A Month of Sunrays: Have Courage. Wear Yellow.

Hello, hello.

Naturally the day after I blogged about how sunny it was ... it snowed for the first time this winter!

But I'm not about to let that deter me from persuading you to at least try wearing yellow!  [Hey, I spent a whole season last year trying to persuade everyone to wear purple ... so this month-long thing's a holiday in comparison. ;-)]

Even if yellow is synonymous with summer, I generally wear it more during winter for one main reason ... but I'll get to that in a moment ... because first I want to show you a coincidence that proves I'm not alone in this yellow-wearing-lark!

Last Saturday, the day I sat down to plan this series and create my banner ...

... I opened up 'Weekend' [the Guardian's magazine supplement] and couldn't quite believe the title of their fashion feature:

Click to visit same article on The Guardian's website

'Have courage. Wear yellow'!! It was like they'd written the 'Month of Sunrays' manifesto for me!

So, despite the protests of 'You won't get me to wear yellow' which I've already had ... I'm going on, undeterred and buoyed the knowledge that the fashionistas of a national newspaper are fighting my corner! ;-)

I don't think I've ever deliberately not worn yellow, which I think some people do. Either it's that my hair / colouring somehow lets me get away with most colours or ... I just don't pay attention to fashion 'experts' telling me what I shouldn't wear. [eg. I'm 5'2" and yet I wear flat shoes, dresses that cut me off at the knees, have just bought huge wide palazzo pants and, as you'll see in a later outfit post, I've even worn horizontal stripes and lived to tell the tale.]

So fashion-rebel that I am, I once bought a yellow winter coat in the sale on a whim ... [and even possibly because it matched my laptop at the time] ... and I've been wearing it ever since.

And it's still a favourite, featuring in my first outfit of the New Year alongside my new yellow Christmas-gift legwarmers:

I've found that a yellow coat is surprisingly easy to wear for several reasons:

• it's a statement in itself - which is useful in winter. Warm winter coats, by their nature, cover up everything else which would normally 'make' an outfit, so if you're going to be leaving your coat on most of the time you're out, then a bright, interesting coat makes it look like you made an effort!
• it lifts dark clothes -  my grey and black outfit above would've looked completely different if I'd worn a black coat over it.
• it's a great splash of colour on a cold dark day - which I think makes it even easier than wearing yellow on a summer's day where it might feel a bit obvious.
• it works brilliantly with neutrals - I've been known to wear my coat with various other vivid colours, such as red shoes, but if you're not going for the full-on Ronald McDonald look yourself ... then try it with grey, black, tan and cream which all combine so easily with it. [I remember harping on about the same idea when I was in my 'Purple Phase' last year ... but it's definitely one to bear in mind if you're afraid of vivid colours: combine with neutrals and you can't go too far wrong.]
• it gets lots of compliments - mostly from men too! So, if that's what you're looking for ...

and finally:

• it comes in useful as a beacon!! - since buying my coat James has never lost me in a crowd, which means I can wander off without fear! Plus, a few years ago, whenever I had to meet up with new students at work for the first time I'd say "I'll be sat in the front row of the lecture theatre wearing a yellow coat". Worked every time!

So, if you've found yourself, like we have, with a covering of the white stuff this weekend and you're in need of a new snow-worthy coat then don't rule out yellow ... at least not immediately.

I've added a few current-season yellow coats to the 'Month of Sunrays' Pinterest board here for you to have a browse.

[NB: if you're not on Pinterest - don't worry - you can view boards just the same as anyone else, you DO NOT need to register]
If nothing else it'll help make you visible in a snowdrift ...

Julie ;-)

p.s: I'll be back very soon with news of a sunshiney giveaway!