The colour purple
Colour. For those of us not afflicted by colour-blindness (and even those who are) the world is full of it in many shades and variations. Sometimes it seems ridiculous to pick a favourite, but pick we do. And there really is something to the notion that the colours we are drawn to reflect something in our attitude or psychology. For instance, I was thirty before I felt confident enough to wear bright red nailpolish and now I love it. Previous to that, wishy-washy, less show-offy shades had been my preference. Fire engine red just seemed like a "statement" that I couldn't possibly pull off. I like to think I just wasn't ready for it yet but now that I'm a bit more certain of myself, bright red, whether in clothes, shoes or nailpolish, is just fine and dandy.
So I'm kind of wondering what psychological state or quirk of personality leads people to purple?
Last weekend when I was out shopping I spotted one of those purple ladies. You know the ones. On the other side of sixty, comfortably middle class... and completely decked out in purple. I tried to keep my observation of her discreet but was worried the entire time that I might be staring. Fortunately it was a busy shop and so I was kept waiting at the counter long enough that I could drink in the full blackcurranty glory of her.
The silver grey of her hair was shot through with a wide shock of violet. Her clothing, top and bottom, featured a purple floral print. At her wrists were several bracelets made of purple beads. Her nails were painted a metallic purple and on her feet were purple sandals. I've spent a lot of time in shoe stores and I'm not sure I've ever seen sandals in purple before so I took this as a sign of dedication and persistence. Moreoever this lady, who was like an eggplant on legs (though a very well-groomed eggplant), was buying a coffee cup and saucer. They were also purple.
Immediately I was gripped by the notion that I should follow her home. Would her living room look like the inside of a raisin? I already knew that her colour preference wasn't restricted to just clothing so I imagined at the very least that she might have a gigantic Prince in full Purple Rain-mode poster on the wall.
Well, I'm happy to say that I did not follow her to see if she did anything else purple but obviously my curiosity was piqued. A few days ago someone mentioned this poem to me and it does sort of sum up quite nicely the "I'm an older lady who will do what she damn well pleases, monochromatically if it suits me" vibe. In fact the opening line says it all, really: "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple".
This all reminds me of one of my English teachers when I was at high school whom we all referred to as "the California raisin" as she had a tendency towards the more burgundy-purple end of the range, and I find myself wondering if my current red fixation will slowly, over time, acquire a patina that will eventually become the dreaded purple.
Have you known (or seen) anyone who dressed only in one colour (I don't think black counts because that'd pretty much every teenager who has ever lived, isn't it?). Have you ever met one of those purple ladies?
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She sounds like the kind of woman it would be fun to be friends with. And that poem is exactly how I want to be when I am old.
Last week in Kirks, I came across a woman in her late sixties who was wearing the brightest, shiniest over the calf yellow boots one ever did see. Along with the boots, she was carrying a handbag to match which I secretly thought would come in blimmin handy to find in the dark. Anywho, along with the boots and the bag there was a cap too - again in the same 'sun yellow'. To match the accessories, our little ray of sunshine had also painted her nails a similar shade. I was mesmerised. Firstly, good on her for having the b*lls to pull that off and secondly, where would you find shoes, a bag, a cap and nailpolish all in the same colour?!
I decided that this woman was a walking fashion statement and I told her that she looked amazing and I admired her fashion choices. Needless to say, she appreciated my comments :-)
I'm a huge fan of the colour yellow, but at my age (29) I don't have the guts to carry off what she did. One day, maybe.... "I'm an old woman, I shall wear yellow"
We had a purple lady who used to come into our photolab quite often. Sounds remarkably similar to your purple lady. Distant relatives perhaps?
I've recently boarded the purple train. NOT everything is purple, but I do tend to gravitate towards the purple section of stores these days to find tops to go with my jeans. Usually a lighter shade though, like lilac. I think it's a sign of my feminity coming through more. I was always a blue or black kinda girl growing up and I really detest pink.
I was at a conference where one couple wore matching tracksuits (of the particularly vile and unfashionable variety). It was a disturbing and slightly hilarious experience. I think you'd require absolutely no sense of the absurd to appear in public looking like a matching pair of ninnys.
I'm a bit of a green person myself, at one point a friend and co-worker kindly pointed out that I had worn a different green top every day that week, which promptly led me to go out and buy a red top. Now I have calmed down a bit but having never looked very good in purple I think it's unlikely I'll morph into one of these ladies when I've aged.
I do however know for a fact that I wont be cutting my hair short like many older greyhaired ladies do - I'm going to be one of those lovely ladies with the neatly manicured chignon or a tidy bob.
Was just searching Trademe properties yesterday and came across a unit, all decorated in purple: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-property/Residential-property/Houses-for-sale/auction-259272461.htm
Purple: windowsills outside bench couch curtains paintings on the wall cushions tiles in the kitchen (alternated with lime green) bedspread bedside table ornament in the bathroom flowing soap in the bathroom (!)
Luckily I guess most of that stuff will move with the owner!
In Wellington we don't really have purple ladies. The thing is, you don't tend to see obvious retirees in downtown Wellington. I think it's because of the living costs, and so I hypothesize that our purple ladies are still camouflaged in their approved corporate vulture black because they're still in the workforce.
Here purple is a colour more likely to be seen on middle aged, middle class hippies who like to be seen as bohemians, even though we all know they shop at Kirkaldies and work as policy analysts for the Ministry of Social Development.
Oh, I can't believe it, I forgot my favourite "colour scheme". A girl wearing Big Bird from Sesame Street colours. Yellow dress, orange tights, orange contrast bits in the rest of her outfit. All in the right shades to be big bird. Awesome stuff.
I tend to gravitate towards green clothes to mix in with my black, but I could never go all green. Maybe when I am old and have the balls not to care that i'll look like an avocado...
Maybe purple clothes are easier to find when you're over 65. I'll have to check out Millers (is that where they shop?) to find out!
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I just can't shake the "people who like purple are sexually frustrated" and I dont even know where it comes from! This combined with old ladies is rather disturbing - although potentially an explanation? LOL