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Colour isn't cool

Aziraphale

Veteran

Did anyone else read this blog entry by Sal over at Already Pretty, about how neutrals are always cooler and more chic than colours:

http://www.alreadypretty.com/2.....-cool.html

This really resonated with me. I realize I am probably in the minority on this forum of colour-loving women, but I overwhelmingly choose neutrals over colour. My wardrobe is overflowing with gray, black, brown, cream and navy. I own the odd bright fuschia or kelly green top (and of course several pairs of red shoes), but I'm a neutral gal at heart. I'm not conservative in anything else, though, and I always thought that was weird (I thought maybe it's a holdover from my English upbringing? Or that I have a lot of masculine qualities?). But after reading Sally's article, it all made sense. I am ALWAYS more interested in looking cool than in looking hot or beautiful or anything else, really....and I daresay Sal is correct: neutrals are cooler.

I'm just curious if others agree with this assertion, or if you somewhat or strongly disagree.

Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

MsMary

Veteran

I'm not sure I agree with Sal's theory. I think there's a fine line between "cool" and "drab!" LOL But on the other hand, I suppose the hypothetical most cool outfit in the universe is more likely to be black than any other color.

Me, I'm not all that interested in looking cool, largely because I don't think my general appearance and body type lend themselves to "cool." So it's not really anything to which I've given a lot of thought.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

This is an interesting thought. I recently gravitated away from prints towards solid colors the last year or two when I realized my whole closet was a crazy mix of designs exploding. I was so interested in finding funky and interesting pieces, I wasn't thinking in terms of whole outfits and how things work together. Not to mention, all those prints can get pretty distracting and actually detract from me, the wearer. So I slid into solid, and then neutral mode. Now the pendulum is back and I'm finding a scarf or top with some color or print to add a little flair. As with most things, I think it's about balance. All neutrals would put me to sleep.

Di

(website)

Veteran

To me, there are so many different incarnations of cool that I can't make a sweeping statement about color or neutrals being cooler. Someone's clothing really representing who they are is coolest to me. Certainly neutrals are more understated, so they might be cool in that way, but whatever looks like an extension of being comfortable in my own skin seems like the coolest color choice.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

How interesting... I've been dressing in outfits without a single splash of color this week just to try and identify where that line of cool/chic is for me...

catgirl

Veteran

I think it depends on the items in question. As Mary said, there's a line between cool and blah. Khaki elastic waist polyester pants and an old white t-shirt are not cool. I think color can make a simple item edgy, and an edgy item can look cooler in neutral.

For example: black skinnies are probably "cooler" than electric blue skinnies, but a bright Coach purse is edgier than the same in black.

Are cool and edgy the same thing? (Now the word "edgy" looks weird to me as I type it - I'm losing my marbles, and that is not cool!).

Aziraphale

Veteran

MaryK and Di, my comment was not a knock on bright colours! I like them -- in theory, at least. They just don't seem to make many appearances in my closet.

I definitely believe certain colours suit certain complexions, and there are many, many women who suit bright colours! It's just that I've noticed that my own clothing choices always tend toward neutrals (and often darker neutrals), and Sally's article gave me one of those forehead-smacking "Of course!" moments. It's not that I'd say no to being called "cute" or "sexy"......it's just that, if I had to pick an adjective to describe how I look, I'd prefer it to be "cool" or "chic."

About the thin line between cool and drab: a neutral item has to have a good cut, quality fabric, and/or interesting details to be cool. If it's got those things, it's not drab, and it's also cooler than the same item in a bright colour, I think. Again, this is only my opinion. The exact same item in a bright colour may in fact be more beautiful than the neutral one, but usually not cooler or more chic!

Una: no, you're right, khaki elastic waist polyester pants are not cool....but would they be any cooler if they were hot pink? But I see your point about the electric blue coach handbag. It would definitely be edgier than black. But cooler? I'm not sure.

As far as whether "cool" and "edgy" are the same thing: I think there is serious overlap between the two, but they're not the same. I would describe my brother-in-law as an edgy dresser, and he always looks "cool," too. He wears a lot of bleeding-edge stuff, and generally pulls it off. My husband is also a great dresser, but he's slower to join the latest trend, and I would only occasionally describe his outfit as "edgy." He always looks cool, however.

Kristine

Veteran

I'm a neutral lover also. I do think she makes a good point, maybe neutrals look less studied and that's why they seem cooler. But color can be cool, many of Angie's outfits have bold colors and she's definitely cool. It's just that pulling together an outfit with strong colors is a little more challenging (if cool is your goal). It takes a more discerning hand. It's hard to screw up neutrals, other than possibly looking blah.

nancylee

Veteran

Interesting thread. For many years I sort of believed this. I almost always wore neutrals for fear of making a fashion "mistake," which could actually have been a fear of looking uncool. When put together in edgy, fashionable ways (like in the link), I think neutrals can be uber cool. But I think they can also be very drab, too, as others here have pointed out.

Thanks to YLF, and my own fatigue of wearing only neutrals, I'm learning that color can be cool too. I'm sneaking it into my wardrobe through scarves and tops, and I have to say color changes the way I feel and interact with the world. It makes me feel more engaged and outgoing. And it certainly elevates my mood, and the mood of others around me. I always get more compliments on what I'm wearing if there's some color. I think color is "friendlier" in a way that neutrals are not.

That said, you probably won't see me in head-to-toe color (although I really admire the look on others). My safety zone is still neutrals if I want to feel polished and "safe."

Aziraphale

Veteran

Kristine - yes, Angie definitely looks (and undoubtedly is!) cool. But if you think about the outfits themselves, does Angie look cooler when she's wearing a crisp white shirt with skinny jeans tucked into black combat boots, or that colourful, swingy midi skirt she wore to honour her mother? While she looks beautiful in the mother's day skirt, I think the jeans and boots are cooler. Or, if that's not comparing apples to apples, how about the mother's day midi skirt ensemble vs. her full-skirted black dress with red pumps? Still the black. The red shoes give that edgy pop of colour for interest, but the black dress gives it the coolness. If the dress were vivid pink, it would be less cool.

Angie, sorry to talk about you in the third person....! No disrespect meant, of course. Just using your fab clothes as an example.

rosee

Veteran

I wear more neutrals, especially dark neutrals (grey, black, chocolate, taupe, navy and indigo), than brighter colors. And I do feel best when wearing grey pieces for some reason. The exception is with a dress, then I usually go for a color. I can't speak to my "coolness" but I do get compliments from people ages teens to 50s. If the teens are liking it, I must look somewhat "cool".
I only somewhat agree with Sally's assessment: what matters is what suits the wearer, as Di pointed out above. I am biased b/c I am attracted to neutral looks (or lower key colors), but then I "met" MaryK, Una and Rae on YLF, and I like their use of color... and I think they look cool too. Angie, as always, does especially so.

MsMary

Veteran

Hmmm.... I've thought about this some more, and read the whole thread, and I just disagree. I instantly thought of Angie as an example of somebody who is undeniably cool, and wears a lot of color. And in my view, the Mother's Day ensemble WAS cooler than the black dress/red pumps.

And here's a counter-example. I think Sarah Michelle Gellar looks much cooler in the red leather pants than in the black leather pants.

I will agree that if "cool" is your goal, it's easier to get there wearing neutrals. But I don't think that's the same as "color isn't cool."

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Aziraphale

Veteran

Yes, but, in the picture with the red leather pants, she's Buffy! Who's, you know, the coolest female character in the history of TV.

MsMary

Veteran

Right. And there's Buffy wearing red pants.

I rest my case.

Aziraphale

Veteran

HAHAHAHAHA!!! MaryK, you're funny. I think we'll have to agree to disagree. Anyway, Buffy's still got the black top -- and black + red generally equals cool, too.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Oh, I'm sorry, MaryK, I just noticed what you wrote, and I think I was misleading in the title of this thread. I just copied "Colour isn't cool" from the title of the blog entry on Sal's post. I don't actually think that colour isn't cool....just that it's a lot easier to look cool wearing neutrals (or harder to look cool with brights or pastels...?).

MsMary

Veteran

Oh. Well I totally agree with that!

<Emily Litella>

Never mind!

</Emily Litella>

catgirl

Veteran

I think I need a more precise definition of "cool". Or some concrete examples.

Funny enough, I only recently embraced the whole color thing, but I fall back on black and grey in a pinch.

Don't you think part of cool is the persona of the individual wearing it? Do the clothes make the woman? Hard to say. I'm pretty sure I will never be girly no matter how much pink and ruffles you pour me into....

I must ponder more!

Maya

Veteran

I think a lot of people associate neutrals with being sleek and sophisticated and understated, while color is garish and gaudy and immature (if bright) or dull and drab and sad (if muted).

I don't really get it. I like all color palettes. My favorite happens to be high contrast, bright colors, and crisp neutrals. But I don't associate it with being "cooler" than any other color palette. It just seems arbitrary to me.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I read that blog post. Up until about two months I was team mush (low contrast neutrals). But I feel like I was becoming predictable in my outfits. So I injected color in big color blocking electric neon colors.
I always thought it was about the cut, fabrication and style of an item rather than the actually color.
I read Already Pretty everyday, but it's effect on my fashion choices are lessened now. I do appreciate her body positive talk.

Heather

Veteran

"Cool" cannot be defined by color or label, but by the essence of the soul donning the garment.

MsMary

Veteran

And although I thought she looked great yesterday, as usual, in that black dress, I didn't find it all that cool: http://www.alreadypretty.com/2.....52411.html

I thought today's bright outfit was cooler:http://www.alreadypretty.com/2.....52511.html

Just sayin'.

MsLuna

Veteran

I think neutrals will always look chic. There is a timeless quality to neutral colours. If you look at Sal's examples, it's pretty obvious that those young ladies look chic.

There is only one neutral I would ever wear: BLACK - not just because it's chic, but because it's slimming, lengthening, and it looks damn good on me. Because I wear colour so often, I've redefined my own "neutral" which I wear instead of black - a very deep dark purple. I often wear black and dark purple with magenta, deep red, royal purple and royal blue (sometimes emerald green).

I don't care so much about looking "cool" either. I wear colour because it lifts my spirits and helps me start the day better. It's surprisingly more "functional" to me as it is aesthetic.

Jonesy

Veteran

It's funny...I read that blog post too, and I interpreted it as Sal saying that she thought neutrals were *perceived by others/the world/whomever is in charge of these sorts of things* as cooler than colors, not that she herself believes that to be true. Don't know if anyone can follow that :).

I totally think colors are as cool as neutrals, perhaps EVEN COOLER! Think about recent Marni, Prada, Jil Sander, Dries van Noten...all known for their distinctive color sense and juxtaposition of interesting colors/silhouettes that just shouldn't work together but somehow they do. So cool and cutting edge.

And MaryK, three cheers for the Emily Litella reference :).

Mac

Veteran

I love neutrals, but it has nothing thinking they're cool or that brights are not cool. I just feel that bright colours don't really "go" with me. With pale, freckly skin and bright red hair, I feel - rightly or wrongly - that I have enough complexity and colour even before I add clothes. I see many other women who I think look better in brights than neutrals.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Thanks for all your comments. Like I thought, there is indeed a crushing majority of colour-supporters. I would just like to go on record again to say that (despite the misleading title of this thread) I am not in any way against the use of colour in fashion. I merely agree with what Sal wrote -- it's easier to look cool without head-to-toe colour. She didn't say neutrals are more beautiful (and she digs the bright colours herself) -- just "cooler and more chic."

Also, I should point out that I'm not saying I'm particularly cool or anything. Just that if there were a list of adjectives people could potentially use to describe the way I dress, the one I would most hope for would be "cool," above others such as "pretty" or "cute" or "stylish" or "sexy" (although I'd be delighted with any or all of the above...)

catgirl

Veteran

Elizabeth, post some outfits so we can tell you that you look cool!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Una -- I know, I know, I should. The thing is, I'm not sure how to post pictures, and it's hard to take pictures of myself anyway (the mirror thing only sort of works, IMO) and if I get my husband to help, he's going to laugh his ass off. Reading this blog is my current guilty pleasure (he knows I do that), and gosh knows he likes clothes too, but if he saw me getting out the camera to take pictures of my outfits and POST THEM ON THE INTERNET, he'd seriously bust a gut laughing and I'd have to hear about how this is the biggest self-indulgence ever for a week.

I absolutely mean no disrespect to those of you who post outfits -- it's fun to see them, and this forum is an excellent resource for those who want to expand their style horizons and get honest feedback on fashion-related issues. But until I have the time to get out the camera and get involved with that aspect of the forum (because honestly, at the moment, as a working mother, I don't, really -- not without foregoing other pleasures), I can't really post pictures. I'm not in a transitional phase of my "fashion journey" at the moment anyway, and I don't often desire advice, so posting pictures really would be a self-indulgence for me at this time. I couldn't defend myself.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue to enjoy looking at (and occasionally commenting on) other people's outfits, and of course I always love joining in on (and sometimes starting) the more general threads too. Hope that's OK.

Vix

Veteran

>if he saw me getting out the camera to take pictures of my outfits and POST THEM ON THE INTERNET, he'd seriously bust a gut laughing

Trust me, you'd survive. Ask me how I know But I agree it is a timesuck, even if others take your photo.

****

I do think wearing all neutrals often creates a more aloof look, so I guess that can translate to "cool."

As a recovering blacktextile-a-holic, I think whether color-color can create that same vibe really depends on more than the shade of the garment. As others have mentioned, the proverbial devil is in the details of fabric/cut/design elements.

Frankly I am one of those killjoys who think that a lot of people throw on any old color-color without regard to how it harmonizes with their coloring.

Because color-color *does* stand out in a sea of neutrals, I think it has to harmonize with one's personal characteristics to escape looking costume-y. [Which may or may not be "cool," ha!]

I mean there's No WAY could I wear the shades that Angie does, as the intensity is way too strong for my characteristics and there would be a falseness there. [Versus artifice, for which I am often grateful!] But I do wear a lot of color-colors that are certainly "bright" or "deep" compared to my blacks/greys.

While I don't prioritize cool/hip, I bet if I said to a CoolSpecialist, "Hey, make me look cool using this palette of color-colors that looks good on me" I'm pretty sure they could work their magic....

Hmmmmm...seems like the challenge-lovers here might enjoy a "Color Me Cool" test of their powers, no?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sorry that I could not chime in yesterday - it was a HECTIC day and evening. (I commented on Sal's post if anyone saw that. Great topic).

Elisabeth, Mary and Kristine, thanks for the kind words. They made my day

Style is very subjective - it's all about what you define as "cool"?

I am going to post on off shoot thread of this topic.

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