In life, we all have a certain object or place that feels [particularly special to us. This can be for many reasons, some happy, some sad, or even a mixture of both. For a lot of people, this could be an item of clothing – a certain jumper, a piece of jewellery, even your lucky pair of socks. But for me it’s different. Looking back at pictures from over the years, from when I was younger to now, I’ve come to realise that I have a special colour rather than an item of clothing, and that colour is red.
The colour red has had a lot of significance in my life, starting right from when I was a toddler. There are countless pictures of me wearing red, on holiday, at parties, at Christmas, the list goes on. As American fashion designer, Bill Blass, says: “When in doubt, wear red”.
Me with my Grandma
Me with my Nanna and Grandad
When I was younger, I had two red coats – one casual and one smart (I’ve obviously been fashionable from a young age). When wearing my casual coat, I was often dressed in rose pink pants to match the apple (at least that’s what it looks like) on the left hand side, by the hood.
Me in my casual red coat
My smart coat was my Mum’s favourite. It was a true shade of red, came down just past my knees and had a black velvet collar and cuffs on the sleeves too. I also had a matching beret-style hat – who knew that toddlers could be so cultured! My Mum absolutely loved it and it was probably one of her favourite things to dress me in when I was younger, most likely because it meant that I couldn’t wear my hideous patterned tights that I used to love so much (see picture below).
Me in my smart red coat
Me in my favourite tights
I’ve also worn red for important milestones in my life. For my prom in 2016, I wore a crimson princess-style ball gown, with an embellished belt and sweetheart neckline. I remember trying on a whole array of different dresses, all in different styles and colours (note to self – don’t try on a white dress if it’s just going to blend into your skin colour, it’s not a good look). As soon as I put the red ball gown on, me and my parents knew that it was the one – the tears from Mum were a big indicator too! I, of course, had to pair it with a matching lipstick, the classic Ruby Woo by Mac. I still have the dress hanging on the side of my wardrobe now, as I can’t bear the thought of parting with it!
Me with my cousin Millie, on my prom day
Me with my friend Owen, on my prom day
I also decided to wear red for my 18th birthday party. Me and Mum sat scrolling through endless amounts of dresses online, trying to find the right one, but as soon as we saw it, we both fell in love. It was from House of CB, so it was on the pricey side (sorry Mum and Dad!), but it fit so perfectly, was a gorgeous candy red shade and felt amazing, I just had to have it. A special dress for a special occasion! Again, Ruby Woo was my lipstick of choice, as it’s one of my favourite shades to wear on my lips, possibly even my ultimate favourite.
Me with my friend Shea, at my 18th party
Me with my Nanna and Grandad, at my 18th party
I enjoy incorporating red into my outfits on a more casual basis too, whether that’s my rose red Topshop handbag with gold stud detail, my cherry red corduroy jacket or a red lipstick. A lot of people say that I really suit the colour red, so it brings a sense of comfort and confidence to me when I wear it. There’s just something about it that makes me feel a lot of emotions – powerful, stylish, confident, everything that a girl wants to feel.
Me with my friends Brooke and Becca, wearing my red corduroy jacket
Me with my boyfriend John, wearing my favourite red lipstick, Ruby Woo by Mac
I personally think that red is a really versatile colour. There is a different shade to suit every skin tone – scarlet, blush, cherry, ruby etc – and it can be incorporated into fashion in so many different ways, whether that’s through clothes, accessories or makeup. It’s a colour that I will always wear throughout my life, no matter what age I am, as it has so many happy connotations for me and will always continue to.
