Pop of Pink

Quick: I give you five seconds to think of your favorite colors to wear. Ok, ready? Black, white, navy blue, gray, dark red, army-green, um, did I already say black? You probably wish you heard ringing of approval in the background with confetti shooting out from cannons surrounding you. And usually I would praise you. Dark is the new black, right? But for purposes regarding this post, you get blaring sirens and obnoxious fire drill esque beeping and a huge screen constantly repeating "WRONG ANSWER" in huge red letters. Nothing personal. But sometimes, we need some color. Even I do (did you notice how the answer in the 3rd sentence was something I would say?). And what's better than color? Color in the cold, bitter abyss of winter where gloomy hues take over the environment. Contrast is key.

Top by J. Crew. Overalls by Madewell. Shoes by Adidas.

Photos shot by me.

A goal of mine for the past few months is to change my style up a bit, and I've been working on it through various methods: stepping outside my fashion box, layering in ways I would have never done before, and the list goes on. I've been fairly successful in this mission of mine, but I wanted to take it a step further. Find some color. Not just any color, but pink. I'm a fairly feminine person, but I haven't worn a true shade of pink since I was ten. Pastels have come and gone for the past seven years, but never has a bright shade appeared in my wardrobe in that period. Time for a change. When I went on my shopping trip to J. Crew in search for the magical tissue turtleneck (thanks to Man Repeller), I had a plan to get a color that was more my style. Maybe army green, or a heather gray. But then this delicious shade of melon-pink appeared, and I immediately found my size and bought it. It was this strange impulsive buy, but instead of letting it sit in the back of my closet for years, I couldn't be any happier with the purchase. First off, Leandra Medine is right when she says these turtlenecks figuratively saved her life. They're super-soft, thin enough to be worn with anything, and come in every shade imaginable -- the options are endless. But the pink shade just made my life, well, a lot more colorful. Something I needed as a pick-me-up for yet another new stressful year.

And what's even more fun that wearing pink? Pairing that cute turtleneck with overalls I would have worn circa 2005. Dressing like the adult version of your younger self is way more fun than it seems, I promise. I'm glad I left out my poorly cut bangs and awkward demeanor from this age from the look, but I still brought that excitement we all felt (and wish we had back) as children. We sometimes take fashion and style way too seriously, and we all need that boost of childish fun in our wardrobes. Maybe that's why this strange resurgence of trends we wore as kids is coming back in full swing. Which brings me back to the color -- add some excitement to your wardrobe. Yes, black is the new black for some, but maybe soft begonia (as J. Crew likes to call it) is the new black.