by Francine Szerer
My natural inclination has always been to reach for the black clothes in my closet. The funny thing is, my closet is abundantly diverse: full of colorful and fun garments. So why is it that my instinct has always lead me to different variations of the same outfit.
Like a safety blanket that wraps around me and makes me feel so secure, an all black outfit is always there for me. And as a new New Yorker, I embraced the stereotype. Black is my color- or maybe lack of thereof- and I knew would be nearly impossible to get rid of.
Growing up in South Florida, there was no assigned color. The absence of seasons gave me the freedom to really dress however I liked. The weather didn’t really fluctuate past humid heat and comfortably warm, except for that one freezing week in January every year where it could drop to 58 degrees.
Back home, black was always my go to. Just how no one followed the “No White After Labor Day” rule, same went for black being an acceptable color for any temperature. And this is precisely why I decided, in my second year living in Manhattan, to try a little personal experiment: only wear black to compliment other colors and patterns.
Summer may have been easy, but now it’s time to step it up and apply my new finding to the Winter. I know, in those long cold days all I’ll want to do is reach for the black turtle neck. But why not try something new this year. Doesn’t the saying go “New Year/New Me” after all?
No promises, but why not try an array of colorful layers? Striped turtleneck with a cool band tee perhaps? Or under your favorite summer frock? The bottom line is that Winter does not have to be depressing, at least not anymore. Stripes and pastels can very well rule those dreaded cold months when layered to provide warmth.
If patterns aren’t for you, swap the black for a monochrome look featuring your favorite Winter shade.
No matter what you decide, ditch the black and stand out this Winter.
No Comments