Although I'm not a great shopper for clothes, or in any way a clothes horse, people's choices in what they wear always fascinates me. Some people dress almost in a uniform, wearing the same as their peers. Some people like to be different. Some people aren't too bothered what they wear.
I've been through periods in my life when I've dressed almost entirely in black. I'm not sure why it was. Maybe to disappear, maybe because it was easy. When I worked at a law firm almost everyone wore black or navy or grey. The annual general meeting was a vast expanse of dark gloomy colours, with just a sprinkling of colourful characters.
It took me a while after leaving to discover clothes in other colours. I stuck to black for a while, for everything, even a purse or an umbrella. If they didn't have it in black, I didn't buy it. But after a while it occurred to me that there were other colours. I had a brief affair with pink. It seemed the most opposite colour to black. Light, frivolous, girly. I still have one or two pink t-shirts in my wardrobe.
But as time went on I gravitated more towards cool blues and greens, and the natural colours of oatmeal and honey. Except for the odd bit of pink, there are no hot bright shades, no orange or red or yellow. But the cool soft colours of the natural world are there in abundance. I'll never be a peacock, but maybe a pale brown moth or a blue sky. It's how I am I think.
Tell me, is your wardrobe full of one colour, or are you brave enough to try it all?
To visit the other Colour Collaborative blogs for more of this
month's posts, just click on the links below:
What is The Colour Collaborative?
All creative bloggers make stuff, gather stuff, shape stuff, and
share stuff. Mostly they work on their own, but what happens when a group of
them work together? Is a creative collaboration greater than the sum of its
parts? We think so and we hope you will too. We'll each be offering our own
monthly take on a colour related theme, and hoping that in combination our
ideas will encourage us, and perhaps you, to think about colour in new ways.
I wear black or navy pants, red shoes, and tops of all colors. But if I had your gorgeous figure I would wear as fashionable things that I could find. I like hippie vintage stuff.. crocheted lace shawls of my own.. I love what you're wearing in that photo! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI love all the natural colours you have chosen but add a hint of vibrancy with orange and hot pink depending on my mood.
ReplyDeleteGood morning! Lovely post (and colours). I love natural hues, too and am also a sucker for natural fabrics and fibres. Wool, cotton and so on - particularly in their undyed state.
ReplyDeleteGreen's a big favourite of mine yet I don't seem to wear it, which is a bit strange...
I think dressing in a corporate style is so depressing, there's so little opportunity for self-expression. Working at the museum for so many years we could wear pretty much what we wanted and I loved that. Plus, all those eccentrics and academics made for some very 'interesting' outfits to admire! When I moved back into the corporate world for a (thankfully) brief time I felt so stifled and uninspired by 'smart' dress codes.
Here's to dressing as we like!
Sarah x
I'm always fascinated by what people wear too. My wardrobe is full of bright colours but with black basics like trousers. My favourite coat is red and I love coloured shoes and tights.
ReplyDeleteI do favour brighter colours though there are a few black stalwarts for work, you are right about annual meetings though I think I shall wear orange for our next one xx
ReplyDeleteI'm quite a colourful person when it comes to clothes, but I do like colours to go together. My favourites are deep berry colours and purples. Old gold is a favourite at the moment. I love blues, navy when I'm being more formal. I like soft greens and burnt orange too (not together!). I wear colour to perk me up - it just makes me feel happy.I like what you're wearing, and your own natural, soft colour palette. To be a brown moth or a blue sky is a wonderful thing!
ReplyDeleteCathy x
my wardrobe is blue. and white. and grey. there used to be some red but it wasn't me...........
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, thought-provoking post CJ. I love the colours in your wardrobe. I first started to think about colours in clothes years back after an old friend who was a medium told me I should wear more colour because the vibration lifted the spirit. It needn't be big and bold to do that either, I tend to wear soft, natural hues too. Nature is the best palette for these things I reckon. So often I see a bloom and think oh if only we could get a fabric to look like that. I may have to ponder this a bit more and put it in a post too- thank you for the inspiration my dear xx
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I tend to wear muted, plain colours - mostly blues and greys, with some white - but I do have quite a few colourful summer dresses and people notice when I wear them (probably because I usually wear jeans and t-shirt). I'm more comfortable in the crowd rather than standing out. I do love seeing what others wear and how they put clothes together, and I admire unusual, colourful combinations. You look fabulous in that coat - great photo. Sam x
ReplyDeleteI love clothes and this post is great. I have just looked in my wardrobe and I have a range of blues, a range of pinks and some black. I've been taken by that orangy pink salmon colour recently. I bought a scarf in that colour and it is great with so many other items. I don't do oatmeal or beige, it makes me look washed out.
ReplyDeleteWhere I used to work I attended lots of events where the room would be full of men in grey suits. My suit was red and I wore it with a navy spotted blouse (early 90's). I felt like the dog's doodaas in that outfit x
I agree, you look cool in that coat. I'm into soft blue, green and lilac but there's always room for teal and mustard. You have a lovely collection xo
ReplyDeleteI have different colours in my wardrobe but only because I've forced myself to go out on a limb, I usually gravitate towards blues.
ReplyDeleteHi this is my first time commenting on your blog, I've come over from Countryside Tales.
ReplyDeleteI am just the opposite to black, although I do like it , I like to mix it with lots of bright colours, My kitchen is a riot of colour including the floor that is a jigsaw. lol
I couldn't do without bright colours in my life.
Briony
x
I also look for natural colours but for me, the bright colours of fruit and flowers. I do love anything from pink to yellow to orange and red. But I really like any colour apart from beige (which I think is a grandfather colour) and maybe military fatigue kaki. Work is casual thankfully, no vast expanses of gloom at our work meetings. Your coat is super cool, wish I had one just like it. Actually, I think you look super cool, the coat is just accentuating your coolness. x
ReplyDeleteI never was one for bright colours except for one or two snazzy ties and waistcoats to wear with my black, dark grey and navy suits. I worked for a boss who always dressed soberly except for tartan socks.
ReplyDeleteNowadays I'm generally not bothered about what I wear. Flighty xx
My wardrobe is full of a lot of stuff that doesn't fit since I got fat on steroids and chocolate! Some of it's blue, some of it's green, quite a lot is white, black and grey, but there's also burnt orange and deep red. No purple though, I just can't wear purple, or violet, or lilac or any hue of that ilk.
ReplyDeleteI wear a lot of black and gray but also deep purple and blue because those are my favorite colors. I'm told that I always gravitated toward cool or dark colors, even when I was very young. It fits my personality like your colors fit yours, I think. I really like your coat, it looks like something a cool hippie would have worn.
ReplyDeleteI tend to pick a color and then want everything in that color. For a while now, it's been peach. Not quite orange and not quite pink, it seems like a nice compromise. I'll go in waves when I really care about what I wear and then not so much. Last night we met my parents for dinner and I would usually try to look a little put together, but I was feeling so huge and didn't care much:) So I threw on one of Wade's t-shirts:) Comfort is key. I love the blues and greens on you! So calming and fresh. Also, that picture of you is just lovely! Such a beautiful coat, too! Hope you're having a great day, CJ:)
ReplyDeleteYay...a picture of you and that coat is so unique! I love it! I wear too much black, but the first step in my fashion recovery is admitting it. Personally, I'd like to buy some clothes for fall with orange and brown and maybe a bit of teal. Time to think about going shopping. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right, what people wear is fascinating. I like your muted, natural tones, so much better than a peacock. I also went through a black phase in my twenties - not a Goth-y black, more "chic Italian woman" black - and it coincided with a time when I was very ambitious and high achieving at work. Don't think I can blame the all black clothes for that though.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of you. Your hair is beautiful. xx
Such a fun post. The colors that I wear and the colors that I gravitate towards to either knit or play with are very different. For a long time too I was a black and gray bunny. But lately I noticed that I have a lot of fun and bright pieces way more comfortable now with prints and patterns. Usually paired with some black or gray or denim of course. I noticed my girlfriend at work. She has a huge love of stripes. To me stripes is her uniform.
ReplyDeleteI love the colours of your wardrobe - my sort of colours too.
ReplyDeleteI used to wear almost exclusively just red tops, and buy everything in red. I still love it and wear it A LOT but I love teal green and other shades as well. I love duck egg blue, but I'm not sure it's a colour for me.
ReplyDeleteMy wardrobe reflects sea and sky with touches of sand, heather, Earth and leaf. It is interesting how our colour choices change throughout our lives. I'm sure I wore brighter colours when I was younger. I think you look effortlessly cool in your coat with your wonderful curly hair. The look is very 1979s, which of course is very now.
ReplyDeleteHello pretty lady. You look gorgeous! My wardrobe is pretty boring with lots of neutral shades because I think I can always jazz an outfit up with colourful accessories which I actually never do! The only colour I won't purposely wear is orange. The dress I'm wearing in my latest post is pretty much as colourful as I get and that is mostly navy with a few pops of colour. I really wish I was more adventurous in the clothes department.....x
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely interpretation of how you dress/are! X
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be able to wear black! I have a friend who wears black all the time and looks fabulous but it's a colour that ages me and who needs that! No, I'm very happy in all the tones of a British beach - greys, denim, charcoal, sand, with hints of seaweed (muted burgundy, soft beige, warm russets) to provide a bit of variety. And, of course, the comfier the better! Caro xx
ReplyDeleteI am sure that you are as lovely as a bright blue sky on a summers day! In yourself and in your clothes!! xx
ReplyDeleteBlue and Greys are good.
ReplyDeleteIn summer I often wear a pink top ... I do love the shade.
All the best Jan
I would probably live in jeans if I didn't force myself to wear something different. It's not that I don't like other clothes, it's just they're so practical. I hate it when I see women constantly pulling down skirts that are way too short or tottering about in tiny heels barely able to walk. I always think it's funny how little we seem to have moved on from the constraints clothing placed on women in the past. For corsets and hooped skirts see tiny, tight dresses and high heels. Like you I love greens and blues. I have a pale complexion so struggle to wear stronger colours and black makes me look unwell. ;) I bought a plum coloured coat last winter which I love and it's inspired me to knit a scarf or shawl to match it. xx
ReplyDeleteNice to see a picture of you CJ. I am a bright color kind of gal. No black for me - I have too many pets, meaning I'm always covered in too much pet hair!
ReplyDeleteMy slacks are in black, navy, and brown, but blouses of purple, pink, red and blue predominantly. I love your interesting take on the theme, of color as it applies to dress, CJ.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog made me realize that I often do that as well, If I can't find black it's very likely that I will avoid it. I think black is safe and I don't have to think about much else. But just lately I have discovered that I truly love color, still... I find myself afraid to venture too far from Black, though I have allowed myself a pop of color here and there! I truly love Sea Green and Peach...
ReplyDeleteI've been away for awhile, it's nice to be back and it's so nice to read your blog again. I hope you're well and I Hope you're having a great weekend!
Tammy
Reading your blog made me realize that I often do that as well, If I can't find black it's very likely that I will avoid it. I think black is safe and I don't have to think about much else. But just lately I have discovered that I truly love color, still... I find myself afraid to venture too far from Black, though I have allowed myself a pop of color here and there! I truly love Sea Green and Peach...
ReplyDeleteI've been away for awhile, it's nice to be back and it's so nice to read your blog again. I hope you're well and I Hope you're having a great weekend!
Tammy
I started arranging my clothes by colour in the wardrobe for fun once and it was a revelation... Although i must say my colour choice is getting lighter as the years go by!
ReplyDeleteHey CJ,
ReplyDeleteMy you look cool in that photo! I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe. Hardly any black, except for leggings. I do like brightly coloured tights in the winter. But I guess my usual uniform involves a Breton stripe. Loved this post.
Leanne xx
I have had most colours in my wardrobe over the years but over the last five years the colours of the sea seem to now dominate! I even have started wearing navy which I used to avoid, I'm not sure if this was because my Mum had so much navy in her wardrobe! That is a l vely picture of you, I had to smile too as I have the same scarf and the black item looks very similar to one of my dresses! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI'm still in my all black clothing stage. I occasionally get a floral dress or something to mix it up but I'm hoping one day I'll gravitate towards clothing that isn't completely plain and black! I love your coat!!!
ReplyDelete