Colorful Clothes Are In—Yup, Color is the New Black

Colorful clothes? Who needs ’em. As a New Yorker for decades, my closet’s color chart has been on the dark side over the years. As in black. Black. And more black. And, really, what’s so wrong with that? As my friend Barb always says, it makes you look thin, hides dirt and goes with everything. And might I add, no one can tell if you’re wearing the same thing for two (or more) days in a row.

But still I have to say there’s something distinctly fabulous about color. Research shows that wearing color, especially bright colors, can improve your mood and lower stress levels. So we give props to one Scandinavian designer who is at the ready to help us in that department—Gudrun Sjödén. This Swedish national treasure started as a textile artist and now enjoys global recognition, as well as a flagship boutique in NYC’s SoHo shopping district stocked with beautiful colorful clothes with bright hues and mixes of stripes, polka dots, florals and more.

More than just happy colors and kicky patterns, though, are important at Gudrun. Known for being “Colorful with a Green Soul,” this designer is serious about being kind to the environment, giving back to the planet and spreading that news. She bases her collections on eco-cotton, ethical sourcing, environmentally friendly dressing and colorful crafting.

See? Colorful clothes. Now that’s bright.

–Kimberly Cihlar