Color me GOLD
Monogold is another attempt at building a capsule collection around a color story: gold.
Ochre, saffron, umber, and gold is a palette that has been finding its way into my wardrobe since 2016, when I bought a vintage bowler’s hat in Rome from an elder at a boutique hat shop that had me feeling like I was transported back into the early 20th century. Previously, the only yellow, and even brown, in my wardrobe was that of a Louis Vuitton portfolio case (my first designer purchase in 2003, seen here), a couple of pairs of western riding boots, and another Louis Vuitton, small purse-on-chain that I would eventually sell because I stopped wearing it beyond my 20s.
Within the past couple of years, however, I have picked up a few brown dresses, ochre jeans, an ochre coat, golden sweaters, and patterned pieces with gold as the dominant color of the palette. I have even been investing in more brass jewelry when, for nearly all of my 20s and 30s, I was hooked on silver. My tastes have changed as I have evolved internally.
As the color story for this wardrobe collection developed, I started dreaming about my time in Italy. From 2009 - 2016, I spent 4+ weeks each fall primarily traveling throughout Italy and venturing into other nearby countries Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Monaco. The memories that remain most vivid are the ones when I was in nature…biking through a vineyard, spending time on the beach, hiking, gathering herbs, figs, and flora from the rented properties to name a few. Spending time in nature has always been a necessary part of my life’s journey. And of all the restaurants I can remember eating at around the world, it’s the ones with nature inspired decor and plates that I most remember.
In my early 30s, I was blessed to plant my feet into the ground of the red and orange sands in Moab, Utah (land of the Ute, Navajo, and Paiute) for several months where I would experience a great healing. I always say the canyons carried my pain when I could not. The colors are spectacular in every season, and the rich jeweltone bands of sun and stone have impressed on my spirit forever.
A capsule wardrobe in any of the colors from Nature’s palette will be timeless and seasonless. And yes, you can wear butter yellow in the winter. You can wear cornflower blue in the fall. You can wear marigold in the spring. Lastly, I encourage you to experiment with colors beyond the more muted, and much more marketed, powdery palettes of sage, forest green, stone, and light pink. May your capsule be inspired by the palette of bold and rich life experiences.
