There have been times over the past several years where I have been told by folks that wearing black and brown together is a bad, bad thing and shouldn
Today I am wearing white shoes. “They” will tell you that white shoes (or white in general) before Memorial Day is a big fat no-no. But you & I are in New York City, where everything is a little bit (or in some cases, a lot) weird. “Fashion” here-no matter how absurd, be it high-end or thrifty-is constantly twisting around upon itself and breaking just about every rule in the book. There are few places on this earth where you find a deliberate combination of ankle socks and high-heeled open toe sandals.
I say, as long as your clothes are clean and not noticeably wrinkley, or if you look like you got dressed in the dark at a mental institution, who gives a crap if you wear black & brown?
Actually, the white shoe rule is they are allowed Easter to Labor Day so you are in the clear Missy.
Not that I am some fashionista but I think the faux pas for combining Black-Brown goes back to when people said that your shoes/belts/purses must match. (Of course now it is that they should complement each other). I think it is acceptable in clothing to combine black and brown.
I would say it depends on the shade. Think of it as matching color for a design project. I love rich shades of orange and brown together for fall.
Watch ‘What not to Wear’ on Friday night. They are great at talking about color and what shapes to wear for your figure. I keep telling Rob to nominate me. I will dress horribly for two weeks of secret filming and put up with the humiliation of the 360 mirror for a $5000 shopping spree and help from their stylists!
this is, of course, coming from someone whose style of late is verging on dottering english eccentric. Yes, I am wearing polka dot shoes AND a yellow polka dot sweater. and a red shirt. and it rules if you ask me.
I want every one to know that I’m not part of the back to school shopping problem. I was always dressed to kill – especially in my cut offs. Apparently, Momhow has passed on her “Frugal” approach to clothing to her offspring. Frugal as in “tastefully challenged” as clearly pointed out on many occasions by Momhow’s sisters.
I remember white ones without laces or any type of tying and/or fastening device. Actually, I wore them when I went as Hi from Raising Arizona. I still have them. :] I will photograph them for sure. And I remember the sandals… oh the sandals. Actually, I liked the sandals. Tho, I guess you’d be consider a stinky hippie if you wore them now. heh
White moccasins and sandals – actually you are reinforcing your original point – they were fashion statements at the time for which I cannot now be criticized. It is written so it is done. Now I only wear black and brown. Although a lot more expensive than your togs.
The Gap? Oh dear. :/ What is my life coming to. Did you just tell me to start shopping at the Gap? hahahah One day I wore a sweater from The Gap and I was walking through Port Authority and a girl walked by wearing the same sweater. You see, The Gap is where the idea of blending in fashion comes around full circle and starts to inbreed.
The Gap is also for people who dont mind wearing clothing made by children, while Old Navy is for budget conscious fat people who dont mind wearing clothing made by children.
OH MY. You have maybe saved me from posting about this any minute myself. Thank you for bringing this up!
I have some killer brown boots that are new. Actually I have them in black too but they are just about worn out. Gorgeous low boots. And I wear them with black pants and skirts, as well as other colors.
Sometimes, living in this follow-the-rules-because-we’re-protestant-traditionalists-city of Boston is fuckin annoying. I do not give one flying faux pas what the boring middle of the road bourgeois people think about the stupid arbitrary rules.
[I just looked it up and yes, even though it is a prissy-assed word it means exactly what I want to say. Borgeois = The marxist term for the middle classes whose interest it is to preserve the status quo. The term has therefore come to stand for conventionality per se.]
White shoes were bad because they get dirty in these parts during the crappy weather seasons. I lived in California for many years and when the weather is HOT some of them wear white and white shoes. East coast fashion monitiors be damned. Just like they do in the tropics.
In the Old Testament they said you couldn’t eat pork for crying outloud. Not because it really is an unholy animal, but because it rolled in shit – AND they didn’t have ways of making things sterile and they didn’t have antibiotics. Not that I am for pork, just I am not for following rules that have no logical basis.
Ok, rant is almost done. With all that said, I am a painter and I love color. When I look at the color combinations people from other countries wear, especially Chinese and Vietnamese and African for example, it is one of the most real and physical examples of cultural knowledge, cultural flavor. If you look at haute couture, it is wild as hell when it comes to color.
My niece and god daughter is a red head. Her dumb ass suburban aunts want to teach her that she can’t wear certain colors. I say FUCK THAT. In front of them, I give her pink (GASP) and red (GASP) and every other color of clothing – because I think she’ll have fun wearing it or because I will like seeing her in it. And they do GASP, and they do murmur and spout off about the “rules”. And I do reply with “Well, someone has to teach her that she doesn’t have to follow stupid rules and always look over her shoulder to beg for approval from other people. And besides, raspberry and green striped tights ROCK!”
Ok, whew. Feeling much better. Mihow, the original British version of What Not To Wear is an excellent show. Or, just you know, ask one of your more fashionable friends to go shopping with you. I know you want to fit in, and others can help.
Me, I want to go to my corporate job with slate blue hair and glasses. And black slacks. And brown boots.
I think I might buy my bathing suit from Old Navy this year. I just saw they were having a bathing suit sale. I, however, feel a little fat these days. And to think we’re going to florida next week. :/
Today I am wearing white shoes. “They” will tell you that white shoes (or white in general) before Memorial Day is a big fat no-no. But you & I are in New York City, where everything is a little bit (or in some cases, a lot) weird. “Fashion” here-
no matter how absurd, be it high-end or thrifty-is constantly twisting around upon itself and breaking just about every rule in the book. There are few places on this earth where you find a deliberate combination of ankle socks and high-heeled open toe sandals.I say, as long as your clothes are clean and not noticeably wrinkley, or if you look like you got dressed in the dark at a mental institution, who gives a crap if you wear black & brown?
I meant to say, ”…and as long as you look like you DIDN’T get dressed in the dark…”
Actually, the white shoe rule is they are allowed Easter to Labor Day so you are in the clear Missy.
Not that I am some fashionista but I think the faux pas for combining Black-Brown goes back to when people said that your shoes/belts/purses must match. (Of course now it is that they should complement each other). I think it is acceptable in clothing to combine black and brown.
kick ass! What about orange and brown? Or say, blue and black? Someone told me blue and black is off limits, too.
I would say it depends on the shade. Think of it as matching color for a design project. I love rich shades of orange and brown together for fall.
Watch ‘What not to Wear’ on Friday night. They are great at talking about color and what shapes to wear for your figure. I keep telling Rob to nominate me. I will dress horribly for two weeks of secret filming and put up with the humiliation of the 360 mirror for a $5000 shopping spree and help from their stylists!
Seriously, I think I’d swallow my tongue.
All of those color combos are totally fine.
Don’t believe the hype, yo!
this is, of course, coming from someone whose style of late is verging on dottering english eccentric. Yes, I am wearing polka dot shoes AND a yellow polka dot sweater. and a red shirt. and it rules if you ask me.
I want every one to know that I’m not part of the back to school shopping problem. I was always dressed to kill – especially in my cut offs. Apparently, Momhow has passed on her “Frugal” approach to clothing to her offspring. Frugal as in “tastefully challenged” as clearly pointed out on many occasions by Momhow’s sisters.
Dad, let me remind you about your taste in shoes. ;]
They were safety shoes provided to me free by DuPont. Or did you mean my boat shoes?
I remember white ones without laces or any type of tying and/or fastening device. Actually, I wore them when I went as Hi from Raising Arizona. I still have them. :] I will photograph them for sure. And I remember the sandals… oh the sandals. Actually, I liked the sandals. Tho, I guess you’d be consider a stinky hippie if you wore them now. heh
You are the perfect woman. Someone who likes toys better than clothes. Move over, Toby Joe.
Oh, you wanna talk about “toys”, too. ;]
I just wore brown pants with a black shirt yesterday, so I’m all for that color combination. I think it looks cool.
White moccasins and sandals – actually you are reinforcing your original point – they were fashion statements at the time for which I cannot now be criticized. It is written so it is done. Now I only wear black and brown. Although a lot more expensive than your togs.
Mihow honey, they make a store for “folks who want to blend in.” Its called THE GAP.
The Gap? Oh dear. :/ What is my life coming to. Did you just tell me to start shopping at the Gap? hahahah One day I wore a sweater from The Gap and I was walking through Port Authority and a girl walked by wearing the same sweater. You see, The Gap is where the idea of blending in fashion comes around full circle and starts to inbreed.
The Gap is also for people who dont mind wearing clothing made by children, while Old Navy is for budget conscious fat people who dont mind wearing clothing made by children.
OH MY. You have maybe saved me from posting about this any minute myself. Thank you for bringing this up!
I have some killer brown boots that are new. Actually I have them in black too but they are just about worn out. Gorgeous low boots. And I wear them with black pants and skirts, as well as other colors.
Sometimes, living in this follow-the-rules-because-we’re-protestant-traditionalists-city of Boston is fuckin annoying. I do not give one flying faux pas what the boring middle of the road bourgeois people think about the stupid arbitrary rules.
[I just looked it up and yes, even though it is a prissy-assed word it means exactly what I want to say. Borgeois = The marxist term for the middle classes whose interest it is to preserve the status quo. The term has therefore come to stand for conventionality per se.]
White shoes were bad because they get dirty in these parts during the crappy weather seasons. I lived in California for many years and when the weather is HOT some of them wear white and white shoes. East coast fashion monitiors be damned. Just like they do in the tropics.
In the Old Testament they said you couldn’t eat pork for crying outloud. Not because it really is an unholy animal, but because it rolled in shit – AND they didn’t have ways of making things sterile and they didn’t have antibiotics. Not that I am for pork, just I am not for following rules that have no logical basis.
Ok, rant is almost done. With all that said, I am a painter and I love color. When I look at the color combinations people from other countries wear, especially Chinese and Vietnamese and African for example, it is one of the most real and physical examples of cultural knowledge, cultural flavor. If you look at haute couture, it is wild as hell when it comes to color.
My niece and god daughter is a red head. Her dumb ass suburban aunts want to teach her that she can’t wear certain colors. I say FUCK THAT. In front of them, I give her pink (GASP) and red (GASP) and every other color of clothing – because I think she’ll have fun wearing it or because I will like seeing her in it. And they do GASP, and they do murmur and spout off about the “rules”. And I do reply with “Well, someone has to teach her that she doesn’t have to follow stupid rules and always look over her shoulder to beg for approval from other people. And besides, raspberry and green striped tights ROCK!”
Ok, whew. Feeling much better. Mihow, the original British version of What Not To Wear is an excellent show. Or, just you know, ask one of your more fashionable friends to go shopping with you. I know you want to fit in, and others can help.
Me, I want to go to my corporate job with slate blue hair and glasses. And black slacks. And brown boots.
P.S. Short version: Black & Brown is a good thing.
And I wanted to add that my rantyness is not aimed at you. It’s aimed at the rules that would make anyone feel bad or worried about what they wear. :)
I say wear whatever you want. Other people will just have to live with it. ;D
Pix- I love you woman.
“Pix- I love you woman.”
I know, right?
I shop at Old Navy. I’m pretty sure that at 5’11”, 140 pounds I’m not fat.
Yeah, I want to talk about toys. Who doesn’t like toys?
I think I might buy my bathing suit from Old Navy this year. I just saw they were having a bathing suit sale. I, however, feel a little fat these days. And to think we’re going to florida next week. :/
brown pants with a black shirt and black shoes (allah doc martens or all black vans or chuck taylors) is very dc/dischord punk rock.
if you can’t look to ian mackaye for fashion, don’t know who else you can