Communicating with Yellow

Some time ago I started a series communicating with color to highlight the strong psychological influence color has on our mood. When it comes to color, we often grow up with a learned set of rules. There was a time when redheads were told never to wear pink or red, or blondes were told never to wear yellow. And truth be told, because my skin has such gold, yellow undertones, I have always been cautious about wearing yellow, particularly when it comes to yellow make-up or nail polish. This summer, I've been taking notice of the yellow nail polish trend. I absolutely love the way it looks on dark skin tones, but never thought I could pull it off. Well, never say never, right? Because  I recently  decided to try a shade of yellow, and found one I was really happy with (see below). It's  a  strong yellow, and doesn't blend in with or wash out my skin tone. I'm glad that I've been able to move beyond "color typing" and experiment a little. Color typing is when we rely on a set of ideal rules that govern our color choices and interferes with our  individuality and creative expression. Really, we don't have to be limited to an ideal set of colors, as there are a range of factors (e.g.,cultural, physiological, environmental) that influence our perception of color. And as you may recall from my last post in this series, colors can communicate different messages depending  on the context, and even the shade. Of course yellow is no exception. Yellow is often thought of as an uplifting, happy color. But used too much, it can be stressful and lead to frustration and anger. It also evokes creativity or originality, and is best used as an accent color designed to stimulate the senses but not overload them.

If you're thinking of using yellow in your home or outfit, you can incorporate some global inspired yellow wallpaper for a well-traveled feel like this Aphrochic wallpaper, or wear yellow suede shoes for a cheerful, yet glamorous look as shown here by socialite Olivia Palermo. You can even paint your walls bright yellow if you you're looking for high excitement like this room designed by Nick Olsen, but just  make sure you and your guests can handle the stimulation. See these and more ways to use yellow below.

communicating with yellow_edited7

wallpaper♦ shoes♦sofa♦dress♦walls♦table

What ways do you like to use yellow?

Artist Sabrina Cabada

The other day I was perusing through the web looking for pics to go with my new post. It was taking me hours because I couldn't find what I wanted, and I was becoming increasingly frustrated. But justwhen I was about to put a wrap on it, I stumbled across the work of artist, Sabrina Cabada. Don't you just love when you find something great by accident?? As soon as I saw Sabrina's paintings of quirky, stylish 50's vintage women I was immediately hooked, and wanted to read more about this cool artist. The thing I love about Sabrina's paintings is that they're so full of emotion. She describes her paintings as"conventional domesticity to edgy, provocative images," and she often puts all those elements in one painting which makes it so very interesting.  While her paintings give clues to a story, they are not so literal that they tell the entire story. And I've never been a fan of literal art.  She writes "It is not an elaborate story and I'm not going to share it. The viewer would be influenced and I prefer you to see and feel it for yourself." Interestingly, this is what psychological projective testing is all about— showing the client a series of ambiguous images so that they can project their feelings and emotions onto it. Take a look at these images to see what emotions you feel, or what stories you create about the subjects. You never know, it may tell you a little something about yourself.

Morning Tea

Black Cat Glasses

Friday Night

Yellow Moon

White Cat Glasses

Friends

The good news is that all these paintings are available for purchase. I have my eye on the Morning Tea, and think it would look great on my wall gallery (the one I haven't quite put together yet, ha!). Which ones do you like the most?

Personality Traits and Dress: Depressive Style

Are you ready for part 4 of our 5-part series, Personality Traits and Dress? If you missed previous posts on Narcissistic, Histrionic, and Dependent styles, you can find them here, here, and here. This week we're showcasing the downer Debbie of the bunch. It's one thing to feel depressed, but what does depressive style look like ? This is what I imagine:

Depressive Style

Illustration: Ann Shen

It goes without saying that someone with a depressive style is, well… depressive. Perhaps not to the point where they're not functioning, but they seem to carry with them a sense of doom and gloom. And quite frankly, it’s difficult to feel upbeat in their presence. Most of us have all been down and out at some point in our lives but thankfully many of us are able to bounce back and experience a sense of joy. But if you have a predominate depressive style, it may not be so easy to bounce back, and this may be reflected in your style of dress. If you only wear dark colors or neutral styles, sure you may look presentable, but the lack of joy you feel shows in your clothing. And after a while your drab look may even start to reinforce your negative feelings. Maybe you’ve decided that clothes don’t matter. Or maybe you’ve given up shopping altogether, and decided that the clothes you have in your closet will do just fine no matter how outdated or tired they may look. Either way, you’re outfits always read, “Don’t bother looking at me. There’s not much to see.”

Do you know anyone with depressive style? What has your experience been with them?

WOWCRACY

Long gone are the days that I get most of my fashion updates from magazines and television while relaxing on the couch. These days I feel like I rarely have a chance to sit down. But of course, with the internet and smart phones, I definitely get my dose of the latest fashion news on the go. Each day my  inbox is flooded with newsletters, blog posts, and updates from shopping sites, brands, and online magazines. At times it can be overwhelming and I think back on simpler times when all I had to do was turn on the fashion channel to get the latest scoop. But every so often I'll get an email about a new fashion site that catches my eye.

Just the other day, I got an invite to join a site called Wowcracy, an online resource featuring the latest fashion projects that haven't hit the stores yet. Up-and-coming designers set a goal for a certain number of orders to be placed within a certain amount of time, and the supporters (that's all of us who want to buy something) have an opportunity to pre-order items within that time frame. Once the goal has been reached, the  project becomes a reality. That is, the orders are shipped and the design is officially considered a "trend." Bloggers are invited to join in the fun by reviewing the designs we like the most and linking the reviews to Wowcracy.  That way, we have an impact on what items will be produced. Pretty cool, right? I'm all for supporting new designers and having a hand in the latest trends *wink*. So with that being said, I've found 5 designers that caught my eye. Check them out below and see what you think.

Jada Lynton

JADA

Jada Lynton

Jada Lynton

Jada Lynton

Jada Lynton

Jada Lynton

Jada Lynton

Designer Jada Lynton is based in the UK and studied sculptural design before she took the leap into fashion. That might explain the structured feel of these minimalist pieces—*love*. She designed this line with the "busy woman" in mind, and I think these classic, timeless pieces are perfect for women (like myself) who want sharp designs that can be easily transformed from day to night with the right accessories.

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Francesca Evangelista

Francesca Evangelista

Francesca Evangelista

FRANCESCA EVANGELISTA

Do these purses make you want to dance? That's what Italian designer, Francesca Evangelista had in mind when she created these glam purses. Inspired by the Tip Tap (now known as tap dance) that evolved during the Jazz era, Francesca wanted to capture the lively, crisp, and dynamic flare of tap dancing. And just to add to the cool factor,  you can change the look of the purse simply by detaching one part from another.

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Anna Sammarone

Anna Sammarone

Anna Sammarone

Anna Sammarone

Anna Sammarone

Anna Sammarone

ANNA SAMMARONE RETRO SUGGESTIONS

If you've been following my posts, you know that I love vintage everything. So I had to include designer Anna Sammarone, in my round-up. It's not hard to see that Ms. Sammarone is inspired by the sophistication of vintage fashion.  In fact, this collection kind of makes me want to watch an episode of Mad Men. Anna gives vintage a modern edge with colorful tones and edgy styling. As my bestie, Myriam says, the difference between dated and modern is all about "slight of hand." I love the strappy sandals with the modest blue dress.

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Corina Haywood

Corina Haywood

Corina Haywood

CORINA HAYWOOD HATS Can we bring hats back? I love these cute head pieces by hat maker and designer, Corina Haywood. All her hats are inspired by her love of history, beauty, and style. Let's hope this hat thing catches on.

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Valentina Rosenthal

VALENTINA ROSENTHAL

Valentina Rosenthal

Valentina Rosenthal

Disposable, replaceable fashion is EVERYWHERE, which only makes it that much harder to find one-of-a kind pieces. Yet by the look of this collection, I think jewelry designer Valentina Rosenthal has tried to make it a little less harder. Valentina's jewelry is inspired by her desire to create unique, eco-friendly pieces with strong concepts and cutting edge designs. Each and every piece is green. It's the true meaning of "fashion conscious," ha.

What do you think about Wowcracy and these new projects? Which pieces do you think you would like to see trending?

Personality Traits and Dress: Dependent Style

dependent style

Welcome to another installment of Personality Traits and Dress! Here we are at part 3 (see the other parts here and here) of our 5-part mini-series, and I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying see these personality traits come to life through clothes. This is Dependent Style, the copycat cutie of the bunch.

Illustration: Ann Shen

Some people are more inclined to be submissive, and reluctant to assert their authority. Like the histrionic style, these individuals are dependent upon others, but in a more passive way. Rather than demand attention from others as is typical of the histrionic, they are likely to look to others for guidance and direction. These are the friends that rarely initiate a plan, and go along with most whatever you say. While too many dependent features can be problematic, many of us, at some point in our lives, have been reliant on others to help us make difficult decisions. I know I have. But if you have a predominate dependent style, perhaps you feel paralyzed when it comes to putting together an outfit and require the assistance of a close friend to assure you that you look fine. Or maybe you may be inclined to wear an outfit exactly as you saw it worn in the store or in a magazine just to be sure you are wearing it right. That is, you’re outfits always read, “I want to look just like you.” Ever feel like you rely too much on trends or others when putting together an outfit?

Made My Week: Carnival

Carnival season is officially here! What else captures the essence of summer season like carnivals. As a child, I remember being captivated by the hypnotizing, circular movement of the ferris wheel, devouring fluffy pink cotton candy that melted in my mouth and made my fingers stick to everything it touched, and waiting in line for ungodly amounts of time just to get on my favorite ride.

My excitement was just the same when I became a teenager, only my attention shifted. By that time, I was scanning the park for cute boys, lip synching to my favorite “it” song, and eyeing all the colorful summer fashions.

Although I’m older and the carefree feeling I used to feel during the summer season seems like a distant dream,  I think I've come to appreciate the carnival in a whole new way. This past week the carnival came to town, and for me it was nostalgic. Despite the stress of work and responsibilities, being at a carnival somehow made the stress fade away.  I love putting on my cool, breezy summer dress and strolling through the park looking at all the people.

I'm intrigued by all the bright colored signs, babies carrying on, parents trying to keep up with mischievous kids, and of course, what people are wearing. And no matter if I'm on a diet or not, I have to indulge in large bucket fries sprinkled with a healthy dose of salt and pepper, funnel cake fully coated with sugar, ice-cream with the cone no doubt, and caramel candy apples.  It just goes with the whole carnival experience. Naturally, a carnival isn’t complete without the grand, awe-inspiring fire works show.

Aaaah... summer. What seasonal activities do you enjoy during the summer?