A winter dressing comment from a guy... - YouLookFab Forum

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A winter dressing comment from a guy...

catgirl

Veteran

My shopping expedition went well and we found my friend several new items. Afterward she and her son and husband came over for dinner, and he complained that everything she'd gotten was black or grey (NOT my influence, I promise!). He said that we should wear bright colors to counteract the winter darkness. I agree, but I find it counter-intuitive to my own instinct, which is to dress in warm and dark clothes when it's cold.

Janet's new coat is perfect for this philosophy!

Dressing

29 replies

Latest reply was from Amy

Diana

Veteran

Yeah, but does he practice what he preaches?

In all seriousness though I always get compliments on my bright colored coats (cobalt wool, turquoise leather, and red trench), and yes, I have actually noticed that I get a number of random non-creepy "I like your coat" comments from men on those coats. I'm not going to stop wearing a lot of black though. =P

ironkurtin

Veteran

I personally don't feel like it's my job to add brightness to life. If a color makes me happy, I wear it, but that includes velvety blacks and soft grays.

catgirl

Veteran

Well, he was wearing a bright red "What does the fox say?" t-shirt.

I do think he has a point. I don't think he was saying it's our job so much as addressing the long winter ahead of us and perhaps also why his wife, who is enjoying shopping for the first time, bought exactly the same colors she's been hiding in for the last 8 years.

AviaMariah

Veteran

I do automatically go for blacks/greys in the winter but even when I try to brighten up my winter wardrobe, I don't find a lot of options. I think adding bright coats is brilliant.

Wendi1984

It sounds like it would be easy for your friend to pick up a few warm scarves in bright colors that flatter her complexion. Then she can wear her comfy, classic blacks and grays, and brighten things up, too.

deb

Veteran

That is what red lipstick is for.

catgirl

Veteran

Funny, Deb - we discussed a red lip at Sephora! And I bought some bright lip gloss.

celia

Veteran

Although this may sound that I am stereotyping does your friend's DH knows the difference between bright and warm tones?
I do agree in general that with long snowy winters everybody needs some color to brighten their complexion.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I love bright and light colors in winter for the same reason: I need a cheerful pick me up on the glomy and dark winter day.
Let's see how I will fare with my new black coat...

catgirl

Veteran

I think what he meant by bright color was "not black or grey". I have to admit, now that he's made me consider it, that most of the women I know here tend to dress in relatively dark colors, which can be seen as drab, me included. What is the psychology behind that? And don't get me wrong, my wardrobe is 80% black, grey and ink blue... I'm a huge fan, but he's got me thinking!

celia

Veteran

To be honest this particular winter I am enjoying wearing darker shades and a lot of black, grey and navy.
Personally my eyes adjust to the warmth(or lack of it) of the light outside, there are bright colors that I wear in summer that I don't even want to look at during winter.
I don't know the real reason but if I think about it and imagine myself outside in winter with snow as a backdrop my mind finds more pleasing as an image to see me dressed in darker, slighter dressier clothes .
But , then again, Angie's pink coat would look lovely in the same background.
Maybe is the 'dressier' part that we associate to darker items.

JAileen

Veteran

When we lived at a ski resort I knew someone who had a white wool winter coat. It was beautiful but so risky. When cars get so filthy it seems impossible to avoid getting that dirt on your clothes. That might be one reason people choose dark colors.

ramya

Veteran

Tropical girl in Norway says she needs pop of colour; )

cciele

Veteran

I think colors are more challenging to mix and match than neutrals such as black, grey, navy and denim!

We don't have dark cold winters here, so no comments about bright colors. But I can see them as being a psychological pick-me-up, just as sunlight is.

amiable

Veteran

I think this way - I feel like I want a lot of saturated brights in the winter to counteract the lack of color in my world at that time.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Do you really consider it to be "hiding" to wear black and gray? Huh.

By the way I finally looked up What Does the Fox Say and you know what, I am never dressing the way that song sounds. I think it might kill me.

Anonymous

Actually I love the bright coat, black clothes combo for winter but I have no qualms with wearing all black too.

catgirl

Veteran

IK, I think you know I don't consider it hiding to wear black and grey! I'm not sure you know from my other thread that my friend just had breast reduction surgery and a tummy tuck, and her specific comment to me was exactly that about herself. She felt black was the most minimizing color she could wear so as not to draw attention to herself.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Oh, I didn't read that thread, AG. I hope her recovery goes well and she soon feels free to wear whatever the hell she wants because it makes her happy. : )

catgirl

Veteran

Thanks! I think it may be that she is still in transition and is just buying for now to carry her through to her final size. She would rock bright colors, and would have before too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Colour is an emotional and personal thing. You need to wear the shades that make you happy. My happy colours are brights, ink and shades of white. Or black with shades of white - and this cuts across all seasons. And more recently soft pink and light blue. I try not to wear darks from head to toe too often because it doesn't make me happy. But I will wear darks with white. Same way if I wear neutrals too many days in a row, I miss my colours. Got to keep in remixed.

Greg's happy colours are grey, charcoal and ink. And he wears those colours each day. He'd feel very UN-happy wearing my brights, but he understands how they make me happy - right in the middle of Winter.

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm, well not to be a spoilsport, but people like consonance. If the outer landscape is black and white, and you come along in technicolor... it may set up *unpleasant cognitive dissonance.*

catgirl

Veteran

You are right, Angie. This may be a fun chance for my friend to explore what she prefers and find her real happy colors (which may end up being black and grey, but maybe not!).

AnnieMouse

Veteran

I wear a LOT of crazy brights in winter, because I am basically a sun bunny -- the winter gloom is really upsetting to me, so I try to be the sunshine I'm missing. If I wear something super vibrant, it helps reflect more light into my eyes, which helps alleviate a little of the SAD that plagues me once the days start getting short and the sunlight weak.

cheryl

Veteran

I love black and grey but I am all about color too and my coats are colorful. A kelly green peacoat, a pea green puffer and a bright pink and orange puffer. Even my trench is purple and black zebra. The closest I have to a neutral coat is my mostly black Detroit Lions suede coat.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I once had to write a paper on the meaning of the color red in certain cultures where the bulk of the year is cold and gray. Reds tended to be especially cheerful and viewed as "lucky" - lucky red hair, for example. The color of fire etc.

Also, my husband used to be a big toy dealer, and he has told me about how some toys are made in extra-bright neon colors for the UK market.

So there is something primal and basic about yearning to see bright colors in the cold months. I agree that it's not anyone's job specifically to wear these colors, but I also don't think there's a need to clobber a guy for offering this kind of opinion on the subject. It's just a suggestion... and the recipient of such a suggestion can always make a counter-suggestion of colorful holiday decorations or something, lol.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Just a little sidenote... I read this thread, and then, about an hour later, the BF comes home, and pulls this link up for me to see...

What Does the Fox Say? Apparently I am the last person on Earth to have discovered this viral song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

Suz

(website)

Veteran

No, LBD -- I didn't know it, either!

I agree with what Celia and Angie said. I'm influenced both by the quality of light (or lack of it) and by my mood. I wear bright hues (cobalt!) in summer that feel too strong for me (and my ambient light) in winter. Meanwhile, in winter, I do gravitate towards more neutrals...but I also choose lots more bright berry colours -- cranberry, raspberry, fuchsia -- hues I rarely reach for in summer.

In all seasons I adore ink and bright navy. I like black, but tend to wear it best in summer when I can also show some skin or wear it with white. Grey is more for winter (to my mind). Taupe I can wear in all seasons, but prefer in fall/ winter.

But an all neutral outfit too many days in a row in the winter will send me pulling my hair out. I ADORE bright winter coats -- red, for me (I never, ever want to be without a red winter coat in my wardrobe) and I would love an orchid raincoat.

I also love adding "light" in the form of white or off-white. Another neutral, I know. But it perks me up.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

It really is a very personal thing. I have often reached for brights to counteract the winter gloom. This year, I seem to be gravitating to darker colors. I'm not sure why.