Why I Wear Dark Colors, Bright Colors, Anything But White Colors Year Round

Summary: My year-round go-to colors are bright colors or dark colors, anything but white.

fracturing white-colored apparel: Seeing Sounds: Chris Halderman, CC BY ND 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Reluctantly, I am abandoning the recurring fashion trend of favoring all-white or predominately white in some accessories, clothing and shoes. White has the advantage of being friendly to many colors. It nevertheless has limitations that come out all too loudly with cameras, mirrors, windows and weather.

From my Dutch grandmother, I recall hearing about the classic fashion rule of white-colored casual and dress wear from May’s Memorial Day to September’s Labor Day. I nevertheless remember also her explaining her 100 percent success rate in producing perfect crocheted, knitted, sewn or woven clothing articles for family members. Success simply requires a willingness to adjust or break fashion statements -- traditional or trendy -- that have individual exceptions and limitations despite current or general mass appeal.

The color white corners the market, what with baptisms, confirmations, and marriages. It also is the traditional color for bereavement and funerals in some African, Asian and European cultures. It regularly tends to be promoted as a fashion season's color.

White regularly appears to dominate fashion seasons in the 20th and 21st centuries. All-white footwear frequently can be found in spring and summer fashion house releases, mail order catalogues and store window displays. It cannot be too surprising that white maintains classic, fair weather niches.

It nevertheless can be great fun to break with traditional white accessories, clothing, and shoes, June through August. That is exactly what I aim to do throughout every new year. Budgets, image, time and weather all have roles to play in this decision to maximize bright colors and dark colors and to minimize white wardrobes.

Additional expenses and work are no fun during nice weather. They become downright unpopular during weather that is supposed to be pleasant, but actually is not. It in fact is weather that makes me confront my self-image and decide that white is not good for my self-esteem, not now or in the foreseeable future.

It all begins with the feet. All-white heels, moccasins, sandals and sneakers convey crisp brightness, except during spring and summer storms. Each cloudy, windy outburst drenches, soils and stains my footwear, frocks, longer coats, purses, skirts, slacks and socks.

Do I regret letting go of white accessories, clothes and shoes? No, white gives my feet bigger, wider looks. Also, my budget is not being blown by a never-ending series of buying stain-removers and replacing weather-damaged items. Besides, all-white earrings and tops still retain their places alongside my replacement colors of anything recurring that involves bright colors, dark colors, any color that is not white!

window display of dark- and bright-colored fashions, Prada Store, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Clark County, southern Nevada; Wednesday, April 23, 2008: relux., CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

fracturing white-colored apparel: Seeing Sounds: Chris Halderman, CC BY ND 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/halderman/4184306977

window display of dark- and bright-colored fashions, Prada Store, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Clark County, southern Nevada; Wednesday, April 23, 2008: relux., CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/chadwho1ders/2514399424