Ooh, thanks for posting that link to apartment therapy. I've been thinking about adding color to some of my rooms, and I'm going to have to check that out for inspiration.

As for clothes, I go for browns and blacks and then add a punch of color with a shirt, scarf, necklace, etc. But I am not a huge fashion person, I just dress for comfort and ease.

this post is so fun and colourful...I'm liking the *new you*. I liked the old you but I feel more of a "connection" now I suppose since we are both single gorgeous women with beautiful children!
{{No colour combination you've ever seen in nature will offend the eye.}}
I like that statement and will now chose clothing accordingly. I am finding colour a lot more fun these days as well!

I have similar clothing rules. 1. No words, anywhere. (So, ditto) 2. No button down shirts (I like things that fit perfectly, but button downs are too structured for me). 3. Bright, gorgeous, jewel tone clothing (sapphire, ruby, emerald, plum, orange), very few pastels. 4. Very few patterns; if it's a solid color, I am way more likely to buy it.

Color is one of my favorite things. Most of my paintings are very bright and saturated. I can't wait to have my own place so I don't have to live with white (ack!) walls.

I definitely get a mood boost from colour (most notably yellow). But I wear a lot of black and tan. Partly that's because I think those colours flatter my skin tone, but also partly because I don't want people to look at me. That seems unnecessarily self-hating, but there's something to it: the idea of wearing bold colours is intimidating, because everyone would SEE me.

That's true, it does make people look (and jump to conclusions, as discussed). But I guess I just don't care. If anyone is going to think to themselves, "OH MY GOD she's wearing pink boots and an orange top!" then chances are, they're not someone I would want to get to know anyway. And the pink boots and orange top make me happier.

Ky Eliza--ah, a kindred spirit.

It's not that people are thinking, Ewww, she's wearing pink and orange! It's that, if one wears pink and orange, one will be NOTICED, period. It doesn't matter if the attention is positive or negative, for some of us!

I think it's great that you wear color. From what you describe I think you must look like a flower. That would make me smile, too.

We wear neutrals b/c we are told that, no matter how thin we are, we are actually fat; that no matter how beautiful we are, we are actually ugly. We therefore try to blend into the pavement. I do it. I know I do it. I feel big and loud in colours and patterns and so I adjust, never wanting to be big and loud, never wanting to own who I am or make anyone else notice me. My mother raised me well. Sigh.

Oh and I don't wear words or slogans for all the leftie reasons as well as the reasons I mention above.

I did not know about that cite, thanks!

I do wear neutrals. It suits me, my coloring. My sister calls me the quintessential East Coast Eddie Bauer Girl. Throw in a hint of J Jill and that's me!

Bright and complicated patterns do not suit me, but I still don't blend in to the background. My personality is the big, bright, complicated pattern accessory. There is no neutralizing that LOL.

Bright colors and complicated patterns are de rigeur here, in Margaritaville. You'd like that I think.

I wear slogans that amuse me but otherwise tend to avoid it. For example, my current ball cap for exercise is black, with bright purple grapes on the front that exclaim, "Pick me squeeze me make me WINE."

I walk around with a smile because that cracks me up. I'm easy that way.

Julie
Using My Words

Err I meant site. I am suffering from a bad case of source citing and enlarged thyroid (which stimulates mental challenges).

I've loved reading the comments from this post. I also love color. But I think the neutrals ARE color too. We've only been conditioned to regard them as dull. Black is dramatic, and so is white. Tan is wonderful in its millions of variations. I love the supposedly "neutral" colors as much as I love green, purple, or orange.

And in September I painted our kitchen a deep red. It looks fantastic, and makes me so happy. Andrea, I was reading about your "tan" apartment and commiserating because our family had just moved into a new home, and every surface was a horrible, washed out grayish tan which complimented absolutely nothing that we owned. I painted for a week, but with a nine month old and a two and half year old, I had to stop there I (the bedrooms and bathrooms remain). Our living room is now green (one of my favorite colors) and the office/hall are a cafe au lait.

Karla

I love apartment therapy.

and color.

except for in clothing. I only wear black, but you knew that. ;)

I have gotten a bit better though, i have some red, and I did buy a blue coat. But like usual, today i am wearing what could be called my uniform: blue jeans, black boots and a black turtleneck sweater.

LOL Rachel; I thought of you while I was writing this. Thanks for being a good sport. :)

Karla, I'm not sure about that. I'm willing to admit my prejudice against black has been informed by a lifetime of watching people at funerals. But I think if tan and grey were naturally exciting colours and we had only been conditioned to see them as dull, they would not completely dominate camoflauge in the natural world, and we'd see a lot more tan and grey flowers.

Of course I'll be a good sport, I actually thought about you specifically when I bought my red and pink sweater vest. I actually said to Andy "Andrea would be proud of me for buying this. I need some new black shirts now."

I've worn it too. :) *grin*

Am I delurking for this? I guess I am!

I've spent so many years working at places that have a strict dress code that my wardrobe is now 90% neutral- mostly black and white. I do cut loose with a few pairs of olive or navy pants, woo hoo. But INSIDE? I am a rainbow of colors.

I am with you on colour. It's often difficult to find nice clothes with colours, and certainly with prints, which I favour.

Andrea, I can concede that the grays and tans are not designed to "show up", as are the colors of flowers, but for me, that doesn't make them dull, or less exciting. They are simply more subtle. Sometimes I love the things that are subtle more than the things that are bold and beg to be looked at.

As I write this, I think about introversion and extroversion. I am definitely an introvert, although on the (Miers Briggs - no idea of the spelling - I fall close to the middle of the spectrum). Over time I have come to see that the world values extroversion over introversion, which I have no understanding of. I married an introvert whose wonderful personality is hidden to anyone who doesn't spend a few hours with him. Over and over again people tell me how great Jamie is, and say that they had no idea how funny, brilliant, sensitive, and creative he is. Personally, I like that it isn't immediately obvious. He's a treasure that only I and others who have taken some time to discover, know about. As I said, I enjoy subtlety.

That said, I also enjoy things that are vibrant. They are simply different, and have different things to offer.

You know, for me, whether a woman is 'bold' or 'flashy' has more to do with how much skin she's showing than with what colors she's wearing. A woman in a yellow turtleneck can't hold a candle to a woman in a tight black silky little thing...

I get dressed up once a year -- for my husband's company's Christmas party. Last year I wore an emerald green velvet dress; the year before I wore a red sheath; the year before that, a black sheath. I didn't feel any flashier or prettier or more dramatic in red or green than I did in black. In all three cases I felt quite bold because a> I was wearing something skimpy and b> I had gone to a lot of trouble to look faaaabulous.

Interesting discussion as always, Andrea.

I love this post - came here from BubandPie's space. I agree with you in that no natural combination of colours will clash. It's all about having the confidence to pull it off - your look defines your colours. For instance, I can pull off red and blue and zebra stripes in one outfit, but if I wear green people will wonder what the heck I'm up to.
I think the only thing I have to add to your post is this - we need to figure out what goes with a) skin tone, b) attitude, and c) occasion in order to pick outfits. As you say, it's so much easier to dress by the rules. It's only the people who care and dare who'll go and make rules for themselves.

Hmm.. I think I shall do a post on dress in a couple of days.
Great introduction to your blog! :)

I have just started reading your blog; I love this post. Red has always been my favorite color since I was a little girl. In pictures of me at 18 months, I have a bright red sweater. My first tricycle was red. My blog has a red banner. My red living room makes me so happy as does my yellow kitchen, my blue bathroom, and my green bedroom. I struggle with depression, and wearing red is a guaranteed anti-depressant. I can walk around Manhattan and be the only person I see wearing red.

Thank you, Suki. :)

That's it exactly, isn't it Mary Joan? Colours are a great anti-depressant, and they're cheaper and have fewer side effects. At least, that's how it works for me.

I came by way of B&P...this post is wonderful because it makes you pause and wonder why do I dress like this?

I like what you said about nature. Clinton on TLC's What Not Wear says that too, that you can't go wrong with a colour combination found in nature. They also refer to colours as saturated colours which truthfully, I don't think I really now what those are exactly.

I have a very boring wardrobe by most standards, I call it my Mommy Uniform. Jeans, black boots or Sketchers and either a turtleneck or t-shirt in grey, black, brown or navy. Recently I have been trying to branch out a bit with more green, a bit of pink and whoo hoo even red. Even a pair of shoes I bought recently a bit snazzy (brown suede) but with a stripe of green, brown and gold.

I really don't want people to look at me though and while I love my pink turtleneck I really do feel like I am on display more. Stupid I know.

What I find really weird is that I am in love wiht the colours of nature. We drove up the side of a mountain in Hawaii because I wanted to be closer to a rainbow. Colour in nature or art inspires me, but on clothes it really doesn't move me much. Is this a holdover from my high school uniform days?

Love this post and B&P's take on it as well.

Saturated colours are ones that haven't been diluted by grey. If you have a paint dealer that sells behr paints you'll notice that they differentiate between saturated and muted colours--that will give you a good idea of the difference. Saturated colours, even when light or dark, have more of an oomph. And they're my preference, though they're not for everyone.

Thanks for the comment. I don't think it's stupid at all. Really, I just didn't understand the phenomenon, and it wasn't until people posted comments that I'd even entertained the idea that people were dressing to blend in with other people.