Ok, so I have been thinking about this post, or at least the idea, for a couple weeks or more. The initiating events:
1) multiple instances of noticing ladies from across the room who look shockingly different without their (black) coat than in it. One young lady looked pretty in her colorful top and plain in her coat; one slim, perky, middle-aged gal looked like a stocky street person; and they all looked older and less vital.
2) watching the second episode of Project Runway spinoff Under the Gunn. Stunningly-beautiful, eliminated designer Amy Sim was wearing green in the workroom and looked young and vibrant; on the runway, she looked her age (53) and a little weaker. Could it have made a difference in her being chosen by a mentor? Idk.
Of course there are women who look good, even stunning, in black. But many wear it for other reasons: it’s appropriate, expected, easy, slimming, and so on. As I see aging in my mirror, it is becoming more important to me to choose good colors, especially for outerwear.
I always advocate colored coats. This time in the fashion cycle is an excellent time to add a flattering color coat and this time in the year is a great time to get a good price. Women’s outerwear on Amazon
My “sledding coat” is purple; an intense royal purple with white zippers and gunmetal buckle, it is a shortish down puffer with belt for which I paid $10 a few years ago at thrift. This weekend, a cute young mom stopped me in the grocery store, told me how alive the color made me look, and asked if anyone had ever told me I look like Mary Louise Parker. No, no one ever has. But I will accept that and quit looking for a different down jacket. 😉