Black
“Everything in my closet is black.” “I can walk into any store and I always gravitate towards black.” “Black is safe.” “Black goes with everything.” “If a loved one dies, I’m already dressed for the funeral.”
Every time I hear statements like this, a piece of my soul dies. Name one other area of your life where find black to be interesting. A restaurant menu? The botanical garden? Sunset? Home decor? Art museum? Holiday seasons? School classroom?
In the movie “Thirteen Going on 30” Jenna (played by Jennifer Garner) and Lucy (played by Judy Greer) are pitching independent ideas to a fashion magazine. Lucy pitches an idea she calls “Fashion Suicide”. All humor aside, there is a place for fashion suicide: edgy, sharp angles, smokey, dark, goth – but not in your everyday life. There is a wide gap between the fear of being ignored and the fear of attention. You are an interesting, charming, fun, engaging human being worthy of attention so why are you dressing like you’re boring?
Color isn’t something to be afraid of. In fact, it’s probably something you enjoy in all other aspects of your life so why isn’t it on your body? My guess is somebody told you “black is slimming,” and you said, “sign me up.” Yes, black can be slimming (comment below and I’ll tell you why) but that doesn’t mean color is fattening. I’m not telling you to throw on Joseph’s Technicolor Dreamcoat but you have to step out of your comfort zone and make some changes. Trust me, you’re worth it. Start slow: what is your favorite color? Add a piece of jewelry in that color. Now put it in a shoe or handbag. Now add it in your top or blouse; and no, you can’t cover it up with a heavy black jacket because that’s cheating. When you get dressed ask yourself, “What about this outfit is visually interesting? Does it reflect the interesting, vibrant person that I am?”
All that faded black in your closet, get rid of it. It’s tired and sad – you, however, are not. Black should make you feel sleek and sexy, not invisible. If the black in your closet doesn’t make you feel like a femme fatale, get rid of it. If you don’t want to take a drag off a cigarette and say with some exotic accent, “kill him and feed his body to the sharks,” toss it out. There is no reason for you to feel invisible. You have a vibrancy and a value that the world around you needs.
