Red is everywhere. It is nearly impossible to avoid, especially during the holidays. When you set foot in any store, scrutinize any shelf or activate any iPad, it's in your face. Red evokes power, energy and enthusiasm. The hue is hallowed! It's undeniably versatile, as you can wear it from day to dinner or weekend to workplace. I dare say that even the little black dress is red this time of year. So call me crazy when I say that I'm just not in the zone -- the red zone that is.
As a fashion forecaster, I know that we are in the midst of a color cycle. For the last few seasons, we have been bombarded with a variety of picture-perfect items in the boldest tints. And designers did not stop there -- they offered an amazing amount of visual exuberance with unforgettable flourishes of color blocking, color banding and color clashing. So, it should not surprise me that the holidays would serve up double -- even triple -- doses of its one and only proprietary shade. Crimson, claret, rouge, ruby, russet -- call it what you will, it remains unquestionably red!
So what's my problem -- does the color intimidate or overpower me? Does it make me feel self-conscious instead of self confident? After all, color can play with your psyche, change your mood, darken or elevate your spirits. And to most, red is wondrous!
Maybe I'm trapped in the stereotype of the fashionista who lives in a closet full of black clothes so that she can always be chic in the city without giving her wardrobe too much thought. I look back on years -- even decades -- of depending on black as a building block and then adding pops of color, exciting jewelry and other eclectic accessories to create interesting looks. My job demands extensive travel, and I can always depend on old favorites in black to guarantee that items in my suitcase work as hard as I do. And the idea of disrupting that formula is way too disturbing for me.
Come to think of it, I was just picturing good old St. Nick in a brilliantly tailored black suit and me in bright red lips. It could work!