Why are raincoats often yellow?

Products color choices are often influenced by factors other than appearance. When the yellow color became common in raincoats at the end of the 19th century, it was related to the safety of those working at sea.

Even in worse weather, it was important to see, for example, whether a fisherman dressed in rain gear was still safely on the deck of his boat. Even today, a person wearing a yellow raincoat can easily be distinguished, for example, on a crosswalk and in a mushroom forest.

The use of white color in refrigerators started about 100 years ago, when refrigerators became more common with the electrification of homes. White color communicates hygiene, cleanliness and freshness. Dirt is clearly visible on the white surface and you have to remember to clean it often enough.

In English, we talk about “white goods” when we mean household appliances. Over the years, we’ve gotten used to many white household appliances, and not many people think that they could be another color.

Irina Viippola

working life professor of design

Aalto University