I’ve worn this blue, pink, and yellow outfit in the wild before and have been accused of dressing like a box of Crayolas. To that I say, jealous?!
As far as I’m concerned this outfit is cute and fun. Juvenile, yes, but to those who would accuse a 40-year-old woman of being too old to pull off something so playful and twee, I would say there’s no age limit to joy.
In conclusion: can I live?!
Red is power, dynamic. Blue is cool and controlled. White is innocent purity. The whole aims not to withhold.
A hand held in both strength and friendship. Seen on flags and logos alike.
Warmth and detachment in tension. Maintaining the boldness to strike.
Perfect for company picnics, where small talk will numb limbs and minds.
Dark thoughts erased with soft ice cream, in flavours to help you unwind.
Casual, chic, elegant. No one can take issue with blue, black, and grey. A somber palette perhaps, but one without fault. Appropriate for early spring, when everything is still dead, but beginning to regenerate.
A black turtleneck top with flouncy cap sleeves implies that I’m about to order a café au lait, even though I don’t drink coffee. This top is much more French than I am, even though I was born in France. It was given to me by an American because she felt she was even less French, and thus unable to wear it in earnest.
The grey A-line midi skirt with black floral detailing is perfect for a stroll through a second-hand book fair, but I read all my books on kindle, so I usually wear this skirt while plotting revenge.
Turquoise tights add a touch of whimsy to this otherwise classic ensemble, making the whole thing appropriately twee for a grown-ass woman with a Twilight Sparkle keychain.
The entire outfit says, yes, I am overdressed for brunch, but let me have this, I have so very little else.
Brown is a good soldier. She blends in, stays neutral, keeps her head down and does her work, making an effort never to stir the pot. And yet, some still find her offensive simply due to her appearance, simply due to her very nature. Brown is ugly, they say, she serves no purpose. Brown is meant to blend in, and if deployed in anything other than a shoe or a belt, she is deemed too much, and even then, somehow, not enough.
It’s no wonder Brown is often melancholy. She is perpetually tired, always working hard to keep things together, to be supportive of more eye-catching colours, yet taking the blame whenever a situation is deemed unsuccessful. But she’s also tired because she’s sick of it. Sick of being at once overlooked and over blamed.
Blue on the other hand is everyone’s favourite. People just can’t get enough of Blue. She’s popular but never boastful about it. She’s everyone’s friend, a true friend, genuinely supportive, and giving. When Navy, she is a great neutral, offering assistance where it is needed. And yet, as Azure, or Cobalt, or any number of other shades she takes the spotlight, and shines brightly. She can pull focus and yet never steals the spotlight. She’s simply good. Which is why it hurts her to see her friend Brown so abused.
Blue takes Brown by the arm, and guides her outside. No hiding in the shadows today, Brown. They walk through the city, taking in the sights, noticing how much brown brick holds up the urban landscape, and stopping for coffee, everyone’s favourite brown drink, and then for chocolate, the most beloved of all brown foods. Their journey takes them to a park, where brown sees herself in the dirt underneath her feet. I will always be walked on, she muses. You are the earth, notes Blue. You hold us all up, and you allow our sustenance to grow. Look at yourself in the bark of the trees that pump out our oxygen, and in the fur of the squirrels that hunt for food among the nuts blending into the ground. You are everywhere, you are everything, you are life itself. Brown smiles, and looks up to the canopy, and beyond. High above it all is her friend Blue, in the sky, blanketing everything below. Everything is going to be okay.
Black has always been assured of her power, and feels unwaveringly comfortable taking control of any situation. After doling out advice to her friend, Green, she smugly carries on with her week, supremely confident that she’s always right. She meets up with Blue for cocktails at VIP night at the Fine Arts museum, where they discuss the merits of various so-called masters. They are both calm and collected in their arguments and are both capable of seeing all sides of an issue. Blue favours the impressionists, while Black enjoys abstract expressionism but they both acknowledge that the other makes good points.
Black, still proud of the points she had illuminated for Green, brings up the subject of beauty with Blue. She reiterates her view that there is virtue in recognizing the beauty within that which is typically considered ugly. Blue nods in understanding, acknowledging that one must always search for the light in all situations, as everything and everyone is imbued with both darkness and light. Yes, but it’s not a matter of searching for the light, it’s a matter of being comfortable with the dark, says Black. Certainly, agrees Blue, but wisdom comes from finding the light within the dark.
That’s a little unfair, pouts Black, for the first time, perhaps ever, unnerved. Easy for you to say that wisdom comes from the light, since you can merge with white and become pastel, yet remain blue, but white added to me is grey, which is quite distinct from black. Sensing Black’s sensitivity at always being perceived as the bad guy, Blue elaborates on her point. There is wisdom in the light, in the brightness within all things, but darkness reveals truth. When we dig the deepest, when we peel away the layers and reveal the underbelly, this is when we discover what is most real, and then, and only then, can we choose our path, and walk towards the light. Still suspecting that she is somewhat under attack, Black nevertheless knows that this is as good as it’s going to get for her. Blue will never lie, and if she truly believes that the correct path is that of the light, then Black won’t argue. Agree to disagree, she smiles slyly.
“We want to go to the carnival!” squeal Pink and Blue. Their mother, Violet, smiles indulgently and hands them each a few coins so they can traipse down to the fair that has just set up shop in the heretofore empty field near their home. Once they’ve purchased their tickets, little Pink rushes over to the cotton candy stand, dragging her reluctant sister along. Blue insists she doesn’t need any candy but does accept the bites her sister offers. Then they’re off to the carousel where Blue sits on a dignified-looking swan, and Pink chooses a beautiful unicorn. Round and round they go, laughing with delight and pretending they are in a race, though both content to let the other be crowned the winner.
They run off to enjoy more rides but Pink gets distracted by the fortune teller. Blue thinks this would be a waste of money, but Pink can see no harm in indulging in a little whimsy. Blue, always accommodating, gives in and sits patiently while Pink gets her fortune read, only rolling her eyes when her sister isn’t looking. They walk through the hall of mirrors holding hands, not because they are afraid to be separated, but because everything is more fun with a friend. Together they enjoy the bumper cars, the rollercoaster, and the tilt-a-whirl, but hesitate before going through the haunted house. They assure one another that they are not afraid and finally go through, giggling nervously. Pink takes it more seriously than Blue, and Blue protects her sister, assuring her that everything here is fake. They laugh at the ghosts and ghouls but both scream at the jump scares, then laugh some more.
Finally they sit atop the Ferris wheel and swing their legs to make their seat shake, both enjoying the excitement of this carefully constructed danger. They ooh and aah at the vantage point this ride affords them, and peer at all the people below, who look like ants in a collective. Once home they regale their mother with tales of the carnival. Pink is a bit hyperbolic in her stories, and exaggerates how scared they were at the haunted house, and how high they were in the Ferris wheel. Blue is more reasonable and only tells the truth, yet is careful to omit the part where her sister overindulged in hot dogs and popcorn and threw up after the tilt-a-whirl. Once it’s bedtime, they tuck each other in and whisper long into the night about their exciting outing, and fall asleep with their heads touching.
Green and Blue are BFFs. They are so similar, and yet subtly different, that I even had to write an entire post about this ambiguity.
Both blue and green are calm, collected, cool-headed, intelligent, and witty. Capable of going pastel and enjoying a leisurely day at the park, or brightening things up in jewel tones and spending the night dancing at a club. Yet they are both most comfortable sitting at a tranquil but trendy cafe, while engaged in a philosophical conversation about the nature of the self. They will begin their meal with sensible salads but finish off with a delicious treat, knowing that balance is the key to a healthy and happy life.
Not only do Green and Blue socialize, they also work together on the same team. They are both willing to take a back seat, and allow the other to be dominant, yet both are equally comfortable taking a leadership position. They are also perfectly at east cooperating and are willing to share this leadership position if need be. Each one is pleased to see the other shine, and they encourage one another, making both of them stronger not just in their relationship, and at work, but in life in general.
Sometimes Green and Blue need to work late at the office but it’s always fun, because they put on some soothing music, and intermittently tell jokes, and share memes to lift their spirits. They indulge in a vegetarian pizza, and sparkling water, and make plans to have brunch on Sunday, where they will spend some time talking shop, but mostly talk about their respective spouses, Purple and Orange, who are both a handful, but they don’t speak disparagingly. They are loving colours, and want nothing more than to share this love, and allow everyone to experience the joy they both know is possible, if you simply leave yourself open to it.
You might not think at first that Blue and Purple would be good friends, perhaps because they are too similar. Both on the cool end of the spectrum, both collected and controlled. In other ways you might think they are too different. Blue is calm and down-to-earth, while Purple is passionate and regal.
But the trick to getting these two colours to get along is to make sure one is a hue and the other is a shade. Or one could be a tint and the other a shade, or one a tint and the other a hue. That is to say, one colour is dominant, and the other is complimentary. Violet is quite content to be demure when paired with a show-stopper like cobalt, and the airiness of a powder or baby blue will work nicely with eggplant’s strength.
The ideal date scenario for Blue and Purple is a sight-seeing ride in an ornate cycle rickshaw. Blue will suggest a bicycle ride but Purple is too much of a snob to power her own locomotion. The rickshaw is a compromise as Purple had wanted the romance of a horse-drawn carriage, but the dubious ethics of this are too much for Blue. They end up at a fine arts museum where Purple proceeds to explain all the paintings to Blue, and Blue politely nods, allowing Purple to pontificate so as not to offend her but still feeling the need to add her own two cents now and again, since she’s actually studied art history. Then they go to a fancy restaurant for dinner; Purple’s choice. Purple picks out the wine, but Blue suggests the appetiser. They discuss politics, religion, and current affairs but not their own relationship. They know they are not soulmates, and won’t spend their lives together, but they respect each other as intellectual equals and consider the date a success.
It was a sunny summer day. The sky was bright and the birds were chirping. Orange and Blue went to the park together to play Frisbee and eat ice cream while looking up at the clouds. Blue can be melancholy sometimes but Orange always cheers her right up. Blue gets brighter whenever she’s with Orange and together they make plans for all the amazing things they’ll do together.
Orange and Blue are a classic case of opposites attract, sitting directly opposite each other on the colour wheel, their toes tickling each other and causing everyone around them to catch their infectious giggles. Together they are fun, loud, and amusing, but still reasonable. Blue is often too reasonable. When she’s navy she’s nearly boring, but a dash of something bright and cheerful makes everything better.
Blue has a train to catch, because she needs to go on a long trip to contemplate her existence. She packs her bags thoughtfully as Orange dances around her and makes wild suggestions about what she might need to bring on her trip. At the last minute Orange begs to come along, and though Blue often enjoys solitude, she is happy to share her space, especially with someone so sunny and cheery. They sit on the train together, Blue calm and sedate, looking out the window at the scenery that goes by while Orange bounces up and down in her seat, commenting on everything she sees. Blue smiles and nods. Orange, excited to be there, squeezes Blue’s hand in excitement. Blue squeezes back and they smile at each other, utterly content.
No offence blue, but you’re the most basic colour. Don’t get me wrong, I love you blue, you’re my boo, but you basic. By this I mean you are the most popular colour. It’s no wonder you’re associated with masculinity, though this wasn’t always the case, because in our modern society masculine is considered the baseline, and you blue, are the baseline. You’re the “safe” choice. In fact, blue, you’re so basic that navy is considered a neutral, and so are blue jeans, and blue suits are as innocuous and ubiquitous as those in actual neutrals, and everybody likes to write with blue pens.
Fortunately, you are also capable of pizzazz. Azure is a bright, vibrant colour, and there’s even a hue called electric blue! I like wearing you blue, because you accentuate the colour of my eyes. I feel comfortable with you and get compliments whenever I wear you. The dress above is flirty enough that it could be worn as a party dress, and yet the restrained tones mean it’s also professional enough to wear at the office, which I have. I wore this exact outfit (with the addition of a shrug) to an office party, so two birds, one stone!
Apparently you have been historically elusive, which certainly makes you fascinating. You are the colour of the sky, and of the ocean (which makes your ancient lack of acknowledgement all the more confusing) but are otherwise rare in nature.
I trust you blue. You never let me down. You are comforting, reliable, and tranquil. Cool, even sometimes cold, but always accessible. You can be rather somber, and feeling blue means to feel sad, and yet the term “blue-blooded” means you are aristocratic. So cheer up, blue, you’re rich and important, and everybody likes you.
