Photo: Roopal Patel Instagram
It’s been called a non-color (see renowned creative consultant’s new book: Beige Is Not a Color: The Full-Spectrum World of Carlos Mota). It’s been maligned as a pejorative term synonymous with bland, boring and non-descript. Those who feature it in their home or wear it on the street are often denounced as uncreative, unimaginative and uninspired.
Although it’s been given “fun” designer names like sand, tan, fawn, buff, biscuit, ecru, or buckwheat; basically its beige. Can beige be beautiful?
Photo: Roopal Instagram
Judging by the selection of a particular utilitarian 3.1 Phillip Lim jumpsuit on not one, but two of our hometown fashion trendsetters namely Bergdorf’s Linda Fargo and Sak’s Roopal Patel at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, I’d have to say beige is back with a bang.
On their other recent I.G. posts, you’ll see Patel in new designer Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta’s camel colored suit (#TheNewNeutrals) while Fargo credits the flattering Parisian light for enhancing the hue of her wrap top and trousers (Johanna Ortiz and Monse Maison) in shades of caramel.
Shockingly, as one of the biggest proponents of color, I never thought I’d be caught dead seeking out the Sominex of shades (the Ambien of auras?), but here I was ordering this cropped cargo jumpsuit in Adobe. Since the mass push of our corporate overlords to be loud and proud for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, there’s nary a store window left undecorated in rainbow flag colors. Buh-bye June bride – now it’s all about pride.
I used to love the colors of the spectrum, but now if I see one more rainbow anything, I will pull out my indigo tinted hair. Complete color saturation has undeniably been achieved in a month in which NYC hosted the newly revamped, pride exhibiting Tonys, the CFDA and Susanne Bartsch Love Ball III, and of course, what promises to be the ultimate spectacle: tomorrow’s World Pride Parade.
My eyes bulge like a stomach after a feast with the overconsumption of brightly colored “dessert” offerings, now it’s time for a calming desert-hued visual palette cleanse.
Recently model Irina Shayk was feeling the lure of monochromatic uniform dressing emerging from her L.A. home post-breakup from “Gaga-Goo-Goo eyed” Bradley Cooper. The suitcase in tow may indicate that she was en route to Florence where she modeled some fierce black leather ensembles at the C.R. Runway x LuisaViaRoma 90th Anniversary Show, but here she’s comfy chic in Burberry coveralls.
Since showing skin is what Kim Kardashian West is best known for, it makes perfect sense that she just introduced a line of nude colored shapewear called Kimono Solutionwear. Somehow she has found time while using her high profile to free criminals to also free a leg from her firming thigh shapers, the better to wear with all your high slit leg gowns.
As Chrissy Teigen exclaimed, “Now I won’t have to cut the leg off of my Spanx.” I’m sure we’ll all sleep better, knowing that the problem is solved!
As is the case with nearly everything these days, KKW rolled out her product to Twitter call-outs (#KimOhNO) due to (everyone say it with me) “Cultural Appropriation.” Never mind the fact that the line has literally nothing to do with the ceremonial Japanese robe and everything to do with trademarking a product containing her moniker (see Kimoji).
Kim shared that Kanye had a hand in the design of the product’s logo. Hmmm, just sayin’ it’s entirely possible that he may have been here for more than just the logo — the inclusively sized garments share more than a passing resemblance to Yeezy Season 1 (aka The Emperor’s New Clothes debacle) if you can remember back to the first iteration of his (widely panned) NYFW show.
Also, a throwback to early May — Kim’s Met Gala Thierry Mugler dress, while dripping in crystals, had a nude beige look which I thought was strange at the time. Who wears beige to the Met Gala even if its Thierry Mugler?
No doubt, once I’ve regrouped, I’ll revisit the full spectrum of vivid color which encompasses 99% of my closet. But for now, I’m somewhat over the rainbow. That’s where you’ll find me.
