Fabulous Maria from Colour Me Happy recently went to a Colour Conference in Oregon. There incoming president of the Color Marketing Group Mark Woodman posed an interesting question: What is the colour of fun? He added that the colour of fun is NEVER beige.

As someone who adores vibrantly bright colours, I am so with Mr. Woodman. It doesn’t matter how saturated, sparkly or iridescent the colour beige, for me it cannot conjure up feelings of fun. Even dull colours like black and grey seem more fun than any shade of beige. Why is that? Is it because I perceive beige to be lifeless?

In January I wrote a post on what makes a colour happy. I believe a happy colour is a personal thing, a colour that makes YOU feel happy. For some its bright colours like yellow, red and green, for others its pastels, jewel tones, neutrals or muted hues. And for some it might even be beige!

How do you feel about the colour beige and could it ever be the colour of fun for you?

My previous guidelines for smart casual dressing suggested that a pair of dark denim jeans (either boot cut, trouser, straight or skinny) are best because they look dressier than faded and distressed denim. Well, my recent passion for faded denim is challenging my own guidelines.

When I work with clients my outfits are either creative business casual or smart casual. Over the last six months I’ve been bored with dark denim and reach for my faded washes whenever I wear jeans. So I’ve been combining smart casual ensembles with faded denim instead of dark denim, but when I do I take care to combine them with particularly polished pieces AND heels to offset the casual flavour of the faded denim.

On the right is an outfit I’ve worn out at night and on half day shopping trips with clients (the heels of the booties are a little too high for them to be 8-hour shoes). It’s quite a ruffle-y outfit! My relationship with ruffles is no longer a passionate love affair, but we still thoroughly enjoy each other’s company from time to time.

I matched the faded jodhpur jeans with a black dolman sleeve sweater. I topped it off with a tailored Victoriana wool jacket (that I scored at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale), grey suede booties and my Valentino.  I chose my white and black specs because the white against my face softens the harshness of the black and grey tops.

I would definitely look dressier and less edgy if I swapped out the faded denim jodhpur jeans for dark denim straight leg or skinny jeans. I would not wear this outfit if I felt the client or situation demanded a more formal look, but for some of my work settings the faded jeans are appropriate as long as I keep the rest of the outfit polished and tailored. It might be an acquired taste but I enjoy the contrast that is created between dressy pieces and faded denim.

Hunger Pains is a photographic series by Ted Sabarese. It was shot in January, but recently exploded on the web. The outfits are made of real food and took hours to create (see the behind the scenes video below, or a higher quality version here if you have Quicktime).

Although I find the concept strange and even a little distasteful, I can appreciate the creative process. The outfit intricacies of Mr. Noodle Man and Ms. Artichoke Lady are particularly remarkable and the photography impressive.

Perhaps this project was the inspiration for Lady Gaga’s meat dress at the Music Video Awards. Since I don’t eat mammals, I can’t appreciate the meat-made ensembles as much as the vegetarian ones.

What’s your take: creative or offensive?

The post on bathing norms generated passionate debate in the comments section. The general feeling was that bathing daily is not essential, but it’s not professional or stylishly acceptable to have body odour.

According to the Wikipedia entry on body odour, it is the smell of bacteria growing on the body. Perspiration itself is almost completely odourless to human beings, but the bacteria multiply rapidly in the presence of moisture and the smell is therefore associated with perspiration.

Case closed. Since body odour is indication of bacteria, we can safely assume that it is unhygienic. Not so fast! As the NYT article, “The Great Unwashed“, points out, some amount of bacteria on our skin actually helps to strengthen the immune system. Bathing too frequently, or wearing antiperspirants that kill the bacteria, interrupts this natural process.

Then there’s the whiff itself. Personally I find it unpleasant, but not everyone does. I have read about and met people who like their own body odour, and people who aren’t bothered by the body odour of people around them. It is definitely more of a taboo in some cultures than others.

Like most things, it is probably a question of balance. A certain amount of bacteria that reinforces the immune system, but not enough to become unhygienic. A certain level of natural scent that is socially acceptable, but not enough to be an unpleasant odour to other people.

What are your thoughts? And if there is a friend, family member or work colleague who in your judgment crosses the line between natural scent and body odour, will you discuss it with them?