I have heard that blue is the most common favorite color, but I must admit it had been my least favorite color for as long as I could remember, to the point that when I would get something blue as a present, the whole thing would puzzle me, like...'do you know me at all? have we ever met?' If the answer to these questions had been yes, you'd have known that I had no use for anything blue in my home. I've always loved greenish blue hues, but not "blue blue" ones. I wonder why? I don't recall any negative associations with it, no bad memories as such, but pure blue (no matter light or dark shades) used to seem depressing to me. And it really had nothing to do with the English use of the word blue as meaning "sad" or "depressed" - I learned it only after I moved to the US, which was 16 years ago, and I had been living and speaking other languages for twice as along at that point. In my native Russian, oddly enough, depressing feelings are commonly seen as green - we say "тоска зеленая" (green anguish) or "позеленеть от злости" (to turn green with anger) which I personally don't agree with, to me green is a color of peacefulness and cheer. But I had similarly strong negative associations with the color blue. Until a few years ago, that is. And then I started warming up to different shades of blue.
At first, they were lighter shades of blue. What can be prettier than the blue sky? Living in a climate when lots of times, the skies are covered with clouds and are all shades of gray rather than blue, I can attest - not many things in life are as covetable as clear blue skies! Then gradually I moved into darker blues, with navy blue being the last bastion. I now see it is a gorgeous color, a beautiful neutral - not as harsh as black can be, more elegant than brown, and more contrasting for my complexion than light neutrals such as white, off-white or beige. Navy blue is simply a fantastic color! And as you can see, I fully embrace it in this outfit, and more than that - I can now absolutely honestly say that there is no color that I don't love. I LOVE THEM ALL!
This outfit started with the pretty knitted floral top which I combined with the lace red and blue skirt. Both items were bought on clearance either last year or earlier this year, but I wear them for the first time. To top it off, I chose the navy blue striped knit blazer, a Goodwill find (new with tags!) last year, and this is also its first outing. Happy debut! I accessorized with my pearl earrings and mother-of-pearl kitty brooch which, as all cats do, has a mind of its own. "Florals? Stripes? Sure a kitty would fit right in, meow!"
And look! My beautiful and talented friend IVANA did it again! She did - she painted me again!! Not even once, but twice! I love the pretty and soft palette she chose for her watercolors. You can read her post HERE and see my original post with the photography that inspired Ivana to paint HERE. Thank you, my dear friend, for this wonderful surprise - I feel flattered, honored and simply happy! Your art will take a permanent place with other artwork on the right side bar of my blog - yes, right there!
What are your thoughts on the color blue? Do you or did you have a color that you dislike?
Photos by Justin
Knitted top - Talbots (last year)
Lace skirt - Eloquii (last year)
Blazer - Michael Kors (thrifted via Goodwill, new with tags, last year)
Maryjanes - Dansko (old)
Purse - Karl Lagerfeld (via TJ MAXX, last year)
Earrings - a gift from a friend, years ago
Kitty brooch - antique mall find (last year)
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Hmmm I think I like every colour in a way. I agree with you Natalia about green.
ReplyDeleteI love this skirt Natalia, you look amazing in this flower and stripe style.
Great paintings from Ivana :)
I wish you a wonderful weekend, huuuuge hug Tina
Thank you, my dear!
Deletefabulous ensemble - dear natalia!!!
ReplyDeletegorgeous pattern, color & texture mixing! and the navy blue suits you very well indeed!! the whole look is just beautiful!!! <3 <3 <3
i did not like blue too - like you i just warmed up to it in recent years - actually it was the dark blue in navy styles that made me wearing it. i think the reason i disliked blue was the endless sight of washed out blue of the workers uniforms and poorly made denim suits in the GDR - and the gray-blue anoraks of the "stasi" types......... machines in factories were a dull blue.... we got forced to join the FDJ and wear the blue shirt...... so i was wearing deep existentialistic black most of the time :-D
pretty paintings by sweet ivana!
tons of hugses!!! xxxxxxx
Oh yes, I totally get about uniforms! Boys in Soviet school had blue uniforms, and girls had brown and black (or brown and white on holidays). 10 years of them, day after day. I don't think I wore any of these colors for many year after school!
DeleteBardzo ładnie wyglądasz:))spódnica świetna:))lubię broszki i Twoja bardzo mi się podoba:))portreciki fantastyczne:)))Pozdrawiam serdecznie:)))
ReplyDeleteThank you, Renia!
DeleteI do really like the mix of patterns and textures in your outfit Natalia.I must admit to not really being a fan of blue for myself, too many years of school and work uniforms always in blues.The pictures of you by Ivana are quite lovely. All best wishes. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jill, and I understand about uniforms!
DeleteWhat a lovely combo! That skirt is so pretty and I do like the tights. Lovely striped blazer, I have a similar cardigan and I wear it often. A little mix of prints is always good. The kitty brooch is adorable. I love how you always have great accessories.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to read about your experiences with blue! I also had colours and disliked but then embraced, for example, I didn't use to be a fan of pink. When it comes to my favourite colour to wear, I'm torn between red and blue, I love them both. When it comes to painting, blue is definitely my favourite colour, it has something of a mystic quality, I don't know how else to describe it.
Speaking of painting, I'm really happy you like my paintings. You are very sweet to feature them on your blog. Have a lovely day my dear! I'm sending you a big virtual hug.
As a painter, you probably embrace ALL colors, I would think. I remember watching a film featuring Eric Carle, a famous children's writer and illustrator. We went to his as he calls it "art art" exhibition (vs. book art for which he is famous), here in Tacoma, and he said with such sincere sadness that he wished to see more colors - he was so genuinely sad that he cannot see more of a spectrum! I think the more I experiment with fashion, the it resonates with me, this kind of sadness. :)
DeleteSuper cute!! I love that skirt!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely pictures Ivana did, they captured your colourful style perfectly.
ReplyDeleteBlue is my favourite colour - but it has to be the right blue. Navy was, like most British women, my school uniform colour for many years and I don't wear it. Baby blue is too cold but tuquois, cobalt and teal? Yes, please! xxx
Yes, greenish blues and bluish greens are my favorites too! <3
DeleteAlthough I've developed a penchant for green, my favourite colour as a child was blue. Not navy blue, though, which I associated with school uniforms. And I didn't even have to wear uniform at my school ... Blue in general is not my first choice of colour but I'm being told it suits me, and when I see myself dressed in blue, I have to agree. I do love your use of blue in this outfit and the combination of your lacy red and blue skirt with the floral top and striped blazer. Ivana captured you and your style perfectly, by the way. Lots of love xxx
ReplyDeleteBlue looks great with red hair - great natural combination! <3
Deletewoww, I love the painting your friend make of you, so beautiful colors!
ReplyDeleteAnd I also love your jacket and how it matches your lace skirt (such an awesome skirt!, the color, the texture!), you look really elegant!
Blue, and particularly navy, were not my cup of tea for years. I had to wear a navy uniform for many years as a child and teenager, so it was a color that I avoided actively!. Now I've also discovered that it's a nice neutral and works with many other colors, so my traumas are dissapearing!
besos
I love what you said - the childhood traumas are disappearing! Love that! Yes, colors by themselves are as innocent as angels (as Beate once put it so beautifully). It's the meaning we give to them, that's what makes us like or dislike them. I used to NOT like certain red tones because of the old days symbolic meaning it used to have in my country. It just seemed too much and too impersonal, for ages. Now that childhood trauma is healed completely!
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