Black and white wide striped Primark blouse, dress of the evening, 532

 

The Effect of Contrasting & Co-ordinating Colours

This was the dramatic and elegant co-ordinating and contrasting outfit I admired at an evening meeting training speakers. This oufit was worn by a member of a Toastmasters International club whilst giving a speech in her role as Area Director. It gives her the air of being in control, authoritative, yet warm and friendly. 

Open Gestures

Her open-ness is emphasized by her open hand gestures. The gestures are also eye-catching. 

Co-ordinating Blouse & Skirt

The black stripes of the blouse co-ordinate with the black skirt. Black and white stripes are jollier than plain black. Plain white might stain easily if cotton. I worry about whether black will run into the white when washing, especially with cotton, but black and white in synthetic fabrics is usually safe.

The Warmth of Orange

The orange jacket adds warmth and softens the black. The light white alleviates the dark black. The open neck adds a casual note to what is otherwise a formal effect. 

The contrast of black and orange works well. I shall remember that. I often wonder what I can do to alleviate the sombre effect of a black and white blouse. Add a warm colour jacket such as orange or red. I wear a lot of red. But I am increasingly turning to orange for a change. Orange is softer than red.

The blouse came from Primark. Primark is a popular, inexpensive store. 

The jacket, however, came from a lesser known Italian shop in Oxford Street. She wanted me to feel the softness of the jacket fabric.

So what have we learned? To sum up, go back to Primark, not only for the prices. Look for an Italian shop in Oxford Street when in central London. Add an orange jacket to brighten a blouse. 

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