Fashion Notes: A Pop Of Color

Among the many issues recycled in women's magazines is the issue of color, specifically, how to incorporate color into a mostly black or neutral wardrobe. The answer, like the question, is usually recycled and both less thoughtful and more complicated than necessary, reciting the old line that the easiest way to incorporate color is through bright accessories that lend a pop of color. Really, it doesn't have to be so complicated. The idea of a pop of color is exactly that - taking a mostly neutral palette and letting one colored item stand out against it. Color will naturally stand out against neutrals, so it's unnecessary to specifically go out looking for bright accessories, not to mention potentially unwise. Some of them can be awfully bright. Likewise, a pop of color doesn't have to be reserved exclusively for accessories. A gold top against an otherwise black outfit will serve the same effect as a gold bag.

That said, I really like this look on Betty, who's incorporated a bright color to great effect against blacks and greys. Betty's chosen well, wearing a hue that's bright, not obnoxious, and pairing it with a spectrum of neutrals rather than just black. The spectrum of greys creates depth that juxtaposes nicely with the vibrancy of the scarf and shoes. What I particularly like about this outfit is I don't get the impression that these are Betty's "bright clothes." All too often in women's magazines, products specifically get promoted for adding a pop of color, and it's easy to see why. They're mostly obnoxiously bright to the point that no one could miss them. This is the fallacy in most magazines' promotion of a pop of color. What works well in editorials rarely translates to real life. It's better to take that bit of color you do have and work it in rather than try to apply editorial styling to real life.