all black

Growing up and going shopping, my mom always tried to convince me to get another color other than black. No, I did not go through a gothic phase (just had to put that out there). The perennial question was 'do you really need another black dress?' That is like someone asking me if I really need another pair of shoes or if I like chocolate? Rhetorical questions. I guess I've just been a New Yorker from the very start. Known for our culture of wearing black, what better way of life could there be?

**No one does all black better than Emmanuelle.

One of my roommates introduced me to Samantha's website. A seasoned matchmaker in New York, Samantha answers question for us women who are struggling to understand the dating scene of this crazy city. One interesting fact that she brought up was that males respond better to women in color because they think  they look happier. All black can make them appear bitchy and/or not as much fun. She also mentions that they tend to like the color red.

Flash forward to the weekend. I decide to take Samantha up on her advice and wear the only red top I own out on the town for a friend's bday.  What better occasion to go peacocking? Of course come the night of, I text my friend tell her I look like a disco ball, and switch to a dark green top (baby steps! - with black leather pants, duh). For some reason I just don't like wearing very bright colors. The one time I wore a bright blue shirt to my office I felt like I was impersonating a smurf all day and have yet to wear it again.

I asked a male friend to weigh in on Samantha's opinion of women in black and the color red. His response:

'I notice girls faces more than what they are wearing. And the cuts of clothes way more than the color of the clothes. Men are more likely to approach women who are cute and look like they're having fun or happy, not sure the color of clothing matters.'

Not too much help there although he mentions approaching women who look 'fun or happy'. Hmm...maybe I should cut down on the death stares at bars (a topic for another day). I want to also point out that he lives in Texas and probably does not fully understand the 'all black' concept that is prevalent here in NYC. At the same time, he lives in Texas, so has got to keep up a good reputation in case he comes to visit and wants to be able to hit on all of my friends. 

What are your thoughts on all black or do you wear a lot of color?

Emmanuelle smiles, Emmanuelle, book, catwalk, girl, dog, quote, heels