Mid-February Blues

I apologize for not updating my blog in quite some time.  Things got rather hectic and sadly took up all of my time and energy!  I will try my best to keep updated with various topics this year and hope that you'll continue to follow me.


Mid-February Blues


Earlier this month good 'ol Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil (both groundhogs) shared the news with us that winter is going to be over sooner than we expected and I could not have been happier to hear this.  I'm not sure where you reside, but here in Canada the winters are cold, long and dreary so any sign that they'll be over is one to celebrated!


Because our winters are not the most pleasant many of us begin to suffer from the "February Blues".  Seas of people dressed in black and grey match what the weather's like outside and the moods are quite low because of this.  Everyone by this point in the season just really wants to sun to start shining and the snow to melt; but we don't need to wait for those sunnier days to inject some colour and pizazz into our wardrobes!  Let's break out of this dreary cycle of black/grey ensembles and throw some caution to the wind (oh that blasted wind-chill) with some much-needed and well-deserved colour!


Pastel vs. Saturated Colours


You might think I would say "who cares, colour is colour so wear those pastels!", well not this time.  The reason for me saying "not this time" is due to the season we're in, Winter. Pastels in my opinion are reserved for the warmer months and for when we actually do break out of this season and well into Spring.  Washed out colours in the Winter such as pastels don't work well with many skin tones that lose some pigment when the temperatures plummet; these colours lend themselves to washing out the skin tone as it is and we don't really want to draw attention to how sallow our skin is looking this time of the year especially!  Even if you have darker skin (I'm envious) I would stay away from pastels in the Winter months, they really don't have a place during this season and as such you should be wary - that is unless you live in a very sunny/warm climate then by all means go for it!


Darker more saturated colours is where it's at.  These are the colours you should select when trying to break out of the February-blues.  Regal blues and purples, reds, pinks, greens and mustard should all be considered in your Winter colour-breakthrough ensemble.  Winter white (not to be mistaken for the summer-whites which have a blue undertone and are sharp in their colouring; winter whites are a creamier off-white) is also a good addition and will brighten up your wardrobe.


Here are some saturated colours to consider:

As you can see from the colours illustrated above that the hues really run the gamut.  So don't get stuck on one saturated colour, play around with the richness of the saturated shades and let them enhance your wardrobe.


Outerwear


A brightly coloured (or even just coloured) jacket or coat lends itself to standing out in a crowd.  While everyone else is wearing their black and grey winter coats you can stand out  in the drab sea with a red, magenta, blue or green coat.  This is a wonderful way to inject colour into your everyday by sporting a beautiful coloured coat, it'll take some work locating one but once you do you'll regret not having done this sooner!


Here are some ideas:

As you can see above these winter coats vary from red, purple, olive green, sapphire blue, camel, magenta, winter white, multi-coloured and chocolate brown.  The options are endless and the beauty of it is that none of these coats are in black or grey! 


Menswear


Now for you guys in my audience.  I know it's so easy to get stuck in your comfortable zone and reach for that white shirt in your closet - after all any tie you select will work well with it right, but why settle?  I hate to break it to you but even fellas suffer from the February-blues and I see it all the time.  


Guys you can get away with injecting some colour into your wardrobe (on average) and what better way than by selecting dress shirts in saturated shades like those shown above.  Deep, rich shades that enhance your skin tone paired with a funky tie in a complementary or contrasting shade will work wonders for your ensemble and your overall general feeling - I know, here I go talking about "feelings" - But trust me on this one, there will be a change in your attitude when you decide to take my advice, go out on a limb and break out of this rut.


Here are some ideas:

As you can see above the deep saturated ruby red, magenta, teal, grape and blue topaz shades in the dress shirts are vibrant and captivating.  While the complementary and contrasting tone of the ties really make these bad-boy combinations pop.  The options are endless and you'll really begin to appreciate how many options there are out there for making a colour statement!


...And something for the Ladies


It's so easy to want to throw on a comfy pair of pj's and lounge around the house on cold, windy winter days and it gets even harder to pick something to wear to work especially when you just want to hibernate indoors.  A common trend is to throw on a pair of pants and a sweater and rush out the door braving the wintery blast that hits you as soon as you step outside, but every now and then when the mercury rises to just around the freezing mark why not throw on a dress instead in a luscious saturated shade. 


Something to inspire you with:

I know I've been on and on about wearing some colour during the colder more dreary months of the year and I'm certainly not saying you need to deck out from head to toe, but one way to inject some colour is by sporting a dress (sweater or otherwise) in a more saturated shade.  The dresses above are in grape, plum, cobalt blue, navy, emerald green, pink and red and are all good examples of dresses you could wear to work or on the town.  Just be sure to dress warmly and wear tights/pantyhose!


Get out there and shop for some deeply saturated shades to add to your wintery wardrobe to help beat those winter-blues, trust me on this one, you'll thank me when you do!


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
Le Chateau
BCBG Max Azria
Banana Republic
Mango
Macys
Old Navy
Geoffrey Beene
Danier
Anthropologie