In an illustration from 1833 in France, a woman is pictured wearing a floral dress with purple velvet inserts. A man wears a formal suit, with lavender accents. Credit: De Agostini Editorial/Getty Images
Every year, as summer beckons, Pride month arrives in a burst of color. Around the world, rainbow flags fly high and revelers turn their faces proudly towards the sky.
A model presents a creation by Loewe during the Women's Spring-Summer 2020 Ready-to-Wear collection fashion show in Paris on September 27, 2019. Credit: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images
The multicolored flag has united the LGBTQ community for over 40 years, and though it remains a universal symbol of pride, liberation didn't always come in vibrant technicolor.
Hamish Bowles attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019 in New York. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
In fact lavender -- a subtle hue that shifts between light pinkish purples, and gray and blueish tones -- has had, despite its whimsical nature, its own historical significance in representing resistance and power.
