress/character. Mind Palace Mary looks positively evil while Restaurant Mary looks angelic.

Mary

**Posted by ArwendeLuhtiene** August 31, 2014 10:25 pm

Cool study, Susi!
I've also come to associate purple with Sherlock, above any other colour (also black, and navy and blue in general, mainly because of the scarf). Since becoming a dedicated Sherlockian, I've noticed that I actively try to wear and have more purple stuff

Last edited by ArwendeLuhtiene (August 31, 2014 10:26 pm)

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 31, 2014 10:40 pm

ArwendeLuhtiene wrote:
I've also come to associate purple with Sherlock, above any other colour (also black, and navy and blue in general, mainly because of the scarf).

Series 1 and 2, Sherlock had TPSOS, but that's it for purple in his wardrobe. His series one scarf was blue and green and the series two and first series three scarves were blue. In a surprisingly moment of continuity, he lost the blue scarf in TSOT when it was used as a bandage and so he acquired the hideous shiny crinkly purple scarf he wears in HLV. Funny how even Benedict refers to Sherlock's purple scarf as though he's always had it when, in fact, it's a very late entry into the series.

Mary

**Posted by La Jolie** September 1, 2014 8:50 am

It isn't purple at all. It's definitely blue! (Not trying to seriously argue with you. Just pointing out how subjective the perception of colour can be.) (Says the wife of a colour-blind husband.)

Here are my thoughts on Mrs Hudson's colours.

Firstly, she's an elderly lady. They don't usually go around dressed in bright neons.

Mrs Hudson is certainly not trying to make fashion statements. She just wears what you would expect an elderly lady of her sort to wear. Given her rather colourful biography, maybe she's even trying to appear more respectable and conservative than she feels she is! And conservative and respectable, for a widowed lady over 60, usually doesn't go beyond muted colours.

Purple simply is in fashion. Just go and look at what's been on offer for the past few years for that group of customers.

But what I notice most, and what I think is the real reason for her dressing the way she does, is that her colour choices actually sort of make her blend in with her house. She prefers grey/green/purple/sepia/brown and those are exactly the predominant colours of the carpets, wallpaper, curtains etc. of her house. (The cardigan she wears when taken hostage by the CIA men in ASIB is very much the same colour as the wallpaper on the staircase.) It makes her look like she's an organic part of that house, which of course she is. I really like that fact!

**Posted by Punch me in the face** September 6, 2014 2:33 am

Yes, I think there is a link between mourning and purple, at least for people of "old generations".

My grandma (84) lost one of her sons in 1976 (then her husband in 98) and since that date, she's only worn: black, grey, white, navy blue and purple.

Most of her friends of that age who also lost a dear one (even if it was 30 years ago, time apparently doesn't matter) wear the same colours.

And when one of them wears another colour (let's say green, or red, or yellow, whatever), she is being criticized by the others, like "Look at X, she's wearing yellow! And she went to the grave of her husband dressed like that, can you believe that?"

That's something I find hard to understand but it's a question of age.

**Posted by Liberty** September 6, 2014 7:56 am

There's also the poem that begins "When I'm old, I shall wear purple ...". But that doesn't fit well with Mrs Hudson, who is trying to make herself more respectable.

**Posted by besleybean** September 6, 2014 8:07 am

Really?!
Even with her Speedy'a boyfriend?

**Posted by silverblaze** September 6, 2014 9:58 pm

I think she wears purple because it looks good on Una.

**Posted by lil** September 27, 2014 4:11 pm

I do love the use of colours in Sherlock too, especaially the purples-lilacs...the lighting mixes... clothes etc all seem to be on a theme.
Did you notice the hospital flowers....vases of plainish pretty whites..and... the one tall one of purples-lilacs..
I know the writers are Goethe fans...and I have wondered if perhaps they and the original director may have been influenced by his colour wheel and his theory on colour..and the remarks he made on its psychology.....nerdy and complex but fascinatingly fitting.

Which makes Mrs H good in purple..because Sherlock is blue..which when lit positively...makes purples..happy Baker St scenes are...green..and sadly Baker St scenes...brown...with touches of red./Moriarty there....and sometimes lit with yellow/Mary there..making it a sickly green..etc etc etc....

Last edited by lil (September 27, 2014 9:56 pm)

**Posted by Sherlockismyfix** September 27, 2014 10:46 pm

lil wrote:
I do love the use of colours in Sherlock too, especaially the purples-lilacs...the lighting mixes... clothes etc all seem to be on a theme.
Did you notice the hospital flowers....vases of plainish pretty whites..and... the one tall one of purples-lilacs..
I know the writers are Goethe fans...and I have wondered if perhaps they and the original director may have been influenced by his colour wheel and his theory on colour..and the remarks he made on its psychology.....nerdy and complex but fascinatingly fitting.

Which makes Mrs H good in purple..because Sherlock is blue..which when lit positively...makes purples..happy Baker St scenes are...green..and sadly Baker St scenes...brown...with touches of red./Moriarty there....and sometimes lit with yellow/Mary there..making it a sickly green..etc etc etc....

Wow! This is so interesting. I know of Goethe as a German novelist. His theory of color is new to me. But I had noticed the strategic use of color in the show - in fact been hit in the gut with it a few times. So your observations really fascinate me. Here I go off to watch them again....

This show really is amazing. So many layers. So much subltle artistry.

Last edited by Sherlockismyfix (September 27, 2014 10:47 pm)

**Posted by lil** September 28, 2014 6:02 pm

While OT..few further observations on colours that prolly just amused me....
Moments John..Irene...@Janine are literally covered in Sherlock blue...@is John wearing Sherlocks blue scarf at Appledore....
The appearance of the purple shirt in TGG@ASIB..Sherlock/blue covered in light/John...and Johns blue stripey thing.....
Mary..pink scarf/red coat...her almost Sherlock blue top ...lit green...then too much light turning all the colours..sickly/wrong..and the no light/dark up to her neck in red..with an attempted green cover up...
The evolution of Sherlocks dressing gown....light blue/dark blue/brown...it's going to be the infamous deep red eventually right.......?