Emma Pillsbury’s clothes and Colour Psychology:White

There is probably barely an episode in which Emma isn’t wearing a white or cream shirt or top. White sits under her colourful cardigans, white bows (symbolizing her chastity and repressed emotions) hang off a top or pop out from underneath a jacket, white trims the  vibrant colours or acts as a base.

White sums up Emma: a clean, virginal, ‘innocent dove’. That’s a no-brainer, so let’s talk angels because angels wear white and they’re made of pure love. 

The low camera angle and lighting in these four shots present Emma as angel-like. Her eyes are looking down upon Will in each shot as though she’s watching over him, protecting him, like a guardian angel. In the Madonna shot (although dressed in red, white and black) she materializes, framed in a halo of white light behind her. Emma descends the stairs like the Virgin Madonna descending from the heavens further evoking an angel-like presence.

More angel references appear in ‘Vitamin D’. Will and Emma judge the girls singing the mash up of ‘Halo/Walking on Sunshine’. Emma is sitting there in her ‘angel’ like top next to Will while Rachel is singing the lyrics that reflect exactly what Emma means to him - ‘I found a way to let you in/But I never really had a doubt/Standing in the light of your halo/I got my angel now/It's like I've been awakened/Every rule I had you breakin'/It's the risk that I'm takin'/I ain't never gonna shut you out’ And then of course there is Walking on Sunshine, which gets back to what I said in the yellow/brown/blue posts.

In these scenes from ‘Sectionals’,

Emma in true guardian angel-like behaviour is Will’s protector and saviour, putting off her own wedding so she can take the kids to Sectionals for him. This act of saving him and the club is followed up in the same episode, by trying to maintain peace amongst the New Directions members: first Mercedes and Rachel, then Finn and Puck.

Before 'Sectionals' comes to a close Will finally decides his 'life would suck' without Emma and off he runs to catch his 'angel'. There she stands in a pool of light at the end of the dim corridor; she's even wearing a 'halo' (white beret). 

Will runs along the dim, colourless corridor to Emma and once he reaches her, he too is bathed in the light that surrounds her. Most significant is the beam of light that rests on his chest, over his heart. His heart has been touched/opened by her 'divine' power. You could argue that they even form a kind of heart shape together with both their bodies and the space between their bodies. 

Here we have the wedding dresses. The first one is as Emma explains to Will, reminiscent of Princess Diana’s dress. Marrying a prince is fairytale-like and Will did call her  Cinderella in the first episode. Will is her prince, no wonder she was keen to wear it for him. Then we have the second dress that is so much better, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about it. It’s Will’s blue shirt that needs discussion. If you’ve read the ‘blue’ post, you’ll remember that blue represents sky and here we have angel Emma ‘floating’ in the sky! She looks gorgeous and he is totally mesmerized by her, as anyone would be should they be able to hold on to an angel!

White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency, a great help if you need to de-clutter your life of ex-wives and boyfriends who don’t know themselves!

 In Britney/Brittany, Emma’s gentle words of wisdom provide Will with some food for thought.

Too much white can cause feelings of isolation and emptiness; it can be too pristine and immaculate, making you feel as though you can't make a move for fear of upsetting it or creating a mess. 


In these two scenes Emma is still ‘looking after’ Will, (helping him with Rocky Horror and caring about his emotional state at Christmas time but she has become Will’s ‘untouchable’ angel’.

At the end of Vitamin D, Emma walks out of the light towards Will to offer him an opportunity which he doesn’t take and she returns to the light. Her white shirt not only represents her celestial origins, it also represents a clean slate; In color psychology white is the color of new beginnings, a clean slate, a blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

Emma Pillsbury’s clothes and Colour Psychology:Blue

I can’t analyze the colour blue without incorporating Will. Like brown, he wears blue constantly, especially when he’s with Emma.

As Juliet was the ‘sun’ for Romeo, Emma is the ‘sun’ for Will and he is her sky in which to sit. A blue sky represents peace and freedom and this is how Will makes her feel; free from loneliness and anxiety. The sun sitting in a cloudless blue sky is uplifting, suggests limitless possibility and is, like Wemma, PERFECT.

Season 1: Lots of sunny days.

 until the weather started to turn...

and a new season arrived which was mostly cloudy with patches of blue sky

Season 3 and we're still waiting for the clouds to break.

Moving on from the sky and sun metaphors…

Blue represents: trust, honesty, loyalty, sincerity, peace, quiet, wisdom, devotion, the helper, the rescuer, the friend in need, one to one communication, truth, authority, predictability, orderliness, non threatening. 

For God's sake Emma, don't walk away. Didn't you notice the meaning of the blue scarf? 

Wrapped in 'the blues'

psychology perspective: blue is reliable and responsible. This color exhibits an inner security and confidence. You can rely on it to take control and do the right thing in difficult times. Blue has a need for order and direction in its life, including its living and work spaces. Blue hates confrontation and likes to do things in its own way. Blue seeks peace and tranquility above everything else, promoting both physical and mental relaxation. Blue is a giver, not a taker. It likes to build strong trusting relationships and becomes deeply hurt if that trust is betrayed.

Blue is persistent and determined to succeed in whichever endeavors it pursues. Change is difficult for blue. It is inflexible and when faced with a new or different idea, it considers it, analyzes it, thinks it over slowly and then tries to make it fit its own acceptable version of reality.

Blue is nostalgic. It is a color that lives in the past, relating everything in the present and the future to experiences in the past. 





Affect: reduces stress, creating a sense of calmness, relaxation and order. Blue relates to one-to-one communication, especially communication using the voice - speaking the truth through verbal self-expression - it is the teacher, the public speaker. The color blue is idealistic, enhancing self-expression and our ability to communicate our needs and wants. It inspires higher ideals.

 Variations of Blue

Pale Blue: Pale blue inspires creativity and the freedom to break free.

 Breaking free of her inhibitions

Wanting to break free from Ken

Wanting to break free from Sue but also looking for an escape from fearing intimacy with Will.

Sky Blue: One of the calmest colors, sky blue inspires selfless love and fidelity. It is non-threatening and promotes a helpful nature that can overcome all obstacles. It is the universal healer.

Dark Blue: Dark blue is the color of conservatism and responsibility. Although it appears to be cool, calm and collected, it is the color of the non-emotional worrier with repressed feelings, the pessimist and the hypocrite. Dark blue can be compassionate but has trouble showing it as its emotions run deep. Dark blue is a serious masculine color representing knowledge, power, and integrity.