Warning—this blog is purely superficial. In a world filled with bad news, here's a whimsical
discussion about the power of a red dress.
Forget about the “Little Black Dress." Try a red dress and watch what happens. When female news commentators
wear red, they seem smarter, more believable.
Energetic. Their skin tone pops with vitality. Apparently I’m not the only rougeophile. I did a Google search and found 224 songs with "Red" in the title. Not all dresses—that would be a . . .lot . . .of . . dress songs.
My infatuation started a night in the early 70s when I watched Bobbie Gentry in an "NBC Special", singing “’Fancy”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfoK5Ap0FA Loved that song. She strutted her stuff
across the stage in a skintight dress cut clear up to her hips. One strut and she
had me hooked on the power of red. Then there is Chris De Burgh, “Lady in
Red” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC1C4g8YOA4
Color Me Beautiful claims
that everyone can wear red, if they choose the right base tone. Cherry, strawberry, reds with blue tones, reds with orange
tones—there is a shade for everyone. For me it’s cherry. Back in the day, I had a red knit maternity
dress and it made me feel gorgeous without my realizing that I looked like a peeled
watermelon.
So yesterday I pulled out my favorite red dress. It’s 15
years old. I keep it around because we have history together. In 2001, I went
down to Zihuantanejo in late April. It was raining when I left home so I packed
polyester—specifically, black polyester. I walked to the front of the plane,
first in line. A stewardess opened the exit door and heat and
humidity hit me like a dodgeball kick to the chest. By the time I made it to my
writer’s retreat house I was sweating like a proverbial porkchop. What was a
girl to do? I went shopping. Bought a red cotton dress and a straw hat with a
long yellow scarf. The dress was loose, unstructured cotton that bled onto everything
it touched, but that’s another story. Love that dress. Wear it with a concho
belt. Wear it with heels or barefoot. One of those dresses that makes my skin
tone pop.
So yesterday I wore it to town. And I made an observation. People
talked to me. But why? Was it because I was more approachable? Or were people
responding because I looked interesting and vital? At church, people smiled and introduced themselves. At the
grocery store, a 99-year-old man started telling me that he’d already outlived his wife and kids. Pretty
soon he was telling me about his big house on the river and the amount he pays
in property taxes (a whole lot) while his hands shook with palsy. He said he
hasn’t been dangerous for the last 20 years. I couldn’t be sure, but I think he
was hitting on me!
Then a guy younger than me asked if I had a recipe for cole
slaw dressing. He chatted while we searched for bottled slaw dressing. After a long minute I suggested he wing it—mayonnaise, sugar and lemon.
The grocery checker pulled out a prized “friends and family”
coupon good for 20% off everything in the store. A homeless guy outside wanted
to help unload my groceries. Thanks, but I have it. Have a nice day. Here, have an apple.
So was it me or was it the red dress? Hard to tell. My advice—try it. Next time you wear red, do your own research.
Lady. . .in. . .reeeed.
