Fashionable Colors

color theory and conspicuous consumption

The End of an Era

Upon hearing the news that Neiman Marcus is closing its downtown location, I grew nostalgic. I have not been inside one of their stores in ages. As a child, I remember dressing up in Sunday clothes (scratchy crinoline included) to go to NM with my mom and sisters. Not too often, but enough to absorb the elegant classiness. We had lunch in the Zodiac Room where we would watch a small fashion show.

I don’t have a photo of us, parading in our fine clothes down Main Street, but here is snapshot of my glamorous mama and my baby sister, Ann.

My mom tended to look at NM and shop at Sanger Harris, but in both places, she made note of the fabric and the cut of the newest looks so we could go home and sew them for ourselves. We giggled at some of the outlandish looks, and made note of the new colors assigned to the up-coming season by the Fashion boys. If they said, Yellow, we all lined up for yellow dresses. This was before the “Personal Color Analysis” ¹movement in fashion.

Summer or Winter

The concept behind “What is your season?” is related to color theory and the effects perceived temperatures of colors have on someone’s appearance. Warm skin tones? Wear cool colors. Joseph Albers² championed Color Theory in his paintings and taught this subject to generations of artists. our eyes respond to the interaction between the perceived temperature and value of the colors.

Fortnight at NM

Every year, we would attend Fortnight.³ NM Fortnight always had a theme, usually geographic, and they would decorate every inch of the store to match. In 1984, the theme was British with a focus on plaids and tartans.

Someone had set up a huge loom with flying shuttles and commissioned the Dallas Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild to provide volunteers to operate the loom through out the two weeks. I was thrilled to qualify for a couple of hours and wove with pleasure. Because it was in a major concourse, I had ample opportunity to talk with folks about weaving, tartans, flying shuttles and more.

Time for Slow Fashion

I rarely shop in department stores now, thrift stores and online shopping are where I get clothes and things for the household. I imagine the same is true for most of us. But, it is fun to get all dressed up and take my daughter or meet my sisters for a peek and what the fashion world is thinking about. Now-a-days, we go to the Mall because parking is less complicated, but I am sorry to think of the old NM becoming apartments or a hotel. It is a lovely building.

There is a lot of talk about ending fast fashion and the abuse it inflicts not only on our nature resources but also on the people who are caught up in the grueling factory work that keeps it going. I have made it a point to read up on a source before purchasing from them.

I like to think that having limited experience with sewing as well as weaving and spinning, helps me assess the real value of an object. I gravitate towards things that are made, not in crowded, unsafe factories but in a community or cooperative way.

It is also important to keep our clothes out of the landfills. Often, donated clothes join the terrible stream of fabric that is flowing to poor countries. By mending, repurposing and shopping for longevity (fashion not fad), we can contribute to making the world a better place. Slow Fashion is a small, but growing, movement!

Epilogue

Speaking of stores closing, the corporate shake down of Joann’s Fabric Store is complete. But, we can turn our sad fabric eyes towards our local Quilt Shops, of which there seem to be quite a few, for notions and tools. Another place to find sewing notions is the thrift stores. Oil and Cotton is frequently the recipient of donations. More often than not, the bags and boxes contain spools of thread and fabric. Check with me if you are looking for a specific color of thread, we probably have it! ⁴

1. Here is a good summary of the PCA Theory.

2. Here is a link to more info about Joseph Albers. Anni is better known now, but they both had a big impact on Modern Art in the USA.

3. Before Fortnight was used for a video game, it was a useful word, taken from Old English, meaning 14 days.

4. I hosted the Dallas Handweavers and Spinners Guild on February 28th for Spin-in. We had a great turn out! Lots of teaching and sharing of knowledge.Two people, Linda Fleming and my guest, Evelyn Dewitt, asked me about buying a spool of thread from the studio. I was quick to comply!