Unless attending an event associated with the likes of Avicii or Deadmau5, neon is not part of my wardrobe or my vocabulary. My closet resembles that of the night sky, or a night following one too many drinks, i.e., blackout. Yes, some may choose to equate me with Scrooge, but I simply cannot come to terms with the pulsation and vibrancy of neon, nor the lack of flow I am convinced it possesses. Thus, hibernation was my immediate thought following looks of spring 2012 collections. Runways were set aglow with the hues of canary yellow, fuchsia and orange. Where was the dearth of color for which I yearned?
Atelier Versace brought neons to bloom with bold, embellished silhouettes, while Mara Hoffman infused island inspiration with pulsating hues. Karen Walker extended the trend with bubblegum pink clutches, and rose-colored glasses, literally. These designers created cohesive looks that tamed these colors, for which even the darkest of souls could not help but to go weak. While runway looks began to convert me from the dark side, I could not consider myself a zeal for neon just yet. Like many Fashionista's, I was posed with the impending question of translation: how to create runway replicas in real life.
Notorious neon solutions include nail polish and accessories. While both easy transitions and introduction into the world of color, they verge on prosaic and repetitive. To be fully convinced neon was now, I needed real-life inspiration reminiscent of the runways. How fitting it is that I found this Fashionista.
Acknowledging both neon and color blocking crazes, she pairs an oversized lime-green sweater from LF Stores with cerulean colored shorts. She consummates her outfit with an orange bag and Missoni x Converse high tops. While definitely an attention-grabbing outfit, she refrains from venturing into Kim Kardashian-marriage attention by regarding space and color. By juxtaposing a long-sleeved sweater with shorts, she compensates for the surplus of material on top and allows her bare leg to neutralize the boldness of the outfit. While her shoes contain stripes in various colors, they present a duplicity; darker earth tones subdue the outfit while blues and greens complement her top and bottom, creating a link between all elements of the outfit. This is where she had me sold on neon; by finding an elixir that unites all components of the outfit, she creates a cohesive look that refrains from appearing as a neon maelstrom.
So take a cue from this Fashionista and unify your colors. Soon you’ll be thinking black is whack and bright is right; neon is one trend you’ll be sure to agree on.