history lesson
You’d think growing up in the tropical lands of Florida I would be more concerned with colors and patterns. My childhood outings in the neighborhood meant streets were laden with bermuda shorts, pungent colors of bathing suits paired with denim shorts, cool hues of peaches and yellows to keep the humidity and heat at bay. I was once colorful. My closet consisted of every hue of hot and bubble gum pink. My short lived days of being a “brace face” was also an opportunity to have bands that alternated colors of blues and greens. A bit over the top when I look back, to be honest. Even in university days did my closet consist of the most abstract combination of colors and patterns. From youthful pinks to blues in my adolescence, I wasn’t ready to divorce my roots. It was when I made my move to DC did I realize in the metro I was among a sea of various shades of black, and there is such a thing. Slowly my dress became more conservative and I started to blend in with the mass of government officials. Little did I know that my future held no possibility of bringing brights back. From government to corporate, I redefined “50 shades of grey” to associate more with sartorial belonging.
AColourful25Years
As blogging became more prominent in my life, I started to play with color again. This wasn’t until I moved to London, where black, blacker and blackest were the color options in most stores. Cue Boden, and their selection of gorgeous and sophisticated brights, has reintroduced me to my roots. Albeit, this time with a little refinement. Boden recently celebrated their 25th birthday and we celebrated with a walk through Boden’s colorful past on the pavements and through the mews of London. I chuckled a bit when I was asked to put together an outfit that was “colorful” because my closet mostly includes those greys and blacks mentioned above. Though, I was able to take these bright pieces from a morning of meandering with bloggers to the office and an evening meeting quite seamlessly. A very happy 25th birthday to you, Boden, may the next 25 be absolutely vibrant!