Why you shouldn’t shrink from violet in 2018
HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
YOU c an’t b e a c hild o f the eighties and not have a specialfondness for purple. It was the spiritual c olour of our beloved Prince, along with his rain, revolution and dandy satin s uits. M adonna b lasted i nto o ur consciousness i n a v iolet t ube s kirt i n the D ress Y ou U p v ideo. X anadu w as undoubtedly the worst film ever made, but it did make me spend the next decade trying to copy Olivia Newton-John’s l ilac e ye s hadow.
But purple has had more than its fair share of ‘wilderness years’ too, from t he e lizabethan a ge w hen i t w as outlawed for anyone but royalty, to more recent times when it’sbeenbanished t o F ashion S iberia f or being too ‘out there’.
Over the past 12 months, however, i t’s b een w orming i ts way back into the spotlight.
When designers such as Balenciaga and British duo Preen included head-to-toe purple looks in their autumnwinter c ollections i n e arly 2 017, the High Street took that as the signal to make clothes in everything from the deepest indigoes to the palest lilacs.
NOW, thanks to The PantoneC olour Institute, ultra-violet is the new ‘official colour of 2018’. ‘But it’s so hard to wear!’ I hear y ou c ry. I b eg t o d iffer. I t’s the p erfect f oil f or m any o f y our neutrals a nd w orks a t reat w ith blacks, g reys, c amels, m etallic silver and gold.
My love of bright colour means I’ll be teaming my ultra-violet with other bold jewel tones: emerald greens, fluro pinks and hot orange.
I love the orange print on H&M’s violet patterned dress (£39.99, h m.com). I t’s t icking a lot of my boxes — especially price. T he o range b looms a re a striking contrast that makes this a party-ready winner.
If you prefer a little, but not a l ot o f p rint, y ou c ould t ry t he great tie-blouse in the same fabric f or £ 17.49, w hich w ill l ook perfect with black trousers.
While ultra-violet, with its celebratory, regal reputation, is a n o bvious g o-to f or e veningwear, it can give some nice punch to your day wardrobe.
Who could fail to beimpressed when you turn up in the chic purple wool skirt from Victoria Beckham? (now £251, stylebop.com).
For a sophisticated top, look no f urther t han t he v ivid p lum bow blouse (now £12.99, zara.
com). It’s demure enough for day a nd g lam e nough f or n ight. Online Zara has styled it with emerald g reen b ooties a nd t he effect i s b rilliant, b ut j eans a nd a black boot will be great, too.
If you’re really digging the-avant-garde f eel o f u ltra-violet you’ll love the fabulous shiny culottes (£120, uterque.com). They’re the perfect length to wear with an ankle boot in any contrasting colour. (If you’re more sensible than me, chocolate brown boots will work.)
There’s also an avalanche of accessories f or t hose w ho w ant just a smidge of 2018’s colour.
The p urple v elvet a nkle b oots (now £ 69.90, u terque.com) w ill look a mazing p eeping o ut f rom under a g rey t rouser s uit. O r g o full Seventies glam and team the velvet platform sandals (now £29.99, zara.com) with a black wrap dress or jumpsuit.
Re-invent your old, faithful black dress with the dazzling tassel drop earrings (£16.50,
topshop.com), or have the s ubtlest flirt possible with the colour w ith a b argain c ross-body bag ( £15.99, n ewlook.com).
I, for one, will be welcoming ultra-violet’s flamboyant pep, coming right when we need it most, in the throes of dull, dark January. Whether or not it really will be the colour of 2018 remains to be seen.
With so much of it around, I suspect we might all be tired of it by March. But right now, let purple reign.