With Black Friday right around the corner, I deemed it appropriately to post about an all black ensemble. I remember as a child growing up, if I saw some one wearing all black, they were either mourning a loved one’s death or gothic. Keep in mind, I grew up in a small town in west Texas. The color black goes even way further back into the Victorian age. Fashion trends change from season to season. Black, in fashion, is a color that will always be a style staple. It is a color permeated with many hidden meanings. Wearing black in many cases will make you appear more alluring, attractive and sexy in a mysterious kinda way (hey there Justin Theroux and Dita Von Teese). Not that these two perfect specimens need any help in that department. It is also considered to make you look slimmer. Come on, we all have worn something black when we try to mask those left-over holidays pounds or when we are simply just not feeling slim enough. For centuries, this achromatic color has shifted between status and symbolism. The color spans between social classes and religion. Its power lies between the ability to be both elegant and sophisticated and mysterious and intimidating. For example, as I mentioned earlier, gothic could imply when a teenager transitions from the innocence of childhood to the sophistication of adulthood. Allowing them to hide from the rest of their peers so they can truly find who they really are. This is when the rebellious stage tends to begin. Of course, I speak from experience.
Above: Cap–The Bunker (bunkeronline.com), T-shirt–Helmut Lang (helmutlang.com), Silver necklace–James Avery (jamesavery.com), Agate necklace (Bitty Baubles KC on FB), Jacket–ZARA (zara.com), Skinny jeans–TOPMAN (us.topman.com), Boots–All Saints (allsaints.com)
Then you have the other end of the spectrum when it comes to this versatile color, one of the biggest and most iconic fashionistas, Coco Chanel. She was the inventor of the “little black dress”. Coco Chanel is the epitome of sophistication and affluency. The simple phrase of going to a “black tie event” embodies wearing the color black in a dignified and formal way. Wearing the color black from head to toe really does give me a sense of power and strength. Positive keywords for the color black include strong, comfort, formal and elegant. Some negative keywords for this color would be depressed, secretive, sadness and negative. Black for me is very popular in both home decor and fashion. I enjoy using the color on an everyday basis. It rides on that the thin line of elegance and mystery and will forever be that color that you run to your closet for, for any occasion.
Photography by: V o i c e O n e A r t s (voiceonearts.com)
