Colorful Opinion: The Correct Fall Palette
I have a love/hate relationship with the word “basic.” When I first heard the term used to describe a seemingly ubiquitous type of white girl who wears Ugg boots and who curls her chest-length ombre hair I thought, “Oh, that makes sense.” For girls like me, basic is something to be avoided. But it is also a very mean term. It denigrates a large swath of women based solely on their aesthetic preferences.
Fall is when I am my most shamelessly basic. I unapologetically love pumpkin spice lattes - all things pumpkins really - and the changing of the leaves, cozy sweaters, and scarves. Tell me what’s wrong with any of that? There is something about mainstream fall culture that does annoy me: the traditional decor. I prefer a more modern palette, exemplified by this gorgeous photo from the Fall 2018 season preview of the American Ballet Theatre.
American Ballet Theatre, Fall 2018 Preview
Notice how the warm orange colors have a sophisticated depth, and that they pop when used sparingly and set against the neutral blue-grays. These shades of persimmon and steely blue oppose each other nicely, and are rounded out by the olive of the male dancer’s tights.
Yes. This is what fall should look like. Instead, someone decided long ago that fall decor means piles of leaves, neon orange, and various flat shades of brown.
Ew.
No.
HELL NO!
Stop associating fall with dried up dead plants. Stop overusing the color orange, which works best in small doses. Even mother nature knows this. If you have ever been hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the autumn you have noticed that the prominent colors are the blue-gray of the sky and the clouds, and the black and olive tones of trees, with just a few spots of burnt-orange foliage. Don’t let an artificial representation of fall replace the perfection of the natural palette.
