To be clear, this is not an essay about maximalists becoming minimalists. This is an essay about a maximalist (cough, me, cough) who came to realize that it was time to own a gray cardigan. If I do that, I can become a maximalist, and I might even enjoy it.
My foray into neutrals was *shudder* but it all started with blue jeans. When I went to Japan last winter, I had the desire to bring back something from Capital’s denim icons to shop. In my dream, I was supposed to buy the kaleidoscopic patchwork bell-bottoms known to streetwear denizens the world over, but blue jeans were what was in my budget. So, in the whirlwind of Japanese denim-induced desire, I thought, well, I might as well try out all these “blue jeans.” It seems like everyone else is doing it too.
When I wore the pants back to the Vogue office, my co-workers said they’d never seen me wear blue jeans before. She was used to everything from green tie-dye jeans made by artists in Bushwick to hot pink CDG balloon pants to orange cargo made on the Lower East Side, and countless bright pants in between. There was a wide variety of colorful bottoms. Suddenly, I couldn’t stop wearing blue denim.
Well, it turns out, dear reader, that blue jeans were just an introduction to neutrals. It was a tickling, gateway drug, so to speak. Look at that fear!
The story continues. I was (ironically) shooting social content for the “Vogue Editor Essentials: Favorite White T-Shirts” shoot. (Surprisingly, I didn’t have a white T-shirt.) I asked producer Fujio if I could borrow his sweater to help with the frigid temperatures. The next thing I knew, the temperature had risen by 10 degrees, and I daresay, actually. Why not try it out and have more fun coordinating it? The sweater was gray, but it was exactly what I needed. Pucci skirts with colorful patterns became very popular, and their glamorous appearance was not the only thing that appealed to them; their elegant silhouettes were increasingly appreciated. Sweaters are, so to speak, a way to “tighten up your style.”
I still love and wear colorful pieces, but neutral colors have given me the ability to transform other parts of my outfit, whether it’s my shoes, my jacket, or a particularly bold hair color. I realized that it is a base to complement it. That moment. (Just ask me about my orange hair days.) I maintain that minimalists can find colors that suit them beyond gray, black, brown, and beige. Therefore, it is natural to think about what kind of neutral is suitable for me.
In the words of Coco Chanel, “Before you leave the house, ask yourself: Will one neutral color complement the rest of the bright colors?” So, Mrs. Chanel, my style resolution for you It’s not about taking something off, it’s about buying a gray cardigan.
