Up

I am not entirely sure when it happened but it seems to me that we have become rather drab. Either the fear of standing out has become endemic or we have slowly slipped into shabbiness at the hands of the fashion retailers. Either way I see more and more people of all ages in faceless shades of grey, sagging open knit jumpers and generally shapeless garments which do nothing for their figures and guarantee that they fade into the urban landscape.

spring 2014 fashion colour

Fading Out

The only statements made are the logos on the otherwise nondescript hoodies and t shirts which abound. You are part of the in crowd sporting Abercrombie and Fitch. So in that you have faded into obscurity. It is all a bit like a British seaside resort in winter – grey and a bit rough at the edges.

The High Street

Happily it would appear that the sun is about to come out! This is a new dawn which may have escaped my attention were it not for my friend’s Macbook breaking. I had avoided the high street for quite some time in the sure and certain knowledge that I would find nothing there to excite me. Now I made my return in order to present the broken laptop to the help desk in the Apple store.

Flash of Colour

Whilst my friend attempted to argue the difference between wear and tear and a manufacturing fault I wandered out of the shop in order to pour more money into the coffers of Starbucks. As I made my exit I was forced to do a double take as I had caught a glimpse of royal blue in the adjacent shop window. Surely not! A few seconds later I realised that my eyes had not deceived me. The window was full of strong blues and striking reds. There was a veritable riot of primary colours reminiscent of the Union flag and the Stars and Stripes.

Fully Alert

I now needed that coffee to ensure that I was fully awake. After a double shot cappuccino of nuclear strength I started wandering past the various stores marvelling at the colourful windows. The spring collections had hit the streets and they were bright, breezy and uplifting. It was enough to make me rush in to buy something just to prove that there was life after grey. Sadly just as I was about to cross the threshold into the Promised Land my friend emerged from Apple with a face as red as the top I had been admiring. The offending laptop needed to be sent away for repair which was a bit like chopping his arm off.

New Season

The new colours have arrived just as the bleak and wet winter is finally showing signs of abating. Primary colours are in and what a relief that is! We can all rediscover how fresh and revitalised our wardrobe staples can look with a splash of brash. My favourite Levi 501’s will be transformed partnered with striking scarlet and my bright blue gilet is about to get a new lease of life. Spring has sprung and the arrival of colour has not been restricted to the Tulips.

Sally Stacey is a keen writer and business owner who divides her time between writing and running her shop.

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