Pages

Tuesday 24 May 2011

I Don't Do Beige!

Getting back in a force-forty gale from St M's this lunchtime, I picked up my 'mail' as I opened the door.
Nothing remarkable (except that for once there were no appeals), but the usual load of unwanted catalogues were in a heap behind the door.

I virtually never, buy from these, but often flick through them  before consigning them to the recycling baskets.

This batch were mainly womens' clothing for the 'older' woman. 

Now just where did they get that idea from?

Older woman indeed!  I don't admit to a day over ......well I don't anyway.

The thing that struck me most forcibly, apart from the exorbitant price of most of the stuff, was the assumption that any woman over 50 or so must conform to a regime of drab, shapeless garments, mainly in shades of grey or worse - much worse - beige.

Now I suppose there is nothing inherantly wrong with beige but I loath it.  Colour is very important to me and as I may have hinted before everything, including my moods are seen in terms of parts  of the spectrum.
Somehow or other my leanings are towards green, blues and violets and not to the reds yellows oranges and browns.  As for beige.  What is beige?

It's a non-colour, an absence of colour, the faded remnant of a once bright shade.  It is what happens when there is no natural light, in short, for me it is anathema.

There is a tendancy when hair's natural colour fades for what remains to become a sort of brindled grey or white (if you're lucky) and whatever the original once was.  Most of us sigh regretfully and live with it.  A few go determinedly blonde or red.  A few really sad specimens add the merest touch of heaven knows what colour to the pale original which then becomes......You've guessed it , beige!

Add to one nondescript head of hair, one fading skinned face a top and skirt of the dreaded non-colour and you have a premature ghost.

Why oh why do people (men too), not play to their strengths and emphasise what is worth emphasising rather than paint over the entire creation with a neutral wash.

I'm sure the good lord created colour to imrove life's perspective, why not meet him half-way?

7 comments:

  1. I favour black


    ...or purple
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm

    Does that qualify you to be the next pope or Batman?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Am having terrible trouble getting Google Blogger to accept my username or password.
    It is driving me insane. Please bear with me until sanity returns.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i don't mind a bit of beige, but only when contrasted with a much stronger colour. I agree that all-over beige on an older person is deeply unflattering.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't know what catalogues you receive, but the majority of the ones I get are awash with colour these days. Terrific choice, and nary a beige garment in sight!!
    Must admit I do purple..love it everything I buy these days is purple. Even bought some purple washing up liquid the other day.
    maybe it's Menopause Mauve!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Perpetua Hi
    I agree that beige needs the relief of a stronger colour (Just that I would prefer it to be a neck to floor-length garment)!!!

    JennyMac
    Funnily enough. I don't know what catalogue's I receive either. Never asked for them, never buy from them and yes, I too love purple.

    ReplyDelete