Time to ditch black clothes
Summer is here – theoretically – and it’s time for Wellingtonians to ditch the standard dreary black and grey clothes seen on the street.
December 7, the first Friday of summer, is No Black or Grey Day, an idea as simple as the name. Instead of reaching for a black top or pants in the morning, swap them out for something bright and colourful to wear.
Dave Dyer came up with the idea back in mid-2013, while he was chatting with a couple of his mates.
‘‘We said, let’s set a challenge individually of what we could do in three months to make Wellington a better place.’’
No Black or Grey Day was born – a plan to get Wellingtonians out of the customary corporate black found in the city and into some bright colours to bring a smile to people’s faces.
‘‘It was really as simple as that,’’ Dyer said. ‘‘It’s an excuse to get as much colour as possible on the streets.’’
The first year they ran the No Black or Grey Day (NBOGD), around 400 people signed up to take part – more than they expected.
Fast forward to 2018 and NBOGD promises to be a bumper year, with more than 2000 people responding on the event’s Facebook page.
Dyer hoped the event would pick up momentum on its own, with more people jumping on board every year.
For people wanting to take part, it was as simple as swapping a black top, pants or dress for something a bit more colourful, or perhaps adding a colourful accessory.
People were also encouraged to take a quick snap of themselves and upload it to social media with the hashtag #NBOGD.
While the colourful day has traditionally been held on the first Friday of summer, Dyer said maybe it should be rolled into winter too. With cold grey days, the streets would need a bit of brightening up.
No Black or Grey Day wasn’t restricted to Wellington either – anyone is invited to jump in.
Outside the city centre, there have even been other similar days organised, such as 2016’s Hutt Valley Colour Day, held on the first day of spring.