AT 67, I HAD QUIETLY STOPPED WEARING BRIGHT COLOURS. THEN A YELLOW DRESS CHANGED AN ORDINARY SPRING AFTERNOON.
Six little things about a cheerful geometric dress that reminded me getting dressed ought to be enjoyable, not another decision to worry about.
I am 67, I live in Sydney, and for several years I had been choosing my clothes by a rather peculiar rule: nothing that anyone might notice. Navy trousers were safe. A cream blouse was safe. A charcoal cardigan could get me through almost any outing without a second thought. I did not even realise I was doing it until the first proper warm week of spring.
I had been pottering in the garden that morning, looking at the yellow flowers beside our back steps. They were bright as anything, and I had spent half an hour deciding where to put another pot. Then I went upstairs to choose something for lunch with my sister and stood in front of a wardrobe that seemed to contain every colour except a cheerful one.
It struck me as ridiculous. I was perfectly happy to put colour around the house and all through the garden, but somewhere along the way I had decided it was no longer for me to wear. Nobody had told me that. I had simply made up the rule and then followed it for years.
A few days before that, I had seen this yellow-and-black geometric dress in Perth Boutique's elegant dress collection. It had a bold black-and-white zigzag across the upper half, a yellow V-shaped neckline, short sleeves and a long, bright yellow skirt. It was not subtle, exactly, but it was not trying to be. That was what I liked about it.
When it arrived, I put it on the bed and stood looking at it for an embarrassingly long time. My first thought was that it would be too much for me. My second was that I would never say such a thing about yellow flowers in a vase. I decided to try it on before I talked myself out of it.
I had stopped wearing cheerful colours without ever deciding to. Trying one again felt less like buying a dress and more like giving myself permission.
That afternoon I wore it to lunch with flat sandals and the same little handbag I always use. My sister noticed the yellow before I had even sat down. Then we got on with talking about everything else. It was that simple. Afterwards, I found myself thinking about six things the dress got right.
1THE YELLOW IS THE POINT, AND THAT IS ALL RIGHT
For years I had bought colours described as practical, sensible and easy. Yellow is not the first shade that comes to mind when you think of playing it safe. Yet that was precisely why I liked this one. The long yellow skirt looks cheerful without needing extra jewellery or a complicated outfit, and the black-and-white section gives it a little balance.
I did not need to look younger. I just wanted to look as though I still enjoyed choosing my clothes.
2THE ZIGZAG PATTERN MAKES IT FEEL FINISHED
There is something pleasing about the strong geometric pattern across the upper part. From a distance it looks striking; close up it is simply an arrangement of black, white and yellow lines. It is almost like the detail a scarf would add, except it is already part of the dress. For me that means one less thing to decide before leaving the house.
Some mornings I want an outfit that already looks like an outfit, without searching the drawer for the right scarf.
3THE NECKLINE AND SHORT SLEEVES KEEP IT EASY
The yellow V-shaped neckline brings the colour close to the face, and the short sleeves make it a complete dress rather than something I immediately think about covering with a cardigan. I could imagine wearing it for a spring lunch, a visit to friends, or simply sitting outside with a cup of tea. That is the sort of flexibility I look for now.
It looks complete before I add anything. My earrings and sandals can be the ordinary ones.
4THE LONG SKIRT HAS ROOM TO MOVE
The dress has a generous, flowing silhouette that looks quite different from the straight little shifts I used to buy when I wanted something unobtrusive. It falls into a long skirt with a relaxed shape. I liked how it looked when standing and walking, and how it felt like a dress for enjoying the afternoon rather than one to save for a photograph.
I have had enough of buying a dress because it disappears. I wanted one I would actually look forward to wearing.
5IT WORKS WITH THINGS I ALREADY OWN
At lunch I wore flat sandals. On another day I might add white trainers or a simple bag. The geometric pattern is quite enough on its own, which means I do not have to buy anything else to make the whole thing work. I can wear it to a birthday lunch without making it precious, then wear it again the following week.
The point was not to dress up for somebody else. It was to enjoy what I saw when I opened the wardrobe.
6THE COLLECTION GIVES YOU CHOICE, NOT A SINGLE IDEA
This yellow geometric style is part of Perth Boutique's Elegant Dress collection, alongside other colours and patterns. Selected dresses in the collection list Australian sizes from AU 6/8 through AU 22/24, and the collection has several designs at the same A$66.95 sale price. You can choose the one that feels most like you; my story happens to be about the yellow.
There is no correct age for a colour. There is only whether you like wearing it.
THIS YELLOW DRESS, AGAINST THE CLOTHES I KEPT CHOOSING
There was nothing wrong with my old sensible clothes. I had simply reached the point where I wanted to enjoy getting dressed again. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
ABOUT THE PRICE
The Elegant Dress collection at Perth Boutique currently shows geometric dresses for A$66.95 during the Spring + Anniversary Sale. Some are marked down from A$132.00 and one is listed from A$121.00, so check the style you choose for its own previous price.
I am careful with money, as most of us are. I used to buy another safe, plain dress and then wonder why it hardly came out of the cupboard. I would rather choose one I genuinely like and can imagine wearing several different ways. That was the appeal here.
Perth Boutique advertises free delivery across Australia, and the collection has a range of geometric designs. Stock and prices may change, so the collection page is the place to see the latest options.
If you have been waiting for permission to wear a colour you love, perhaps there is no reason to wait for a special occasion. Sometimes an ordinary spring afternoon is special enough.
Maggie
