I am wearing fall colors today. A screen-printed T-shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, printed in a mad pattern composed of paisley and floral. The colors rise up the body of the shirt, from a deep, night-time purple, through rust and glowing orange, to a muted green the color of not-yet-changed foliage.
To complete the autumnal theme, I am wearing my favorite, very well worn, black velveteen jeans.
The shirt looked out of the closet this morning and said, “Wear me!” Since we had gotten up late and I was in a hurry, I was only too willing to do something easy.
The shirt fits nicely – it skims the body, defining my general shape without clinging to any specific body parts. The overall effect is trim. Beads and sequins surround the neckline (except for a few pecked off by my parrot), and the embellishment is completed by some faux gold coins.
But what makes my heart swell over this otherwise simplest of outfits? Why, the colors, of course. The shirt captures every shade of autumn, my favorite time of year. The colors speak of leaves changing, nights growing longer, candles and warm fires. They whisper to me of Halloween, of ancient Samhain, of the death of the old year and the dark beginnings of the new.
Yes, that’s a lot to get out of a shirt. But the meanings and lore of color is embedded deep in our psyche, and we react with emotions we barely understand. Yes, these colors suit my hair and complexion. But more than that, they fill my heart.
Oh, yeah, and I’m wearing pewter loafers.
No, that isn't cursing and swearing up at the top. It's just some HTML I didn't edit out (or something like that). I'm still learning.
ReplyDelete"Death of the old year and dark beginnings of the new"....love that. You write well...I could still picture your outfit, even without the photo!
ReplyDeleteI love autumn...but HATE the season that comes after. Yikes.