LIGHTEN UP YOUR WARDROBE
21 MAY 2022
On page 10 of today’s issue you’ll see our columnist Rosie Green’s attempt to introduce some colour into her wardrobe, which is filled with black and navy clothes. It made me think of how, whenever we arrange to do a shoot with people who will be appearing in the pages of the magazine, we always ask them not to wear black as it doesn’t work well on the glossy pages. Colour always works better. Yet that simple request often throws people into a spin. I feel their pain. If someone asked me to turn up for a photo, my first instinct would be to hide behind something black or navy, believing that they’re ‘forgiving’ and cover up any lumps or bumps we may not want to highlight. Yet last week, while out with a friend, she showed me what she said was her favourite ever photo of me, and I was wearing a very brightly coloured playsuit in it. We also took a picture together that night, and I loved my white and bright floral dress when she put it up on social media. I think wearing bright clothes often puts you in a good mindset as soon as you put them on, but we’ve convinced ourselves that darker colours look more classy, elegant and serious. What also occurred to me while looking through some photos last week was how I tend to wear bright clothes while abroad but lean towards duller looks when I’m going out here. Is that something to do with the Irish mentality, I wonder? We don’t like to stand out, to be noticed. We much prefer to blend in and remain part of the crowd. But when we’re on holidays we feel like we can experiment more. I guess if it’s a sun holiday that helps too and perhaps encourages us to show off our tans with some brighter colours. I’ve noticed that when I go into Zara stores abroad, especially in Spain, they tend to have far more elaborate colour palettes than the ones in Ireland, even in winter. Yet when I think of French fashion, I always envision navy palettes and subdued colours, worn very classically. I think a nation’s style is reflective of its personality and you can tell much about the locals in a particular area by what they wear. I was in Portugal recently with 12 other women, mainly family with a few friends, ranging in age from 30 to 71. We all wore quite glamorous outfits to go out at night, while locals were far more dressed down. We got quite a few second glances but I think because we were in such a big group, we didn’t pay much attention to it. I think if it had just been a couple of us we’d have felt quite self-conscious. But fashion has become so flexible now that there’s not really such a thing as the wrong outfit for an event. It’s far more important to be comfortable in what you’re wearing than to adhere strictly to a dress code. The greatest trend in decades has been trainers with dresses for women – the joy of not having to wear heels, especially with the current taxi situation around the country. I guess what’s most important is that you feel happy in whatever you’re wearing. Whether it’s bright or dark, that’s what will shine through the most. Enjoy the issue.