Yellow, Not So Mellow

Closet Content Analysis: Bright Colours

Choices: Yellow Ballet Flats

NICE      NO THANKS     NOTE-WORTHY     NEED      NEW      NECESSARY

I like bold colors but usually wear black.

- Mayim Bialik

NO THANKS: I shy away from bright colours. And yes I do know about those women who have regretted not wearing red and purple more often. My aversion stems back to my first visit to France and in my travel choices, I had a patterned top that was bright yellow, hot pink, black and white. In Paris in 1992, I can only say that I felt like a clown and was most uncomfortable wearing the overwhelming pattern in yellow and pink. As I remember, I wore it only once. It has been a good while since I have had primary clothing pieces in bright colours in my closet. I remember a sunshine yellow suit at the beginning of my professional career - big shoulders, long in the body and a narrow below the knee skirt. I have since become more classic, or could that be more boring, in my clothing colour choices. 

NEED: Accessories now fulfill the bright colour NEED in my closet. However yellow is not on the radar at the moment for any accessory let alone a clothing item.

Our attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture . . . and your picture begins to lighten up.

- Allen Klein

NOTE-WORTHY: Brian Davis, my "men wearing ballet flats" specialist, sent me a photo of his latest purchase, presently enroute to him from Scottsdale, Arizona. Not only has Brian chosen a culturally unconventional shoe for himself but "yellow" - OMG! - they are bright. These yellow Tory Burch ballet flats can be added to the list of reasons I admire Brian D.

There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors . . . it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job. 

- Conrad Hall