Last year it was oxblood that was the new black, the year before that, navy blue was the new black and before that for about 5 continuous years brown was the new black. All of these claims had some merit to it, but not surprisingly, there has never been a claim on anything being the new gold…except gold. It took me moving to Europe to figure out, the value of gold in one´s closet. I admit, like many other young women brought up in the 80´s, I had two impressions of gold….and neither were good ones. The less damaging impression was that it was for older women, well older women with a gaudy fashion sense. The other impression needs no justification, just one letter T….Mr. T, so how does a fashion savvy person sport gold glamorously in 2013?
Whether in the form of brooches, sequined sleeves, shoe straps or belts this wardrobe staple is here to stay. And, the major Design Houses confirmed the undying trend in several Spring/ Summer 2013 collections that featured an abundance of gilded looks with shiny threads. Badgley Miscka, Michael Kors, Jenny Packham, Suno and Burberry were just a few designers who showcased King Midas´ touch. But life is no runway right? How does the average person wear gold without sticking out like a mythical fairy or Mr. T´s sidekick? Read on, I will show you.
If you want to introduce gold into your wardrobe, instead of going for the standard bright shade of this colour, simply choose a variation of it. I am a sucker for anything antique looking; a like variation of bronze or something light will also do the trick. Depending on the texture, champagne is also a nice shade of gold; it all depends on your personal style. If you are too nervous to sport a full-on shimmery outfit, try wearing it first in accessories, like jewelry, shoes and bags. A blazer with glam sequined sleeves is unexpected and also cool. Or for a more casual approach mix gold and khaki, the combination always comes out flawlessly.
Adding a subtle touch without going overboard is easy when you pair small accessories like the ear cuff that I am pictured in, or fine chains, bracelets or even hair accessories.
Don´t forget to think about your skin tone, the colour of your hair and the type of makeup you wear will influence how well it looks on your skin. Speaking about make-up! Gold eye shadows are my absolute fave, and it´s a simple way to look absolutely glamorous! You can highlight your eyes with gold eyeliner, especially if you have brown eyes. I also never go out on the town without a little dusting of gold powder on my body, my favourite quote to my friends when they notice my shimmery skin is “I don´t sweat, I glow”. I am pretty certain I got that from a James Bond movie, lol, either way it looks great and really healthy. Not a make-up girl? Get yourself a gold mani or pedi. You can apply gold nail polish to your nails if you don’t mind the attention, or just get a French manicure, if you’re looking for something less obvious! The Golden Rule when wearing gold is modesty, gold can easily look like too much, so less is definitely more in this case.
Lori Quast
Lori hails from Montego Bay, Jamaica and has lived in Virginia, Washington D.C, and New York, but now resides in Düsseldorf, Germany with her German husband Jens. When she isn´t working on her Seed of Style Fashion page, she can be found on her other page Love Crosses Borders. Love Crosses Borders is an international, interracial and intercultural community which focuses on couples and families and singles interested in love across borders. An online dating site focusing mainly on international love is said to be in the works.
