Moxy Style: August 2016

I love wearing black. All black. I can remember when it first started for me. It was in high school during the 80s when John Hughes films prevailed and the grunge look first hit the scene. I used to want to be one of the models in Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible", video. You remember them: sleek, slicked back hair, body-fitting black tank dresses, bold red lip. Even the 90's girl group En Vogue made the look, well, en vogue. What could be sexier??

Not too much has changed today. Regardless of the era or occasion, it seems like wearing all-black is ALWAYS on point. Put it on and you automatically look chic, slimmer and mysterious. You can't go wrong or really mess it up. It's safe. Comfortable. For me, it's an automatic go-to if ever there's a question about what to wear. For that reason, my closet has an entire section of just black pieces. But recently, something has shifted. I've begun to fall in love with color. And not just mild, subtle, muted pastels or earth tones (though I love my earthy colors a LOT). I'm talking about bright, bold, vibrant, grab your attention colors. Red, orange, electric blue, yellow, turquoise, fuchsia .... Not sure where it's coming from, but I suspect it has something to do with gradually becoming more comfortable in my own skin. Where I used to just want to blend in back in the day, I'm now a lot more comfortable coming out from the shadows. Perhaps its just a byproduct of maturing and aging, but in my 40s I'm experiencing a confidence and boldness that I never had in my 20s or even 30s. I like to call it the "Grown Woman" syndrome. More regularly now I find myself drawn to colors that I wouldn't have been caught dead in a few years ago. I've even begun wearing red lipstick, something I just could not bring myself to do for the longest time.

Yesterday, just back from a great vacation in Miami, I felt inspired to rock the brightest colors I could find. South Beach, known for it's art deco pops of color, bright sun and energetic, lively vibe just brought all of this to the surface. So, searching my closet for something to wear to church, I threw on a shirt dress I found at Express ages ago (but never had the guts to actually wear) and a great bright yellow pair of pumps that I found and fell in love with while on the trip. I rocked them with a bright red lip, turban and clutch and then added a pair of yellow mirrored frames. I'd never tried the color blocking technique before, but something in me just felt liberated to go for it. I felt like a movie star. All of it just popped off my dark skin (which took me many years to learn to love) and there was a sense of freedom and joy that just welled up in me. I think being so refreshed and recharged from the trip, it was actually already there and the clothes just expressed what was going on on the inside. And isn't that what your style should do?? It should be an outward expression of how and what you feel on the inside, about your life, about yourself. So the next time you find yourself reaching for that comfortable, safe, all-black outfit, maybe, just maybe, it's time to question why and shake things up a bit. Come boldly out from the shadows. It's ok to shine:)