Colour for foggy days

Yes, they do, and they interrupted our sleep all last night. There is still thick enough fog that we can’t see Gabriola Island which is only a few kilometres from us, nor can I locate the freighter which announced its presence throughout the night, although I can still hear its intermittent calls. The sidewalk art photographed above and below is part of a playful piece of public art installed on Pacific Boulevard at the edge of Yaletown in Vancouver, near the Roundhouse Community Centre. Words, phrases, and fragments of poetry recall elements of the area’s geography and history. Last Saturday, before our world changed with the Sunday arrival of Baby Nola, I collected a small archive of such photos as we walked through sunny, beautiful Vancouver.

I also got Paul to take a shot of my new hair colour — sadly, the photo below doesn’t really capture the whimsy of the bright red streaks Ronae has tucked underneath the top layer — they pop out more playfully when my hair is left curly, but we always try something different when she does the styling and here she was working with the round brush and blowdryer. The photograph does, however, show the way I’ve managed to make my new purple cashmere scarf work with red. Shortly after I bought the scarf and was still wondering whether I could wear it and my favourite red bag together, I saw this great post on colourover at Miss Cavendish’s blog–she responded very encouragingly to my comment about this, noting that red and purple is a favourite combination of hers. Then I remembered Geraldine’s poston the Hermès catlogues gorgeous pairings of scarves, studied these for a while,
then went to my wardrobe, dug around for a while, and came up with this. It’s not Hermès, but I’m rather pleased.

Interestingly, since wearing this combination together with my red bag, my confidence in putting red and purple together has grown, so that I have also “dared” to go out with purple scarf and red bag without the help of the intermediary red scarf. What about you? Have you stretched yourself lately in your use of colour?

15 Comments

  1. Susan B
    30 November 2008 / 10:19 pm

    I like those colors on you! I wish I could tolerate that much material around my neck; this is a look I’d love to play with.

    I also love the little bit of red in your hair. It’s playful, but not overdone.

  2. Anonymous
    30 November 2008 / 10:49 pm

    Your stylist did a lovely job with both the colour and the blow-drying. Are you able to replicate this style on your own? I find after I’ve been to the hairdresser I try not to wash my hair for 2 or 3 days, just to keep the volume in! I love purple and red together. Lately I’ve been kind of brown; must get out my red merino wool v-neck sweater and my purple pashmina. Patricia

  3. Couture Allure Vintage Fashion
    1 December 2008 / 12:03 am

    I think the red and purple together look great, especially with your new hair color.

    I’m late to the game, but welcome to grandmotherhood and congratulations! My first grandchild, also a girl, was born in March, so I know how over the moon you are right now. Such a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?

  4. Elizabeth
    1 December 2008 / 5:02 am

    I love how it looks on you. The hair color and blowout is really nice. So’s your smile.

    I love red and purple. I’ve worn that combo at the gym, and it’s really zingy. I rarely stretch out of my comfort zone in combining colors. I will try harder.

  5. indigo16
    1 December 2008 / 2:13 pm

    This is indeed a good combination, not just the colour, more especially I like the contrast of textures.
    I have just spent the last 3 years sucking the colour out of my wardrobe having previously lived years in a mad haze of technicolour. So the nearest I have been to a bit of pazazz recently has been the red gloves!

  6. Anonymous
    1 December 2008 / 4:09 pm

    You look amazing, you are glowing! I usually suffer from colour insanity but recently I’ve started wearing a lot of black and greys, experimenting that way with a lack of colour.

  7. La Belette Rouge
    1 December 2008 / 5:19 pm

    I know younger is not the goal; chic, gorgeous, and radiant is more what you are after( I think). But, you look all of that and I sincerely thought this was a college pic of you. You look amazing!!! I think all the fog is good for the skin. Lovely!!!

  8. Duchesse
    1 December 2008 / 8:25 pm

    You do look great…and I prefer the curls, so distinctive. I find the blown out a more sedate look, hairwise. The colour is fabulous, so lush.

    YOU can wear red and purple together!

  9. TheSundayBest
    2 December 2008 / 2:56 am

    Suits you well.

  10. materfamilias
    2 December 2008 / 3:33 am

    Pseu: Thanks. It is a lot of material, but it’s cool enough here that I welcome it.
    Patricia: Also thanks. There’s no way I could do this style on my own! But it’s always fun to try something else out at the hairstylist’s, right?
    Couture Allure: Thanks for stopping by — you’ve got a great blog, lots to check out there. And yes, I can tell grandmotherhood is going to be a rich experience.
    Enc: I wore the purple scarf alone today and noticed that the red in my hair bounced off it — a fun combination I’m going to play more with — zingy, as you say!
    Alison: ditto for me with the greys, blacks, and browns, but I’ve been trying to get colour in via scarves and other accessories. You know I covet your red gloves!
    Cybill: Sounds as if you, Alison, and I play around at different ends of the spectrum — from one end to the other, no middle ground!
    LBR: Thank you, thank you! Chic, gorgeous, radiant, and YOUNGER?!!! I’m going to wear these colours all the time!
    Duchesse: I think with this cut I prefer the curls as well — the trouble is they’re not really ready to bounce after a cut-and-colour, so we usually try something else.
    Thomas: Thanks.

  11. Anonymous
    2 December 2008 / 4:14 pm

    Mater, red and purple is not as daring as you think! To me it looks positively normal, and very energetic.

    Yes, I think I could say I stretched myself with the citron cords and the strange color combos I did with them…

    PS Kisses for little Nola angel!

  12. Miss Cavendish
    2 December 2008 / 6:45 pm

    I have a pair of yellow L.A.M.B. Camden booties that I want to wear (they’re great with bare legs in summer) but I need to figure out the right wintery combination. Nothing too studied!

    Love the double scarf look on you–and it’s savvy, too, for the Canadian weather!

  13. materfamilias
    3 December 2008 / 3:13 am

    Karen: As I said on your post, after seeing what you can do, I’m embarrassed to be tooting my “bold mixing” — you’re an inspiration!
    And I’ll pass the kisses on to my new little angel on Friday when I get to see her again.
    Miss C: Those booties sound great — I never wear yellow (or orange) because it does nasty things to my complexion, but I love how it can make other items pop — so cheery. I’ll be watching to see what you decide to wear yours with so hope you post about it.

  14. Mardel
    3 December 2008 / 4:15 pm

    I love the red and purple together, especially the combination of colors, print, and texture with the coat. Red/purple has long been a favorite color. You do look young in the photo, I would have thought collegiate as well. The hair is lovely, but I love your curls, they are somehow a little more edgy and interesting.

  15. materfamilias
    4 December 2008 / 4:26 am

    Thanks Mardel, I’m really liking the curls best with this cut and colour as well. And they’re so much easier!

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