Color vs Colorway

Krimpette · ‎03-09-2010

I'm watching the SG show this morning and I'm hearing Pat talk about items being available in such and such a "colorway". What's the difference between "color" and "colorway"? (Sorry for the dumb question!)

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

The same as the difference between "price" and "price point."

None - it's just extra verbiage. And it's ridiculous.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

It's not a dumb question, it's a dumb phrase.

I remember in the early days of TV shopping, HSN hosts used to use the phrase "buyers remorse", to suggest if you pass up an item, you will regret it. That always struck me as a ridiculous thing to say, because as I know it, buyers remorse means that you regret having purchased something. They used that phrase regularly. I don't watch HSN very often. I wonder if they still say that.

In any case, "colorway" sounds like something a five year old would say, but then, is it as bad as "pork chop pockets"? Oh, dear.

~ house cat ~

Trix · ‎03-16-2010

Pearlee wrote:
The same as the difference between "price" and "price point."

None - it's just extra verbiage. And it's ridiculous.

Price and price point are not the same thing. In retail buyer's lingo the price is the actual cost of the item, whereas price point suggest a reasonable range an item may usually cost. The words are used as meaning the same thing quite frequently by some QVC hosts. It may not be their fault. The person who comes up with the company line phrases they all use as part of the sales script simply may not know there is a difference.

The following is an example of the use of the term price point in a sentence: A new company is starting drugstore brand and their products will have similar a price point to Revlon, L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Cover Girl.

No comment on color and colorway; fabric and fabrication, but more often than not both are used improperly by some QVC host and vendors.

jonbon · ‎03-09-2010

A color is a color. A colorway is defined as "a color or arrangement of colors" or "one of several different combinations of colours in which a given pattern is printed on fabrics, wallpapers, etc." or "the scheme of two or more colors in which a design is available." So, a floral top (for example) could be available in a blue colorway (predominantly blue tones) and a pink colorway (predominantly pink tones) of the same print.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

There's just no difference - to me anyway. I take it as a way the speaker tries to find a new way to describe something he/she has to say repeatedly. I've been there - and, quite frankly, it's boring even to be the speaker.

The other side of the issue, of course, is that it can definitely sound ridiculous, especially to anyone hearing that phrase repeatedly. Might as well stick with the tried and true or at least explain where the new language originated maybe.

Overall, it's a minor irritation which I deal with by keeping my TV silent as much as I can. I don't need to shop --and I even keep most of the news channels silent because they seem to repeat even more than any shopping host!

Gioiella · ‎03-17-2010

jonbon is correct. Color refers to a single individual color, such as green or blue. Colorway refers to a combination of colors making up the entire design of the piece. For instance, this Joan Rivers jacket comes in a number of different colorways. For convenience, each is listed as a color, but the first one isn't really just blue, and the second one isn't really just coral.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

@jonbon wrote:
A color is a color. A colorway is defined as "a color or arrangement of colors" or "one of several different combinations of colours in which a given pattern is printed on fabrics, wallpapers, etc." or "the scheme of two or more colors in which a design is available." So, a floral top (for example) could be available in a blue colorway (predominantly blue tones) and a pink colorway (predominantly pink tones) of the same print.

Since they often use colorway to describe solids, it's another term they use incorrectly,