February 11, 2011

color story

9 of 30

aeroport de marrakech, morocco
scarf - gift / perfect army jacket - Zara / belt - boyfriend's / bracelet - Berber handcraft, gift from Tunisia / leather wrap watch - La Mer / breton striped sweater - H&M / blue v-neck - Forever 21 / leggings - Style&Co., mommed / boots - Steve Madden

Just a tip for traveling bloggers - it is not always a good idea to take your outfit shots in the airport. We took these photos in the airport at Marrakech because the light was great, the building was interesting, and I actually really liked my airplane outfit - and we came this close to getting in trouble for it! As soon as we'd finished, an uniformed guard approached us and politely asked us to show him the photos we'd been taking. We flicked through them on the camera, and fortunately he decided we were harmless (if a bit odd) and didn't ask us to delete them!

aeroport de marrakech, morocco
aeroport de marrakech, morocco
A lot of times, my airport outfits feel a little blah to me, more governed by comfort and security checkpoints than style, but this one worked out really well and I actually felt pretty cute. I wouldn't generally have combined yellow, blue, and green in one outfit, but I think the unexpected combination worked out pretty well - and segues nicely into this week's Friend Friday questions on color.

1. What color dominates your closet?

I spent six years in architecture school, and three working in various architecture offices, so... black. Black black black, with a side of gray. The number of black clothes I own is probably equal to all other colors combined, and the vast majority of the things I brought with me on our travels are black, gray, or blue. This is fairly ridiculous, as I always love outfits that include a lot of color and feel best when I'm dressed colorfully myself - so, I'm working on it.

2. If money weren't an issue how would you change the color emphasis in your closet?

Lately I've been loving bright colors that have a slight earthiness to them, that aren't pure hues. Here are a few favorites from my color inspiration folder right now:

colors
(original image sources: mustard, puce, olive, navy, and rust)

I've been gradually collecting a few of these (olive, navy, and rust so far), and it's probably no coincidence that they all look great with one another too.

3. What is your mantra about mixing colors?

 Just do it. This is something I try to bear in mind all the time now, both in getting dressed and in shopping for new pieces. I don't think there are really that many 'bad' color combinations out there, and lately it seems that every time I put two or three odd colors together I wind up loving the results. I really don't have any hard and fast rules, and often a few carefully chosen accessories can really help soften an otherwise jarring color combination.

4. For you, how do you incorporate color into your outfits?

This is definitely something I've gotten a lot more conscious of since blogging my outfits regularly. I've found the easiest way to inject some color into a predominantly neutral wardrobe is by incorporating some colorful tights ( like these, or these) and accessories, as both can really liven up an otherwise drab outfit. When shopping, I've definitely been on the lookout for color in skirts - a colorful skirt is a bit more unexpected than a bright top, and it can feel more comfortable to introduce color into your wardrobe when it's not right next to your face.

(Here are a few of my favorite recent outfits that make use of color: Jan. 1, Jan. 10, Jan. 23, Feb. 5, & Feb. 6.)

5. Which blogger(s) do you think do a good job of incorporating color into their wardrobe? 

There are TONS of bloggers who do great things with color - in fact, it's one of the main things that draws me to another blogger's style! A few bloggers whose outfits make frequent appearances in my inspiration folder for their stunning and unexpected use of color are Zoe of Haiku Ambulance, Julie of Orchid Grey, Amanda of Off of Broadway, Kendi of Kendi Everyday, and Christina of Second Skin.

P.S. Don't forget to check out all the other great FBFF posts about color over at ModlyChic!
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