Quirky Colour

I highly recommend reading this fabulous article written by Joanna Goddard for New York Magazine about five people who each dress monochromatically in one specific colour. Anyone who knew me in my teenage years will remember my signature purple as I used to wear an awful lot of it, but I'm not sure I could wear even purple head to toe every single day. I find the idea fascinating though. I think that alot of us are very sensitive to colour and have our own colour eccentricities, these people have taken that to the extreme. For example I just can't wear brown (I've made an exception for just one pair of boots), I've a friend who won't wear grey and another friend who is trying to break an addiction to black. What really impresses me is about the people in this article is their dedication to their chosen colour. Valeria, who wears only blue, colours white shoes shoes with the right colour marker (expensive shoes! I'd be terrified!!!) ...."I also buy white Chanel and Christian Louboutin shoes, and I color them blue with custom-ordered electric-blue Sharpies"... and her cosmetics..."YSL No. 3 mascara, Chanel Blue Satin nail polish, and blue Lancôme lip gloss". And Rebecca (grey) even matches the actual soles of her shoes!... "even the soles of my shoes have to be gray or white. I get annoyed if the soles are black."

I also find it really interesting to examine the different reasons they have for dressing in their colour. Elizabeth started dressing in green because she missed being surrounded by nature. Rebecca chose grey because it's a clean "non-colour", she'd had a bad year and needed to get away from the turquoise colour associated with the clothing line she designs. Karim wears white because it makes him feel angelic and free.Valeria chooses blue for intellectual reasaons; its historically interesting, it symbolises loyalty and is a peaceful colour. Stephin Merrit alone seems to have far more practical reasons for wearing brown; it matches easily and doesn't show dirt!

Personally, I won't wear brown because it makes me feel dull and boring and depressed and frumpy. I actually like the colour on other people but for some reason it really makes me feel terrible so I just don't wear it, nor would I ever decorate my home using brown. And why did I wear the purple of my teen years? I think I wore it because it was unusual and unique to me. It was my way of being an individual.

So, how about you? What are your colour eccentricities? Colours you love or hate to wear?




PS (For all you architects out there) I had to laugh at Karim Rashid's comment about being on a panel with nine architects - "I was on a panel with nine architects, and I wore a white suit. Everyone was wearing black except me. I felt detached from the incestuous profession."