BACK OFF FROM BLACK

In a certain light I can't distinguish between black and blue. It's fine. And if that's the only curve ball life is throwing, who am I to complain? Except recently I bought myself a pair of black boots. They're fabulous, they're comfortable, they were expensive and it took me a long time to find them. Having welded them to my feet and worn them with pride for three days, I was complimented.
" Love your navy boots," purred my girlfriend admiringly.
"Black," I replied.
" Um... blue," she said. "They're blue. Albeit dark blue, but blue."
So now I am the proud owner navy boots. Now I happen to love dark navy worn with black - I think it's a bit anarchic and off-centre but I have to confess I was a mite irritated by my own sartorial ineptitude.
My staple winter wardrobe ( 60 dernier M&S tights, black skirt/dress/sweater) had to go. And I realised that sometimes God works in mysterious ways. Navy boots have made me reassess the way I dress  in the winter. Black is no longer my Bible. Head-to-toe black looks sensationally chic on very young women. It looks reassuringly smart on thirtysomethings. It looks groomed and effortlessly cool on forty year olds. BUT....... But.  And here's the rub. I actually think it can look ageing and draining on those of us "slightly" older women. It wipes all colour from ones face, and unless one is a stupid sun-bed slave or kissed by the Autumn or pre-Xmas sunshine holiday fairy one looks a bit Goth-like. This is not a flattering look. One's skin takes on a weird pallor.... the kind of tone that makes friends ask if you're tired.

Thanks to my navy boots mishap I've embraced grey. Grey is just black for those of us with vaguely impaired eyesight. It's winsomely kind against the skin because it's soft-focus and is a colour that happily snuggles up to black, navy, white and beige. It's classy. It's flattering and it never gets boring. And it goes well with navy. It goes particularly well with my navy boots. Actually, it has no choice. In my wardrobe grey, is definitely the new black.