Thursday, January 28, 2010

Wearing Black and Gray

A year ago I had two black items in my wardrobe: a pair of slacks, and a long (ankle length) skirt. Those were worn approximately twice a year for worship team events.

Since then, I've learned two things. One, black is considered every woman's safe/good color, and everyone ought to have some black because you can wear it almost anywhere and be appropriate. Two, I look good in black! I never knew either of these two things before.

By now, I have accumulated quite a bit of black, but it's taken me some time to get used to it, mostly because I feel so dressy in black. I don't know if black is inherently dressy, or if it makes me look so good that I look like I'm dressed up, I don't know.

The other color I've discovered is gray. Not heather, sweatshirt gray; that shade of gray is why I've also never worn gray before. In that shade of gray I look like I should be laying on the couch recovering from the flu. However, when I wear dark gray, from silvery graphite, to charcoal, to almost black, my eyes shine and my complexion glows. I get lots of compliments.

I don't own as much gray as I would like, because the right shades are not easy to find, but you can bet gray is on my shopping radar at all times now.

Now I just have to learn to shut out the voices of many stylish people and designers who are saying that black and gray are "boring" and "unadventurous." Those voices are cheer leading women--who have been following the rules up till now and wearing black for everything-- to break out and be adventurous with color. After all, this is the season for that "pop" of color. (I'm so tired of that phrase!)

(Actually, the "pop" of color has become so trendy that it's more like popcorn--red bag, teal shoes, orange necklace. How many different "pop"s can you have before you look silly?)

But for me right now, black and gray--and yes, with an occasional "pop of color"--is my adventure!

What about you? What colors look fabulous on you?

2 comments:

orneryswife said...

GREEN of practically any shade. I used to wear a lot of red, but I began noticing that in all the photos of me wearing red, my skin looked like I had washed it in beet juice! :D As I have aged, however, I have moved away from the summer palette towards spring, and am favoring more of the yellow tones. I do NOT look good in black if it is around my face, but I like it for pants to disguise figure challenges.

I like wearing brown, as well, and am drawn to it when shopping, but i don't know if it looks good on me or if that is just what I like.

Nice post, by the way. :) I like hearing all your wardrobe lessons.

cindy kay said...

Ornery's Wife-- Yes, I also learned that while the fashion gurus were telling everyone to wear black, not everyone really does look good in black. I've seen some celebrities in black that look like somebody hitched them up out of a coffin!

It would be fun to shop with you, since most likely different things look good on us. I find that fascinating. That's one reason I love to shop with my daughter: something can look like pajamas on me and look adorable on her, and vice versa. Same thing with color--I might look like I have jaundice, and she will look fabulous, or the other way around. It makes shopping so interesting.