Why I fell out of love with colour, but now my passion is greater than ever

Colour is beautiful, every time I see a brightly coloured blouse in a shop, I am like a moth to a flame – I must touch it, maybe in the hope the vibrancy of the garment can transfer into me like osmosis. However, until recently, that top that I admired so greatly, may have remained firmly on the hanger and not in my basket.

I am not 100% sure when I stopped wearing as much colour, but it was probably when I went to work for a big corporation, where navy suits and black trousers were practically the uniform. I was a single ‘girl’ in her twenties, everybody under-estimated me and being patronised was the norm. The last thing I wanted to do was waltz in with a hot pink skirt or a lime green jacket. No, I wanted to be taken ‘seriously’ and seriously meant not to standing out.

During that time, I began to see colour as immature, ditzy even brash (ridiculous but true). This carried on throughout my thirties too. I have a bad habit of wanting to fit in, sometimes this can be a useful skill, but it can hold you back from knowing yourself, from understanding who you are and what makes you, you. Although I would occasionally let playful Loz have her way, by buying a bright yellow coat, or a pink dress, I would ration these bright moments for nights out, or bolder more confident days. The thought of trotting across the playground in a vibrant green blouse would be a complete no-no. Can you imagine? People, looking at me? What would they think? “Who does she think she is?” “Wow, where does she think she’s going? The disco?” “Blimey bit much! What an attention seeker”.

Then as I began a new career as a stylist, I re-evaluated whether my personal style was a true reflection of who I was and how I felt inside – and although I loved my eclectic, if a little casual style, there was something off-kilter. It was only when I began training to be a colour consultant, a light bulb went off in head. I LOVE colour. I have always loved colour. It was obvious. I chose a bright yellow sofa for our home, I had bright blue bridesmaid dress, I had handbags in every colour of the rainbow. I had been holding back on colour in my wardrobe, purely because of fear. The fear of what other people would think.

But now, with all the knowledge I’ve built-up about styling and colour psychology, with a re-ignited passion for fashion, I was on a trajectory that meant ignoring this new passion would mean denying myself the enjoyment and confidence that comes with wearing colour. And the best bit now was that I was fueled with the knowledge of which colours to suited me, the best ways to wear them and which colours can help me feel more confident, grounded or more secure when I need them too.

The power of colour goes way deeper than clothing, it is all around us, and it has the ability to change how we feel about the world we live in and we walk within it. Do not let being bright be a barrier. Enjoy colour, enjoy getting dressed.

Why playing dress up distracts me from my inner demons