Christmas is Coming!
“You can have any colour you want, as long as it’s black”, so goes the famous quotation by Henry T Ford, and sometimes it feels like this is all we hear from the boutiques this time of year. There’s certainly a place for black in your Christmas wardrobe, but just because it’s winter, it doesn’t mean we have to look dull. In fact, a splash of colour is a great way to lift the winter blues.
Firstly, banish the idea of Christmas colour being all pillar-box red and pine-green. These colours can look great on some, but most of us will favour something more subtle now our summer tans have faded. Choosing colours is all about ‘shades’ – the variations and nuances that take us from light to dark, bright to pale. This season has been all about cranberry, a much warmer alternative to traditional ‘Christmas red’, and a more elegant choice for most people. Mustard has been a big winner this season too, looking particularly stylish paired with charcoal.
If you’ve ever said ‘I can’t wear green (or red, or beige, or anything else…), it just doesn’t suit me’, you need to re-think. Try swatches of the same colour – but in different shades – against your face and you’re bound to find a shade that looks great. After all, zingy lime green is a far cry from cool apple-white. Try this the next time you’re shopping and prepare to welcome a new shade into your wardrobe.
So, back to black. Although a staple this time of year, black is actually not a great choice for most winter complexions. Many people find it draining, leaving them looking and feeling dull. If this sounds like you, try to keep black away from the face, or at least choose a fabric with a nap (such as velour), or some glimmer, both of which serve to ‘lift’ the black, making it easier to wear. Or consider charcoal – a stylish alternative to black.
Regardless of your colouring, black is the classic Christmas choice for trousers and skirts. Look out for evening trousers in quality fabrics: they’ll never date so you’ll get years of wear out of them. And a well-chosen skirt can be dressed up with heels, or down with boots, so you’ll get double the wear. Bias-cut skirts are a great choice for most of us, and many this year have come with handkerchief, or otherwise ‘decorated’, hems for added va-va-voom!
And we can’t talk Christmas without talking sparkle. An economic downturn means shoppers seek out the glitz and glam – when you’ve less money to spend, you want your new purchase to be noticed – and Christmas is the perfect time to indulge your frivolous side. Sequins, sparkles & spandex make up the perfect Christmas wardrobe, and in the current economic climate the more the merrier! There’s nothing surer to put a twinkle in your eye than the reflected glimmer of your sequined dress. Here’s to a fun-filled, fashion-forward Christmas!
Nicola Franklin, Dec 2008
