Miami’s nonexistent snow and
general lack of cold weather hinders our use of winter apparel. With the holidays now behind us, it’s time to
put away those Bill Cosby inspired “ugly” sweaters. Winter doesn’t end until March 19th,
so how can you enjoy the season without asphyxiating in a turtleneck? Color.
The answer came to me while watching FX’s “American Horror Story:
Coven.”
“Change your clothes. Wear something black,” Fiona Goode told
me. I realized a dark color palette would
keep the winter spirit without causing me to melt like the Wicked Witch of the
West.
People dodge black outfits for fear
of looking like a tombstone tourist; however, black can look sleek, slimming
and edgy.
The key is to accessorize by
integrating your different tastes. Ivanna
Gamez, third year biology major, says, “I don’t have a specific style. I try to accessorize with things I like even
if they don’t look punk. I mix it up,
and that’s why it doesn’t look scene or gothic.”
When accessorizing with a black
outfit, keep it simple with a watch our a few bracelets. Fourth year digital media studies major,
Kristopher Saad advises the guys to, “Just cuff your jeans, and wear some bold,
brightly colored socks that will contrast the color of your outfit.” If you want to remain edgy, you can partner a
simple bracelet and/or necklace with a dark solid colored hat or wear studded
accessories like boots.
Go beyond all black. Pair it with one dark color: Either burgundy,
deep purple or grey. Another color provides
an accent. If you want an accent that
will pop, make it neon. Whether it is
one neon yellow necklace or a black dress with a neon orange zipper.
Colors go beyond clothes and accessories reminds Gamez, “My
makeup and my nails are more seasonal than my clothes. I probably wouldn’t wear the lipstick color (MAC’s Punk Couture) I have on now in the
summer. The glitter pink nail polish I
have on now, I paired by painting my ring finger black. If it was summer, I’d wear it with white.”
A smoky eye with blood red lipstick looks eerie; however,
paired with a bright, Marilyn Monroe red lipstick, the makeup is modified to be
sophisticated. Do not ice your face like
a cake with makeup. Dark colors grab
plenty of attention. I recommend the
most obvious makeup to be black eyeliner on your upper eyelid and a matte
lipstick color.
For lipstick, try red (bright or dark) or a deep
purple. Be cautious with deep purple,
and stay away from black and blue unless you want to look like you were in a
bar fight. For bright and dark red, I
recommend Grenadine from Smashbox and Scarlet Empress from NARS. For purple, I recommend both Heroine and Punk
Couture from MAC.
Wearing dark lipstick makes any dead skin on your lips
visible. Before applying, exfoliate with
a scrub such as Lush’s Popcorn Lip Scrub.
After exfoliating, apply your favorite lip balm to avoid dryness. Follow with an eye makeup primer to prevent
lipstick smudges that’ll make you resemble the Joker. If you don’t have eye makeup primer, apply
the lipstick followed by a quick swipe of your powder foundation. These tricks will help the lipstick last
longer and prevent it from straying.
If by some wizardry/black
magic the temperature drops, do not get overly excited. “Our weather doesn’t limit people because
they still go out wearing parkas, Uggs and snow boots when it’s 65 degrees
outside,” says Saad.
Please, leave the snow gear cozily
tucked away in your closet—especially your Uggs. “First of all, they smell. One thing is to wear black that gets hot, but
another is to wear eskimo boots,” says Gamez.
Ultimately,
wear what you feel comfortable in without overheating yourself.
“You shouldn’t settle to wear certain things
because of where you live.
You should
base how you dress on how you see yourself,” says Gamez.
Courtesy of Coraline (including photos)
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