roses are red, violets are blue ...

but dear colour red, i'm scared of you!

as a truly mediterranean woman, red could possibly be my go-to colour for all seasons.  my dark hair and eyes together with my light olive skin should provide a perfect background to a daring red dress. as the colour of passion, it goes hand in hand with our more expansive way of expressing our emotions.  it is attention grabbing, hence it being used in warning or stop signs across the globe.  it is among the top three favourite colours of all people.

but not mine. i tend to steer very clear of most things red.

the thing is, not all reds are the same.  reds come with either a yellow base, suiting those with a warmer complexion; or with a blue base, suiting those with a cooler complexion.  think tomatoes versus cherries to get the gist.  this colour spectrum also helps:

see how half of the spectrum is made up of colours which could fall under the notion of red; and yet, those on the 'blue' side appear cooler than those on the 'yellow' side.

my fear of red has been something that i've battled with for as long as i can remember.  mind you, i've always wanted to have the body and audacity to command a party with a body-con red dress, and the attitude to go with it.  but i can't seem to find it in me.  because red needs the right attitude to be carried off well.  you can't possibly be meek or shy away from the limelight in a red dress.

 

and what happens when more than one woman wears the same red dress in a sea of corporate greiges? 

truth be said, i've skirted around the colour red by going for deeper shades most of the time, somewhat sticking to my comfort zone. over the years, i've owned very few red items, the majority of which would have been in the form of an accessory or cosmetic, but hardly ever a block red dress or top - breton stripes maybe, hints of red in a floral pattern possibly, but never as a block colour alone.

the colour red seems to make a comeback on catwalks every year: the resort or spring/summer collections tend to use it to spice up nautical inspired outfits; while fall/winter collections use it to its full dramatic effect in meticulously ornamented or structured gowns. could red possibly
be as ubiquitous or 'safe' as black? i'm not sure.

what i know is, that i want to overcome this fear of red.  i've already invested in yet another red lip colour (could i have finally found the right shade!?) and my last bag purchase was a red tote (ok it has cow-hide side panels, but it's mostly red) so maybe i am on the right track ...

here's a few picks ranging from head-to-toe red for the brave and accessories for those who are still toeing the line like yours truly. 

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