Free Range Scarf hanging out in the bead stash
COLOR FOR THE AGES (or 'Jane Spouts')
I read fashion magazines—a lot. I’m usually scouting for ideas while pondering all that fashion says about how we project ourselves (or are told how to project ourselves) as women. Lately, I’ve noticed articles suggesting suitable clothing according to age group, with more than a few recommending black for women of a ‘certain age’ (read: vintage). VOGUE implied recently that over-50’s should dress for mourning and maybe work our way up to a very hot brown if feeling frisky. Now, don’t get me wrong: I love black and brown. I know they’re chic; I know they visually delete those pounds from our hips and don’t show spilled food or smudged chocolate but, really, don’t tell older women that we have to go under a lack-of-color burque!
Color’s life. It’s exuberance, spirit and light. It reflects who we are, how we feel and how we view the world. And, though I may no longer feel inclined to wear hot turquoise pants anymore, I’ll merrily lure the viewer’s eye up to my neck or shoulders and dazzle them with every wondrous hue I can muster. People communicate through color; color communicates back. Do you ever find yourself craving a certain color on a certain day – a little warm red, a cool, oceanic blue? If I don’t have something knitted on hand for a certain color craving, I’ll head for my stash and clutch at big soft wads of that cerulean, or celadon, or moody purple shot with violet. When I do have something of a certain color-craving knitted up, I’ll wear it over black or brown only because those shades make a perfect back-up band for my star players.
Get back there, black. Sing the chorus, play the bass, but the spotlight’s not yours alone. I mean, really, look at these greens humming away down below with a few big, bold, blowsy orange rudebeckia and a yellow-green little Japanese Forest Grass for accompaniment. Look at how that soft little hydrangea mop just bobs its pastel head along with the song. Can black to this by itself?
The Colors of the band:  |
