The Post Valentine's Day Greens

Have we had enough red and pink hearts, everyone?

Today I feel immersed in all things green. I shall explain.

It all started the other day when I received my L.L. Bean fleece jacket in the mail. This was my first Bean item ever, and I was very excited to receive it. (How fun is it to open a UPS package for oneself? I can definitely see the addiction possibilities!) Unfortunately, the green shown on the internet -- a soft, muted, camo green -- was in reality a bright pea green variety. Yikes! When my eyes cooled off from the color overload, I started thinking deeply about green.

Green means a lot of things these days. We are concerned more than ever about the future of our environment, and are inundated with "Go Green" slogans everywhere. Next month is St. Patty's day, too, and having an elementary school child, I know how many clovers and leprechauns are coming home in the next few weeks! (Frankly, I can't wait for green bagels and cream cheese.) We can be "green with envy," have a "green thumb," and our beloved currency is green. We are told from a nutritional standpoint that we need to eat healthy "greens."

Back to my jacket. The first thing I did after the initial shock was try it on. Nice fit. Soft and warm, too. I ordered it to wear on my morning walks and as a mid-weight alternative to frumpy sweatshirts and such. A funny thing happened, though, as I looked at myself in the mirror: I felt happy! Even my husband, who is not a fan of bright colors on me, said he liked it. Okay, what is going on here?

I think I have been indoctrinated in neutrals. My first suit out of college was navy blue. Yes, I had matching navy blue pumps and a black briefcase. Ugh! This was my power suit as I pounded the New York City pavement searching for my first job out of college. When I did start working in the wonderful world of advertising, my closet slowly filled up with gray, beige and black suits. C'mon, what woman isn't told to own at least one or two pair of sensible black pumps? I have also read books and countless articles about how French women are chic because they have small wardrobes of NEUTRAL clothes that they mix and match. Bright colors are for accents only! Do I dare to be unchic? Will I be a pea green freak?

After some deliberation, I took the plunge, or I should say, cut the tags, and decided to keep the jacket. What the heck! The next morning I wore it to my daughter's drop off at school. Right away, I noticed that I matched the green grass and felt a little spring in my step. I also noticed that everyone around me was wearing neutrals. Grays, browns, whites, blacks abounded...nary a bright in sight. Several moms stopped me and said how much they loved the color, as it reminded them of spring. Yes, that was my light bulb moment: I realized that this jacket was my rebellion to winter!

I remember now that when I lived in New York I bought a red winter coat with big red buttons. We're talking tomato red, here. New Yorkers in the career obsessed 1980s were all wearing neutrals (and snorting cocaine, but that's another story). On a blistery, gray day in winter, however, that red coat always kept me toasty and cheered me up as I trudged along Madison Avenue knee deep in snow and sleet. So perhaps history repeats itself, and I need a boost to get me through the darkest season. Consider color a shot of adrenaline. Indeed, I think I could definitely become a bold color convert.