Inside the designer's mind - take two

One of the things designers try to do is "think outside the box" when it comes to colors and color combinations. Case in point is the outfit I wore to a performance at the school where I was working part time. (I'll come back to this later in this post).

Often, in summer, with the emphasis on comfort as the weather heats up, it's easy to overlook ways to give your outfit some pizzazz while still remaining comfortable. On this particular day, I chose to wear a combed cotton sleeveless dress that I have, plus a matching cardigan sweater. This is actually an outfit I bought well over 10 years ago and it's one of those staples in my closet that I keep because it's so useful.

In the past, I tended to wear it very conservatively with white shoes and white and gold beads. Nothing wrong with that, it's a logical choice to go with the pale ice blue color. Another possibility is, of course, navy blue. These might be termed predictable color choices.

However, on this particular day, I decided to pair this dress with hot pink and wore it with a hot pink belt and hot pink shoes. Much more lively, much more stylish. (I've also paired this ice blue color with an aubergine belt and purple suede shoes.)

It's always important to look for such color combinations in your closet that you might not otherwise try but which work together very successfully. I may even put the ice blue and hot pink combination together in jacket for Harobed Designs (TM) at some point in the future. (And if any other designer makes the same choice, remember, you can read it here first).

The performance at the school was very well executed, and for 10-year-olds, the performers were all very polished. It was material they had written themselves, with the help of their teacher, entitled "Environmental Adventures". The show was based on the various issues they had covered in their social studies class and looked at how our way of life is eroding the health of the planet. One topic they raised is: Why does all our clothing have to come from China?

I think this is a question we all need to ask ourselves. Whatever you're looking for, even if it's just a sweatshirt or T-shirt, chances are, there's an artisan in your area who will be offering something for purchase, equal to or better than anything that is being shipped and trucked in from the Orient. Just imagine the boost to your home country's economy if everyone decided that "Buying local" isn't just for vegetables...