Perhaps my addiction to color can all be explained by the few years I spent living in Hawaii. I know people born and raised in New York city who consider it part of their cultural heritage to wear black. Personally, I can't wear head-to-toe black...it unnerves me when I force myself to attempt it and I have to consciously decide to wear black. Unconsciously, I reach for colors in tones both neon and jewel.
When you walk through the Stadium Swapmeet with its plethora of brightly decorated stalls, or even just stroll along a beach of brilliant blue sky and turquoise water, an affection for color makes sense. It's all around you and almost overwhelming in its intensity. Every time I leave Hawaii and return to the mainland, I feel as if I have gone color blind from all the vivid, visual overload that is Oahu. So, for now my addiction to color persists.
Outfit 1 details: dress- Bows and Bandits vintage, bag- Modcloth, shoes- Urban Outfitters, necklace- Anirtak, ring- Stadium SwapmeetOutfit 2 details: dress- Forever 21, shoes- Saltwater Sandals, necklace- Yellowstone National Park gift shop, ring- the Stadium Swapmeet
i know what you mean...literally up until a few years ago I did not own anything black and I'm always attracted to bright/bold/prints but recently I've started loving black, especially head to toe. I guess I go from one extreme to the next haha but still colors always beat black for me.
ReplyDeletelove all the pics so pretty.
Sun! Warmth! Colour! What I would give for some of this now. Typical dark, grey and wet Christmas here in England :o)
ReplyDeleteI find it almost impossible to wear black as I think I've said before. It comes from over-wearing for a spell in my teens. Now if I do wear black I have to team it with something extra bright.
I love that red bag, I'm very much in need of bags. I tend to use the same one until it falls apart (which has literally just happened). And that second dress is gorgeous with your hair colour. I'm yet to experience Forever 21!
I want to visit Hawaii!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, I too cannot wear head to toe black! It's just too much for me...I have to wear lots of color! I really love your green dress!
ReplyDeletei am going on a cruise to hawaii next december and this post made me super duper excited about it!
ReplyDeletehow could your week not start well when you're on hawaii? :D
ReplyDeleteyou're making me SO jealous!
Hawaii looks so wonderful...and so warm. Haha, sorry I am really focused on warmth right now, my heat is broken and it has been around 45 Degrees or less in my room for the past few days :(
ReplyDeleteBeing a Kiwi girl means it's in the blood to wear head-to-toe black. It's pretty much a cultural thing.
ReplyDeleteWearing colour is the hard part!
Perhaps I too need to hang in Hawaii to help colour-fy my outfits and not feel like I'm sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb? Swap country's anyone?
PS The first dress is a cutie...
Yay!! We're on the same island!! I'm so glad that there hasn't been any rain for a while and it's been hot, hot, hot here! Glad you're enjoying your stay here! xoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteaww you must be having the most wonderful time there! you look lovely! and i think what you said about color makes perfect sense. sometimes i think living in a more Northern metropolis (i'm not in NYC, but Montreal is like a miniature version of it) makes people feel more morbid and earthy in the colors we wear, but I can imagine being surrounded by beautiful beaches and sunlight would isnpire me to wear way more color!
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty dresses!! Enjoy your gorgeous vacation!!
ReplyDeleteHawaii is awesome... I do love all the color there. But black is so classy, I just can't stop wearing it. And it looks awesome with my hair.
ReplyDeleteI love your sunnies! and I cannot wear head to toe black either! my mom dresses that way so I tend to wear too much color as rebellion haha
ReplyDeleteI know that you are in a warm, tropical paradise, but I am getting the shivers just looking at your bare arms. I have to go put on my parka now.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm very bitter about being in grey old New York.
ReplyDeletei love hawaii so much...i haven't been in ages and miss it horribly!
ReplyDeleteit looks amazing. I wanted to move to hawaii a few years ago but did not. But I would love to visit it, at least :)
ReplyDeleteRegards
Nathalie
those saltwater sandals are great! and im the same when it comes to colour - i always seem to dress like a rainbow as opposed to a city banker!
ReplyDeleteall of these photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeletehttp://thedollhouse0101.blogspot.com/
You look so cute in that green dress!
ReplyDeletegirlie, i just love your blog, find it so inspiring! missed your past few posts and have just read up on them all! Im so jealous!! I wanna be in hawaii!
ReplyDeletemagpie-girl.blogspot.com xx
Oh this makes me want to go on vacation right this minute! Such pretty pictures and dresses with NO TIGHTS! As much as I love them, I wouldn't mind going without for just a little while.
ReplyDeletei love all these bright colorful photos!
ReplyDeleteYou look lovely as always! I love the dresses. It must be pretty warm outside!
ReplyDelete:3
WOW. One lovely lovely post!
ReplyDeleteAwh! It must be lovely! I love the picture with the lion statue! ;)
ReplyDelete-Coco from Our Paper Moon
Lovely pictures! :) I wish I could visit Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteI like wearing black, but I usually like throwing in some sort of bright color, even if it's just a small accessory or something. Sometimes too much black makes me feel a little boring.
I love both your dresses. The first one reminds me of a dress I have.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about colours. I do enjoy wearing all black sometimes, but I like working in some sort of colour, even if it's a simply piece of jewelry. I like walking down the street when I wear bright clothing. It makes them stare and they give me weird looks, but I think thats part of the charm.
never never all black! I love all your pretty pictures. Makes me want to go back to Hawaii so much!
ReplyDeleteyou look like a european tourist in the first dress. cute!
ReplyDeletetogandtrappings.blogspot.com
I'm the exact opposite of you. I tend to stick mostly to blacks and dark jewel tones. Bright colors intimidate me. You're pictures are beautiful. Here its all gray skies and rain so this brought some sunshine.
ReplyDelete♥ Stolen Stiletto
oh, to wear just a dress and sandals again :o)
ReplyDeleteOh I love your green dress!! And this photo of you waiting at a table is so cute (the last one)!! *3*
ReplyDeleteKisses from Paris, thanks for the sun and the flowers, it make me dream here!! ^^
Pandore
It looks gorgeous, great colorful shots. Black is so boring (for me), I can't do it!
ReplyDeleteI loooooove the first dress!!
ReplyDeleteYou look stunning!
everything you wear always looks so sweet and feminine! i'm so jealous of your style.
ReplyDeleteps- i added you to my blogroll, i don't know if thats creepy but i just got tired of google-ing you, and i thougt you should know:)
Wow, so beautiful! I inherited the black wearing from my mother, that and an affection for red are the only style similarities we have.
ReplyDeleteHawaii seems so colorful and beautiful !! And really sunny too.
ReplyDeleteLove love the colorful flowers and I love the dresses you wore.
The 2nd one is my favorite with those nude like flats. And did you go pick all those shells?
I love black,but I'm trying to really add a lot more colors to my wardrobe
Love the outfit 2 dress the pattern is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my giveaway
http://daisymay-dayz.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-first-giveaway.html#comments
The third picture in particular is incredibly beautiful - the colors are so rich!
ReplyDeletei went to the stadium swapmeet when i was in hawaii too!
ReplyDeleteLike the pattern on the skirt. It is really nice!
ReplyDeleteI love your embroidered dress and I'm always happy to see your lovely vibrant outfits. I always end up with too much black and then feeling drab as anything.
ReplyDeleteAlso yesterday I found a tripod under my parents bed and I went out immediately into the woods behind my house to use it (even though it's a pretty wonky tripod) and I immediately thought of you and all of your beautiful woodsy photos that you take yourself!!
xo Jenny
Your dresses are too sweet!
ReplyDeleteI love the images!! Your dress is too cute!
ReplyDeleteYou always look absolutely amazing! Gosh, you're so broooootifrullll<3
ReplyDeleteawww. im so jealous. im sure hawaii is beautiful!! glad you had fun.
ReplyDeleteLucky you ! This photos reminds me of summer even tought if I look on my window all I can see is white snow and grey sky.
ReplyDeleteand I love your outfit / outfits. Have fun !
so jealous!! love the clubmasters =) have fun!
ReplyDeleteYou are the queen of girly dresses! I love how wonderful you look in them!
ReplyDeletecolormenana.blogspot.com
gorgeous pictures, love all the colours!!
ReplyDeleteI too can't bring myself to wear black from top to toe!
Lovely pictures! it remind me of Bali a bit, with all it's tropical colours :)
ReplyDeleteyou look !so peaceful in these pictures and like you are having so much fun. the dresses are too cute i love love love them!!
ReplyDeletehttp://girlintheloft.blogspot.com
Oh! What a pretty place, and what pretty dresses! I long to travel, but, unfortunately, I've been unable as of yet. I hope you have a great rest of your trip!
ReplyDelete~ Katie
I love that photo with the colored flowers and golden rings.
ReplyDeleteStunning!
X, fashionnerdic
Amazing photos, love the colours! You look so beautiful in the first dress, contrasting it with the red bag and shoes!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely pictures !
ReplyDeleteso colorful! it looks exotic...I like it
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to visit Hawaii, you're photos look so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite of you -- I never used to wear color, until one day I looked at my closet and nearly died from boredom. Also, owning all black things meant that once I misplaced an item, I'd never see it again.
ReplyDeleteI love your dirndl! I have a couple, and they are so comfortable and fun to wear!
the renegade bean
Wonderful, vibrant photos! It's always so interesting how surroundings affect fashion.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are so pretty and bright,they are totally making my jealous and making long for some sun! Hope your having an awesome trip!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful - your outfit and the scenery!
ReplyDeleteI love it that you're wearing a dirndl dress in Hawaii! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so in love with the blue dress :).
ReplyDeleteVery cute dresses!
ReplyDeleteand lovely blog!
love the scenery!!
ReplyDeletegreat embroidered dress!
i need a vacation! lol
Agreed. Washington is truly an evergreen state, but it's a different kind of green from Hawaii, whose hues are more sun-kissed. I like walking through the farmer's market in Hilo on Big Island and seeing all the brightly colored fruits and vegetables grown from people's yards. I miss the smell of the salt air and the plumeria in the warm breeze.
ReplyDeletepretty pictures and what a pretty dress you have! ^^
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures! You're a stunner. x
ReplyDeleteI am so in love with that second dress, you look so pretty in it!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos with the sun shining down!!
ReplyDeleteAdore both your little floral dresses.
I must travel to Hawaii someday.
lululetty.blogspot.com
I've always wanted to experience the visual stimulation that comes with visiting tropical locations. The intensity of it all must be wonderful beyond words :)
ReplyDeleteLook at those pretty hibiscus!
You look perfect in Hawaii's settings. I so want to visit someday! I'm so jealous!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are gorgeous. I hope you're having an amazing time! :)
ReplyDeleteI really adore the blue dress. ;]
ReplyDelete