So there I was, wandering around a strange Eastern Washington church's narthex after the church service that was a part of my grandmother's funerary proceedings. I avoided awkward conversation with religious folk and people who knew me when I was "this big" by following my mother around like a needy dog, collecting a excessive amount of baked goods, and doing my best to persuade my cousins to ditch the place with me. During one of the instances of doing the latter activity, my cousin's grandma said hello. I gave her a friendly hug and expressed my disbelief about how long it had been since I'd seen her. Then, in the most innocent of ways, she asked "Are you a goth?" (I say "innocent" because it was one of those instances in which it's obvious that an elder has picked up a word through a younger person and the use of it seems awkward, almost like you're supposed to be proud that it was used properly). Taken aback, I laughed and as light-heartedly as possible declared, "I'm in mourning!" What I really wanted to do was ask, "What does that even mean?" While I understand the basis of calling someone "a goth," it doesn't seem all that applicable outside of a high school context. It doesn't seem an important distinction after that. Yes, I wear a lot of black, but none of my friends dress the way I do. I probably couldn't tell you a thing about the goth subculture outside of a fashion context. Truthfully, I was the only person in the entire church that had worn head to toe black. Even getting ready, my mother insisted, "You don't have to wear all black, it's not the Nineteenth Century!" Being a lover of eras of emancipation rather than repression, I was a tad defensive, but that's beside the point. Perhaps my Alexander McQueen scarf, covered in skulls and other bones was a bit much. During the car ride over I sarcastically asked if it was inappropriate. Then again, my big black hair and black nails are not something seen often by the people of the Tri-Cities. Certainly, I was among a less than receptive audience, but it lead me to think about my relationship with black and the power of the color.
Me in typical levels of darkness
(Thrifted faux fur, thrifted/gifted shorts, Alexander McQueen scarf, American Apparel socks, Jeffrey Cambell booties, deux lux bag)
(Yigal Azrouël sweater, American Apparel pants, Dolce Vita sandles, ring purchased at Moksha)
I don't mean this to be some kind of deeply analytical post. I just have an inkling to explore a bit. The title of this post is just a cheeky statement I sometimes make about my hair or nails. The sarcasm directly confronts the depravity and doom often attributed to the color, almost asserting that I put less weight upon black. I would say this is true in that I wear it often and it doesn't necessarily indicate that I'm depressed or feeling like kicking someone in the face. It's a bit strange to think about how far the color black has penetrated my physical presentation, give general conceptions. I now think of black hair, black nails, black eyeliner as a standard or a base to work off on. It certainly has presence in my closet, but I wouldn't say it presides over the other colors of my closet with some kind of tyrannical rule. Furthermore, I would definitely not say that my general emotional state has lead to the increased addition of black garments to my closet. As for what draws me to "blackness," I would say its severity, the sex appeal I associate with it (especially in the case of pleather/leather), but not much else comes to mind. There's something powerful about a head-to-toe black look, but there's power to be had other ways. I suppose I do utilize it when I'm feeling a certain way, but I'm just as likely to pick up a big yellow sweater as a black leather jacket when feeling down. My use of the color is not solely predicated on negative feelings. Anyway, all this self-examination is wearing me out, so on to others.
It seems to me that the general public is afraid of wearing all black. Black is easy to pair with other colors and that isn't ignored, but it doesn't go much farther. At least that seems the case for most people in Seattle. Just given experience and knowing a bit how people work, it seems like the "What will people think?" kind of situation. But I dunno. The fashion community on the other hand often turns to all black. It's a standard. If you don't know what to wear in the morning, you wear all black. If you work a fashion event, you wear all black. There's a uniformity to it, but the color also has an elevated position. Perhaps it's the severity that creates a look worth noticing. It's hard to say. Having said that, the lovely Anna Wintour hates black. I'm not sure why that is, even after doing a bit of investigating, but I have a couple ideas. First, black is difficult to photograph. A black garment can tend to look flat, while color gives depth to things. Another possibility is simply that black is easy and thus lazy. Maybe Wintour expects a certain rigor or level of effort in the realm of dressing. An idea I stumbled upon on the internet was that black does not fuel the market. For example, a lavender fur like one at Missoni is more novel and of-the-moment than a black fur. Color helps push the temporality of fashion. Spring/Summer 2011 is certainly an indication. Those are just guesses mind you. The personified antithesis of Miss Wintour's perspective is Alexander Wang. This is a young man who has professed his love for black in a multitude of ways and instructed legions of girls that wearing black is fun and sexy. I can't say that I'm immune. And to all those who think black-wearers are preoccupied by thoughts of depression and deaths, I suggest looking for any photo, video, or interview you can find of Mr. Wang and maintain such a stance. This photo is a favorite of mine.
via young & pretty
Again, I don't mean for this to be some kind of investigation complete with an answer or a post in the defense of a color, but it's just an interesting topic of thought. Part of me can't believe I just wrote an entire blog post about a color or rather the anti-color. On the other side of things, the bold colors of Spring/Summer have me enraptured.
(Proenza Schouler S/S 2011 campaign via fashiongonerogue, Jana Knauerová in American Vogue via models.com, Hanneli Mustaparta via vogue.com , Stella McCartney Spring 2011 campaign via fashionlover, Hailey Clauson and Lindsey Wixson for Vogue China via fashiongonerogue, Ajak Deng for Vogue Italia via fashiongonerogue)
With that, I say sweet dreams lovers.
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