The Colors of our Life

RHYS:I went shopping yesterday, having been seriously store-deprived while I was in Australia. When I hung the new skirt and sweater in my closet I realized that everything I've bought this fall is either beige or brown. I also realized that over the years I have been attracted to very different colors. There, hanging in my closet, is my turqoise year, my navy year, my buttery yellow year, my pink year and yes, there was even a mauve year, I fear, although God knows when that was and God knows what made me think that mauve was a pleasant color.

So now I'm intrigued: why am I attracted to beige and brown this year? What made me go for navy at one time and buttery yellow at another? Was I in need of cheering and sunshine when I chose that yellow? Or was I feeling radiant and on top of the world? Was I feeling sophisticated when I went for the navy suit? With me it's certainly not conscious, neither is it the fashionable color of the year. I don't even realize that I'm in a beige or blue phase until I look in the closet and there are several pieces hanging side by side. I sure Roberta and other psychologists reading this could tell me why we are attracted to certain colors at certain times. I think I'll keep a color diary from now on, and then at the end of the year, I'll compare it with my achievements and personal life diary.

Rhys in her mauve mistake period with my friend Lyn Hamilton who sadly left us last month.
I know some people stick to one basic color scheme. My daughter Anne wears black, light blue, red. She clearly a winter type. I look awful in black, although I have the obligatory black suit for formal occasions. But as for the little black dress--I look like something out of a vampire movie.

So how about you, Jungle Red Sisters? Do you stick to favorite colors as the basis for your wardrobe or do you change from year to year like me?

HANK: AH, Rhys. I started with a "black" year. Then a...black year. The next year, I tried..black. And I liked it so much that the next year, I went for black. This year, I'm thinkin'--black.

We had our house appraised a few years ago, and the appraiser briefly had the run of the place. He came downstairs with a funny look on his face. Well, he said, I looked in your closet, Hank. Oh, I replied, sheepish. Lots of shoes, huh?

Shoes? he said. Nope. Everyone has shoes. I was just wondering how many black suits one person really needs.

Yellow doesn't work with my hair. Nor does purple. Or gray. Or pink. Or tan/beige/taupe. Navy's fine, but it's not as nice as black. Red, yes, love it. And white, well, hmmm. Suddenly there's lots of white in my closet. And I wonder what that means. But basically--yeah. Black.

I would love to see your color diary, though, Rhys. And I'm with ya on the mauve thing. Mistake.

JAN: Once, long ago, I a did a story about a woman starting some sort of consulting business on "Colors." Later, I went in for a color consultation, and I'm sad to say, it's become the religion to which I'm most faithful. I'm as BEIGE as Hank is BLACK. Fall colors no matter what season it is -- although sometimes I veer into heresy and tell myself I can wear pale pink -- but ONLY if it's got PEACH TONES. Otherwise, I'm afraid, I'm doomed to eternity in fashion HELL.

So if you look in my closet, you see beige, beige, a little brown and gold, and then a lot more beige. Some might call it BORING. Others might call it INCREDIBLY BORING, but others may see the LIGHT.

RHYS: I've had my share of color mistakes--and my mother insisted on sending me the flowery patterns I loved during my San Francisco during the 70s phase. I wish I could wear black--it makes life so much simpler and it always looks professional.