If the fact that an occasional red or cream-colored jacket is rare consider this: Stepping off the Paris subway just a couple of weeks ago, I overheard a conversation between two American tourists.
"Incredible," said one, "All these black coats- everyone looks like Darth Vader from Star Wars!"
"Yes," agreed her friend, "They're all wearing the same coat!"
(Sigh) I thought about the black coat I almost bought a couple of weeks ago. As part of the new Spring collection, the designer had named the coat "Cruella". Black, bordering on Gothic Vamp has long been my signature look and this coat lived up to its name. But this time I did an about face. I decided that buying the coat, however flattering and stylish, would somehow take away from my individuality rather than enhance it. So I chose a reversible windbreaker which can be worn as either black or ecru, like having 2 jackets in one.
Black was once the rebel's choice. The antihero of films of every genre wore black and we knew right away that he or she was dangerous. Today, it seems that wearing black is just another way of conforming and I'm disappointed. Even the over-50 crowd is wearing black. Case in point, I recently saw a man who must be someone's grandfather wearing black leather pants and a matching motorcycle jacket. Maybe everyone wants to look dangerous.
I asked a French friend of mine why everyone dressed in black. She offered up the expected Parisian response: because wearing colors makes us look fat; people want to look thin.
We know that black is slimming. We may even admit that Parisians have a collective fear of obesity. Most will agree that summer fashion almost always means exposing certain imperfections that we've hidden so well during the winter months. Could that be the reason why it's so hard to part with those long, dark coats?
Fashion forecasts call for candy colors mixed with a back-to-basics, "nouvelle innocence": White ruffled 60s style smock tops and long jean skirts topped with sequined handbags and bright accessories to remind you of a childhood visit to the candy store. And that's exactly what we're seeing in stores right now, even if we're not yet seeing it on the streets.
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