Taking Back Black! A blog by Sara Bartlett

I am fully prepared for the fact that the point of view that I’m about to unleash here will probably be met with much eye rolling and scoffing.  But (deep breathe) here goes…I don’t think black is the most flattering color.

I know this flies in the face of every issue of Vogue, the iconic little black dress, and a belief system that’s been foisted on women of all shapes and sizes since the beginning of time.  But I think it’s true, and here’s why.  I’ll build my argument against black by taking on the very statements that I’ve been told over and over.

Black Is Slimming
My body is what it is.  Curvy, a little lumpy in places, and all me.  Black is not going to suddenly make my 6-feet tall, 230 pound frame look slimmer or more shapely.  It’s going to make me look like me….wearing black.

You know what will make the most of my shape?  Plus size clothing that fits me – in any color I like.

Black is Chic
I’ve been told by innumerous fashion magazines and stylish people who live in New York that black is chic.  And of course I should aspire to be chic.  And how do I achieve fashion editor levels of chic?  By donning black.

But black makes my pale complexion look ghostly.  And it doesn’t make me feel peppy and happy.  Ghostly, unpeppy and unhappy are definitely not chic in my book.   The dictionary definition of chic is: attractive and fashionable; stylish noun  style and elegance, especially in dress

Nowhere in that definition is the color black mentioned.  Which tells me that red and navy blue and yellow and green and pretty much any other color can be stylish.  Just depends on who’s wearing the color and how.

The LBD – Enough Said
Even I’m not about to say that the little black dress doesn’t have a place in every woman’s closet.  But I’m starting to believe that the little black dress doesn’t have to be black – it can be any neutral color that fits and flatters.  The essence of the plus size little black dress is that it fits any social situation, can be transformed by accessories, and fits the wearer perfectly.   Do you think it’ll catch on if we start referring to the LBD as the PLD (Perfect Little Dress)?

Why am I taking this stance on black?  Because last fall and winter, I found my closet stuffed with black clothing.  Way more so than ever before.  And I noticed there was a direct correlation between all those black plus size clothes and my mood.  I didn’t feel as inspired to get dressed in the morning – which would lead to a whole day of feeling uninspired in my life.  The long Minnesota winter felt even longer without brightly colored plus size shirts and skirts and dresses.  I succumbed to a serious case of Seasonal Affective Disorder…which really could have been Closet Affective Disorder!

So this year, I’m going to make it a point to use black sparingly instead of as a staple.  It’ll accent my colorful clothes instead of the other way around.  Anyone else want to rise to the challenge with me?  Let’s take back the mystical powers of black – and give color a chance to make us look and feel fabulous in our clothes.