Have you ever heard that quote, “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color?” Well……that’s yo girl.
When we first met, my husband used to make fun of me. He’s joke that my closet was full of “ready for a funeral” clothes. Heavy on the black with shades of gray, some white and a few neutrals tossed in just to be fun. 😉 Oh. And some pink. Because every so often I like livin’ on the edge.
But seriously. Mostly black.
And if you scroll around the Reckless Grace Boutique website, you’ll see the same pattern.
I have always said that the boutique is a true reflection of me. Pieces I love and that you’d find in my own closet. I sell what I love. And in all honesty, that’s the beauty of being an independently owned boutique and not a Macy’s or Target or Nordstrom! I’m not trying to appeal to the masses…….I’m looking for those women that resonate with my own style.
I honestly don’t know if that’s the right or wrong business model, but that’s mine. Because the truth is – aren’t you supposed to love what you sell? Believe in it? Identify with it? I can’t hang something inside Miranda (if you don’t know, that’s the name of the boutique) I don’t LOVE just because it’s super trendy right now.
Here’s a #truthbomb…..I DID try! I did. Back about 2 years ago floral was a big thang. Big. And I thought because everyone else was carrying it and loving it, I somehow needed to do the same. I needed to carry it and I needed to learn to love it. So I tried. For a whole dang year. I even stepped outta my norm and wore it!
But……I am not a floral kinda gal. I’m just not. (Kudo’s to you if you are because there’s some really pretty pieces out there!) And honestly…..I’d actually feel like I was betraying myself every single time I stepped inside Miranda. I’d feel like I was betraying myself every single time I told someone “floral is sooooo in right now!” because not only am I not one to care about “what’s in”, but just because it was in didn’t mean I was gonna wear it. And I wasn’t gonna wear it because I definitely didn’t feel amazing when I tried wearing floral!
Because floral isn’t me.
But black IS me!
I recently got a message (and that’s exactly what prompted this blog post) from someone that wanted to know if dressing in black all the time was “wrong”. And even more so as we move into Spring. To that girl – if she’s reading this blog post – YOU ARE MY SPIRIT ANIMAL!!!
Now, don’t get me wrong. As I mentioned up top, I DO wear other colors! Those “other colors” are usually paired with black. Or denim. As a matter of fact, the Charcoal Blazer I have in right now is exactly what I wore with our Black Everything Tank and my denim skinny’s grocery shopping Friday night!
But black is my go-to and it has been for as long as I can remember and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. And no matter what I’ve chosen to wear for the day, black (or a shade of) will be a part of it.
So what does all this say about me? What does all this say about my style?
Well, one study indicates that black is often perceived as “serious” and “reliable”. It’s a color that projects self-confidence. The survey examined around 1000 people and the aim was to investigate how clothing colors influence the way others see us. It turned out that black came out on top. Here is what the researchers say about the results:
“Black is the color to wear when you’re trying to impress, reassure or woo. There’s certain trustworthiness about it on a person that would make you hand over your life savings and thank them for the privilege. … Throughout our survey, black came first or second in most ‘good’ traits (for example confidence, intelligence, and sexiness) and barely figured in the ‘bad’ traits (arrogance).”
Black is generally an indication of “seriousness” and “reliability,” so it stands at the top on the list of colors that both sexes find attractive to wear.
Over half of the women participating in the survey had the opinion that black is the most beautiful, bold, confidence-boosting and soothing color that exists.
A few other black points to consider – at least for me…..
- Black is timeless. Seriously. Fads or trends may come and go but black is forever.
- Have you ever looked back over pictures and thought to yourself “WTF was I thinking?” That will never happen with black.
- It’s slimming! There is absolutely no other color that does that for you the way black will.
- Black is making a statement without ever even trying.
- Black is all the things rolled into one. Classic. Trendy. ON POINT.
That brings me to part 2 of her question….loving black but what about Spring?
Girl!
Wearing black – especially all black – can look heavy in the spring if you don’t wear it right. And let’s face it….when spring rolls around we are all ready to shed some layers!
The key to taking your black look into spring is to pair it with lighter pieces – like white! Which is another one of my favorite colors! Or a soft pink. Or even a light camel. As a matter of fact, black and light camel are one of my fave color combos.
But even if you stick with that all black look, you can still spring it up with some fabulous accessories to lighten your look. Black & white snakeskin sandals, a black & white snakeskin bag, statement jewelry (just watch that you don’t pair statement earrings + matching necklace in a bold color….too much is too much!)
“You say I’m wearing too much black but all I hear is I look great!”
Seriously. I love black. I feel good in black. I feel pulled together in black. And if you love black, don’t be afraid of it……even for Spring.
