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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

IFB Asks: What's Your Signature Color?

The latest IFB Project asks, "what's your signature color?" and, while I don't think I could ever actually use the phrase "signature color" without feeling pretentious, it's an easy question for me to answer. Navy is the foundation on which my wardrobe rests.

This didn't happen intentionally. I never chose navy so much as it chose me. All I know is that one day I looked around I noticed that navy was my color.

When it came time to choose what stones would compliment the diamond in my engagement ring, I knew I wanted sapphires, not just to honor my mother (they're her birthstone) but also because navy seemed like a color I wouldn't tire of wearing every day for the rest of my life.

Navy is forever.

Outfit - Tucker for Target ruffled back dress, vintage gold clutch, Downton Abbey hair
Save the Date Outfit: Anthropologie horse and polkadot print dress "Petaluma Peep Hem Dress", hand-me-sown kicks, Modcloth leather pouch belt, Jewelmint leather cuff with silver horse
Spring Sunset outfit: striped mariner anchor dress from J.Crew, altered vintage denim vest, brown boots, skinny jeans, wide-brimmed wool hat - Anthropologie "sweaterknit rancher"
La Marinière outfit: marinière striped top, jeans, Jeffrey Campbell Lita booties, sparkly suede clutch, Noir jewelry dinosaur bone rib cage cuff bracelet, J.Crew pavé cable link bracelet, arty ring, neon bangle
Double dots outfit: polkadot skirt from J. Crew Factory, polkadot top from H&M, thrifted belt, thrifted espadrilles, Anne Boleyn necklace made by me

Once, when friend told me she had no time for navy -- why did it need to exist, other than to trick her into accidentally wearing one navy sock and one black sock? -- I suddenly felt overcome with incredulous defensiveness. Why did black need to exist? What made it so great anyway, huh?

4th of July Outfit: Nautical dress with rope belt from Target, modcloth red and white striped peep-toe shoes, pavé cable bracelet from J.Crew, etc.
Morning Glory outfit: AG polkadot Stevie ankle jeans from Anthropologie, black Converse lowtop sneakers, sleveless button-down chambray shirt, cropped gray sweatshirt from Stylemint
Easter outfit: SIlver flats, mustard tights, Missoni for Target chevron dress, dusty rose felt cloche

While navy is a good and practical neutral that can, despite frequent arguments to the contrary, be worn with black (ask Yve Saint Laurent if you don't believe me), my love for it extends beyond the practical and into fantasy. Two years ago, I wrote in an installment of my retired feature "Color Theory," that navy is "a bit prep school, it's a bit sailor. It's so French and yet so all American."

There's the practicality of navy, of course. There's the denim and the chambray and the perfect wool peacoat. But the fantasy of Navy is what makes me come back to it over and over again.

Pattern outfit: Target teal pattern dress with lattice back, rainbow-leather huaraches, patterned belt, straw bag
Sunset and structure outfit: Peter-Pan-collar dress, floral flats, pavé cable bracelet, etc.
Meet Hazel outfit: ruffled floral dress, vintage cape-cut plaid jacket, knee socks, Wanted brown leather oxfords
Alice outfit: rosebud dress, grayscale color-block over-the-knee socks, flatforms, cropped paper-thin cashmere sweater from Styemint,
Polkadot peplum outfit: polkadot peplum top, Levi's Made and Crafted white jeans, Miss Trish for Target pearl and coral sandals, knotted pearls

signature color

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