Every January I choose a word and colour to help set my priorities for the new year. It’s a tradition that I adopted from my friend and YLF forum member, Laura. I love the simplicity of having a single word to keep top of mind, and the power and symbolism of a single colour. It feels calming, organized, and motivating. The selection process is also a lot of fun.  

In 2019, I chose the word relaxed and colour red. In 2020 I chose the word experience and the colour blue. Even with all the things that 2020 threw at us, I found that the exercise helped me to follow through on my priorities.

Today I’m choosing my word and colour for 2021. I invite you to join me.

Word: Achieve

I’m 50 and not slowing down. In fact, I’m powering up and raring to go. I feel energized to define and develop my next set of deliverables as an inclusive fashion professional who is passionate about the fact that having a fab-for-you-personal style and effectively managing your wardrobe are skills that can be learned. It’s going to be a hard-working year as I set out to achieve my next set of career goals.

After being vaccinated, I hope to go on important trips that were put on hold because of the pandemic. Seeing my Dad in the Netherlands and Greg’s Dad in South Africa are our top priorities, because we haven’t seen them since 2019. It would be nice to also fit in a delayed milestone birthday trip. I’m particularly looking forward to work with my clients in person again. In the context of our current COVID-19 reality, these things feel like major achievements. I hope that I accomplish them safely by the end of the year.

Colour: Citron

I was hard-pressed to choose just one colour. Shades of pink and yellow were top contenders. But since yellow is an extremely cheerful colour that is associated with sunshine, warmth, happiness, energy, positivity, intellect, and enlightenment, I’m going with citron. If ever there was a year for optimism and hope, it’s 2021. There will be an abundance of fresh yellow flowers at the Cox Castle this year.

From a fashion point of view, citron is a signature colour for my style. It’s a very acidic shade of neon yellow, rather than a regular bright yellow. I find it a versatile colour that works with most of my wardrobe. It always make me happy, which is why most of my citron items are workhorses. Along with its cousin chartreuse, which is a little more green, citron is quite well represented in my wardrobe. But there is room for more, and I look forward to thoughtfully adding some new items. The first on my list is a citron satchel that converts to a crossbody, because my Furla is looking a little battered. It’s my most frequently worn bag so no wonder it’s well worn. I’ve been trying to replace it for two years with no luck. Hopefully this year.

If it’s your cup of tea, choose a word and colour for the year too. Don’t overthink it too much, because your first and freshest thoughts on the subject are usually the best. Share them in the comments section, or on the forum. I’m looking forward to hearing them.

Dark neutrals — like black, dark blue, charcoal grey, and chocolate brown — hold an important place in most wardrobes, and for good reason. Some people choose one or two dark neutrals to incorporate into their style, while others wear an assortment. Black is the most popular dark neutral with my clients, and I see a lot of it on the streets of Seattle.

Here are ten reasons that dark neutrals rock.

1. Flattering Against the Complexion

Dark neutrals are extremely flattering with certain complexions. Whether it’s black, very dark blue, or a combination of the two, dark neutrals can bring out the colours of your hair, eyes, and complement skin tone in just the right way.

2. Sartorial Preference

Some people simply prefer dark neutrals to light neutrals because they are rich, tough, serious, can look very professional, and are more aesthetically pleasing to their eye. I was in the company of an acquaintance once who said that all colours were frivolous except for dark neutrals. I was wearing bright red at the time and smiled. Horses for courses, always!

3. Drama and Contrast

Dark neutrals can evoke a sense of drama. There is something about the expanse of darkness that can be theatrical, especially if you are the only one wearing it from head to toe. Dark neutrals can also be dramatic when they create a high contrast with a light or bright like combining navy with chartreuse, black with light blue, charcoal with red, or chocolate with blush.

4. Blends into the Crowd

Dark neutral clothing is usually ubiquitous in the Autumn and Winter, and is a good way to blend in. If you want to blend into the crowd in a city like Manhattan in the Winter, wear black from head to toe. Similarly, in the Netherlands dark blue is extremely popular.

5. Practical

Dark neutrals can be great at hiding dirt and paw prints. They are great for camouflaging perspiration marks too. That said, if you have pets that shed light-coloured hair, light neutrals will be more practical in this respect.

6. Versatile

Dark neutrals like black can add an effective tough edge to an outfit. Dark neutral shoes can successfully bookend a look and pull it together. Dark neutrals can ground brights and bring life to pastels. Wearing several dark neutrals in one outfit can also look great.

7. Streamlining

Dark neutrals can streamline the contour of the body, and visually make surface areas appear smaller. The saying goes that “black is slimming”, and several of my clients believe just that. They will generally feel more streamlined in a dark pair of bottoms than a light pair.

8. Dressy

Dark neutrals have a dressy reputation. That’s why tuxedos are usually black, and career suiting is usually dark. Very fancy attire for galas, balls, award ceremonies and the like are often dark neutrals too.

9. Camouflages Inferior Quality

When a clothing item is made of less than stellar fabric and the finish is a little dodgy, it tends to look best in dark neutrals. Think of how many times you chose the darker T-shirt or top over the white or light one because the quality seemed better.

10. Makes You Feel Fab

Some people enjoy wearing dark neutrals because it makes them feel stylish and confident. They associate dark neutrals with a sense of chic, elegance and sophistication.

I don’t wear solid black anymore, and grey and chocolate brown are not my thing. But I LOVE wearing dark blue clothing, and have quite a bit of it. I wear dark blue year round because of most of these reasons. It will soon be the only solid dark neutral in my wardrobe.

Over to you. Which are your favourite dark neutrals and why?

A Gucci collaboration, Pantone’s colours of 2021, the top 10 beauty searches in 2020, and other style news that caught our attention in the last month of 2020.

• Madewell is the latest fashion retailer to join the 15 percent pledge: By the end of 2021, Black-owned brands, artisans, and designers will account for at least 15 percent of the brand’s third-party partnerships, including collaborations.
• Fashion model Stella Tennant has died at the age of 50.
• Have a look at Gucci’s collaboration with The North Face, which will be available on 6 January.
• French designer Pierre Cardin, renowned for this futuristic designs, has passed away at the age of 98.
• From ear make-up to untamed brows, Dazed is predicting these 10 beauty trends will dominate in 2021.
• Pat McGrath is the first-ever make-up artist to be awarded a damehood.
• Belgian designer Martin Margiela, who retired in 2009, is making his comeback as an artist.
• Ultimate Grey and Illuminating (a buttercup yellow) are Pantone’s colours of the year 2021.
• In the UK, sales of thermal clothing have rocketed in response to Covid restrictions.
• These were the top 10 beauty searches on Google in 2020.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Pierre Cardin was called “the Napoleon of licensers”: “In a career that lasted more than three-quarters of a century, it was Cardin’s canny business sense that elevated him to a household name. Licensing and affixing his name — and often just initials — on to everyday items such as pens, clocks, trousers and shoes, and later hotels, perfumes and restaurants, he became a branding pioneer, bringing the inaccessible world of high fashion to the masses and with it, a steady stream of revenue.”

An effective, efficient and enjoyable personal style is sustainable and ethical, individual, manageable, practical, authentic and therapeutic (or SIMPAT for short.) A common thread through these elements is that they are personal. This is obvious when it comes to your style being individual, authentic and therapeutic. But it’s also true for the ways your style is sustainable, ethical, manageable and practical. The decisions are very personal.

Here are three things you can do to amp up the personal in your personal style. In my experience, doing these things will give you confidence and a sense of ease in your outfits, and will help you to make good decisions about your wardrobe.

1. Do Your Own Thing

Almost anything goes these days. And as trends become less influential, creating a signature style and evolving it over time becomes more important. Wear the trends, don’t wear them, remix them, repeat them, or reinvent them. Or stick to iconic items and modern classics. It’s all good.

Soul search a little about this if you need to. The way you pull yourself together each day should be in line with your beliefs, values, and personality. Strive to create a style that is genuine and true to who you are as a person. It’s also easier to manage a style that is authentically you.

2. Wear What You Love

Make sure you like what you wear, and don’t worry too much about what others think. Select a few people from your life whose opinions matter and seek their advice when you’re unsure. This is harder to do within the confines of restrictive dress codes, mandatory uniforms, and even the expectations of your audience. But it helps that fashion trends and dress codes are becoming less important.

There are ways to stretch dress code guidelines so that they work in your favour if you’re clever about it. For example, my clients who are not allowed to wear jeans to work have successfully managed to wear crisp and tailored dressed up black, white, and dark blue jeans to the office (and are complimented on their looks.) Add a bit of black and white pattern to an all-black dress code, or wear comfy fashion sneakers under a dressy pair of full-length wide leg pants to keep them hidden. If you like to wear cool jewel tones but look better in warm earth tones – combine the two in an outfit and keep the cool tones closer to your face. Be creative and wear the types of items you love to wear as much as possible.

3. Wear What Works

What looks good on you and makes you feel fabulous is always in style. If certain items and outfit combinations work for your lifestyle, climate, current state of mind, and make life easier and less stressful — wear them. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t on-trend or having a fashionable moment. It doesn’t matter if fashion and style influencers aren’t wearing these looks, or believe they are unstylish. What matters is that you feel good, attractive and authentic in your outfit, so much so that you forget that you’re wearing it and can happily get on with what life has to offer.

Remember that style is beyond age and size. It’s an energy, attitude and confidence that is expressed through clothing, footwear and accessories. An honest representation of yourself is always better than a fake imitation of someone else’s style.