I have a confession to make.
I LOVE chartreuse.
There’s something about that acidy, lemon-lime color that just draws me in—maybe it’s the way it pops next to navy and muted red, some of my other favorite wardrobe colors. Or maybe it’s that it’s a little bit badass—not a color for those faint of heart!
Either way, I love it.
And it looks pretty horrible on me.
The lighting here doesn’t really do it justice, but you get the general idea that chartreuse wears me instead of the other way around. It washes me out and is really too strong for my skin tone and coloring:
But.
Part of me doesn’t really care.
This is a big no-no on style blogs; as with cuts and styles that flatter you, there’s a lot of blog and website space dedicated to finding “your” colors—the ones that complement your complexion and coloring instead of overwhelming you.
In theory, I get this concept—as Tamara at Glowing Color says, you want clothes that draw attention to you, not clothes that hog the limelight: “If the eye is drawn to your face first, you have a winner.” This is partly why you won’t often see me in jewel tones or black—they overpower me. (And too much black is just…depressing. Renouncing black is another fashion no-no but I claim it as my TRUTH. Take that, NYC fashion elite.)
But.
Rules are made to be broken and fashion and style are supposed to make you feel good. If that means wearing a color you LOVE despite its not being “right” for you, then I say go for it. If you’re feeling timid about it, wear the hue in question away from your face—on the lower part of a top or on a skirt/pants, or wear it as a top but wear a scarf around your neck in a buffer color.
The bottom line, though, is that life is too short to wear clothing you don’t love. So wear colors that make you SMILE.
Check out Peter Lappin’s take on this age-old predicament over at Male Pattern Boldness (yes, that is the most fabulous blog name ever; yes, you should RUN not walk over there if you love sewing, either as spectator or participant, particularly menswear).
What are your thoughts on the wear-it-or-leave-it color debate? Scroll down to share!
