Monday 14 November 2011

The Confidence Rive Gauche Provides

When it comes to Blue and Black, a certain iconic design comes to my mind: Rive Gauche by YSL. Back in the late 1970's the perfume bottle had a fixed place on my mother's dressing table. Her hair was black and glossy, the floor-length chiffone gowns lifted like sails, when she moved. I can't remember the scent, but the design intrigued me. And it still does.

YSL took a quite bold move back then, when he combined black and blue. Actually so very bold, it provides me with plenty of confidence today – not only to combine black and blue but also to pick hotpants. On a not-casual-friday but foggy, overcast monday.

Maybe you grew up in a region, where black/blue was considered as normal as beige/blue or black/white. Not around here!

Some say blue and black is a no-no. Others say hotpants past 30 are a no-no.
This is the ring I am wearing.
The tights are Wolford Velvet de Luxe 66
My legs actually have the same circumference.
The webcame prefers to take them out of proportion as soon as I take a step.

Two colleagues recognized my blue hotpants (H&M SS 2009). I could be their mother. They have the shorts sitting in their closet. A few weeks ago I overheard an elderly couple talking pejoratively about what they saw in the Tommy Hilfiger shop windows: mannequins wearing hotpants and opaque tights. Very much to my surprise, this combo not only works for teenagers but also for their mothers and other women around 40, even better when combined it with a fluffy, hooded duvet-vest.

Have fun!

EDIT:
Patti from Not Dead Yet Style hosts the Visible Monday-project.
Luckily, my Rive Gauche-moment happened on a Monday, so I joined them!

7 comments:

  1. Your blue and black combo is very striking and sophisticated! And if you have the legs for the shorts (and you certainly do!), why not?

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  2. Great mix ( an dlegs) and what iconic inspiration! I had forgotten about that scent, I loved it when I was at school.

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  3. Black and navy was usually frowned upon and black/brown, beige/gray as well.
    This sort of electric blue became very popular paired with black a few years ago. Shorts in the winter have always been reserved for artists or quirky people. a shame really, because I find the sort of outfit you're wearing the epitome of refinement.

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  4. If you can pull off hot pans (and it sure looks like you can!) I say, wear them with pride! ;) Black/blue combo - one of my favorites.

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  5. I agree with coffeeaddict, your outfit is elegant.

    And I love blue and black.

    By the way, your ring is gorgeous! It reminds me of my new engagement ring :).

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  6. I would like to see the shoes... black I guess...

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  7. déjà pseu, thank you! Today the temperature went below 0°C, unfortunately no shorts for me today!

    Tabitha, I would love to read about your icons, the small and silent ones, like a perfume bottle.

    coffeeaddict, one can tell, we grew up under the same social/cultural influences. Thank you for your compliment. I enjoyed the whole outfit a lot! Had a fun monday with it.

    Mrs.Stranded, after a freezing run the evening before (not in shorts!), those brave legs earned their appearance.

    sparrowsandsparkle, thank you! I "see" you in this outfit, too!

    Susan, I had no idea how many people like the black/blue combination. The ring was a gift from my sister two years ago, it became a "project". Having lost too many rings before, I swore if I still own the ring after 12 months, I allow myself to buy myself a precious ring. It worked!

    metaltiger, you know me! black, flat. Even when this disturbes the picture some might have drawn, but the shoes where actual sneakers! I was walking on soft-footed paws. :-)

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