Okay, let’s talk about black, baby.
It’s classic, clean, and elegant. Absolutely chic.
It’s practical. It’s readily available. And it can be remarkably flattering.

And…wearing black is a social epidemic.
We wear it when we’re too lazy to put effort into what to wear. We wear it to hide. We wear it without thinking about it.

Hey, we appreciate black, like we appreciate good wine, trashy magazines, and blonde highlights. We’re not suggesting that you strike the color black from your life (tho’ that might be incredibly liberating and flattering for some,) we’re proposing that you examine your relationship to it. (And FYI, scientifically speaking, black is actually the absence of color. White, on the other end of the spectrum, is all colors combined.)

THIS WEEK:
Step 1: Ponder on black. Black has a range of cultural meanings…death, birth, sex appeal, purity, darkness, space. What does it mean to you, and why do you wear it, or not?

Step 2: While you’re examining black in your life, you may as well tune into the palette of color in your life. Hook up with a color expert: a make up artist, a graphic designer, painter, interior designer, or image consultant. (Just because the fashion industry’s majority offering is black, does NOT mean that it works with the majority of skin tones and hair coloring. “Stylish” and “enhancing” can be mutually exclusive.)

Head to any hardware or paint store and pick up some paint samples, or get some textile swatches from a fabric store. And here’s a simple color test that you can do on your own. How does a particular color actually make you feel? What does it make you think of? Color vibrates and your body sensations will signal you if a color is match for you. Color – from black to white and everything in between – should lift you up, not weigh you down.

Step 3: Open yourself to change…because color can change your life – it is that powerful. Perhaps you’ve already found the colors that add value to your life…your complexion, your space, your mood. Or perhaps your need to purge the hues that are actually weighing you down.

Like taste, like words, like touch, color is a life-affirming substance. Choose your palette consciously. Feel good.