I Don't Look Good in Purple
I’ve often thought that the colors people choose to decorate their homes and gardens reflect the same colors found in their wardrobe. Our clothing is usually in colors we like, and colors that look good on us. It makes sense that we would choose those same colors for our flowers and walls. My theory has fallen apart with purple.
Purple and gray are on my “do not wear” list. Both colors reduce me to a corpse – with waxen skin and dull eyes. I can safely say that there is no gray in my wardrobe (except pants), house, or garden. Although purple looks equally terrible on me (see photo), it seems to have crept into my life.
I have an entire purple wall in the guest room. It was initially an odd choice for me, but it proved to be the perfect foil to bright pink and peacock blue.
In the garden, I find myself constantly searching for other colors to balance all the darn purple! I’ve got purple hyacinths, lavender, sage, iris, and heliotrope. The fall has brought purple toad lilies, hosta blooms, asters, and violets. I try not to place like colors together, but with the exception of a couple red zinnias and an annual rudbeckia, the garden is currently a mass of undulating purple.
I find myself wondering how all the purple got into the garden. Am I subconsciously drawn to the color? Am I making up for its lack in my wardrobe? Or are there just a lot of purple flowers?
Away from my face, it really is a nice color. It is rich and vibrant. It contrasts beautifully with every other color – including blue. It is even striking against simple green foliage. I’m okay with all the purple in the garden, but you won’t ever catch me with a purple nosegay tucked behind one ear.
Purple and gray are on my “do not wear” list. Both colors reduce me to a corpse – with waxen skin and dull eyes. I can safely say that there is no gray in my wardrobe (except pants), house, or garden. Although purple looks equally terrible on me (see photo), it seems to have crept into my life.I have an entire purple wall in the guest room. It was initially an odd choice for me, but it proved to be the perfect foil to bright pink and peacock blue.
In the garden, I find myself constantly searching for other colors to balance all the darn purple! I’ve got purple hyacinths, lavender, sage, iris, and heliotrope. The fall has brought purple toad lilies, hosta blooms, asters, and violets. I try not to place like colors together, but with the exception of a couple red zinnias and an annual rudbeckia, the garden is currently a mass of undulating purple.
I find myself wondering how all the purple got into the garden. Am I subconsciously drawn to the color? Am I making up for its lack in my wardrobe? Or are there just a lot of purple flowers?
Away from my face, it really is a nice color. It is rich and vibrant. It contrasts beautifully with every other color – including blue. It is even striking against simple green foliage. I’m okay with all the purple in the garden, but you won’t ever catch me with a purple nosegay tucked behind one ear.
posted by Kasmira at 9.10.06
5 Comments:
I don't know... I could see you in a ruch plummy purple shirt. Warm purple. I think it would look nice with your red hair!
Ditto on trying the rich warm purple, Kasmira. Just think how well the reddish orange stamens look with purple clematis!
I can't get enough purple into my garden. Too many plant with purple photos on their tags and purple in their names have turned out wishy washy mauve instead.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I'm the same way with ochers and yellows. I can't wear them without looking ghastly, but I love them on the walls!
(but I can sport purple with panache!)
*grins*
Our interiors and gardens are the place we can indulge in the colors that look good to us, but not on us! I just blogged about 5 minutes ago on the peach roses I love (peach would look good on you, but it usually looks horrendous on me~ I'm a purple and sapphire type girl).
At any rate, I should tell you that the shade and undertone of the purple would definitely affect whether or not you could wear it. You would need a medium-toned, warm purple, not too dark.
Great discussion! I always hated purple until I turned grey. Now, I look better in violet than in any other color.
And, despite myself, four years ago I moved into a Victorian house that demands purple, masses of moody purple. For some reason, however, I cannot stand those lovely clear blues that everybody admires in this particular place. Go figure.
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