Getting noticed or being underestimated - in praise of a colour block jumper.

This newsletter is about having the confidence to wear a colour block jumper. It’s about style, kind of. Colour and confidence. Feeling self conscious and thinking about why it is we want to blend in / go un-noticed / not draw attention to ourselves even if wearing something bold makes us feel GOOD / better / happy.

Am I trying to drag a self-esteem / confidence thing into a sales pitch for a colour block jumper? Maybe. But I hope there’s something of use in here because whilst, obviously, I want to promote wearing bright colour block shetland wool wear, I have been thinking about this quite a lot especially since I read that book about the psychology of fashion (which I’ve mentioned a few times since September but I think it was my favourite book on style and I read about eight last year! It’s this one). 

First. A story about drawing attention to yourself in a punchy way. 

In of my old jobs, I worked in a young company with a really fun bunch of 25 year olds. The company was being bought out by a huge multinational and so we had to attend some of their gatherings – often in massive hotels. The company was culturally completely different to our west London, ‘we’re such a start-up’ eco friendly vibe. These gatherings were full of obese men in suits, all wearing fitbits. 

One of my colleagues, a total force of nature, fun, fierce and charming, was called up for an award. Our manager had put her forward for it as a sort of carrot, to try and get her more onside with the merger. As they called her name, the room fell silent and waited for her to stand up. No one did. My manager started interrogating the people at her table – where was she? She was called again and again and didn’t turn up. He was FUMING and mortified. 

When she finally did turn up, hours later (she’d been back to her room for a nap), the party was in full swing. I said ‘ooh you are going to be in so much trouble!’ We were laughing about it and to my surprise, she said with the utmost confidence, “Yes but Lily, at least everyone knows who I am now. They will remember my name”.

That is a rather punchy way of breaking the rules. I quite like it and it’s true. Obviously, there is a limit to how one should apply the “rules are for breaking” theory. But it’s worth thinking about when you apply it to the typical advice about a wardrobe full of the dreaded neutrals. 

If you feel silly in a colour block jumper. Just remember. People might notice you. They might notice you at work. At the gym. On the school run. It’s a conversation starter and you never know, it might get you somewhere.

When you wear a colour block jumper, you feel fun. Jolly. Not too serious. When I go anywhere wearing a colour block jumper, without fail, someone says “Oh I love your jumper”. Colour block jumpers make you feel good and they make other people feel good. 

You’re either going to make someone feel good, make someone remember you, or make someone judge you for looking too casual. Or not cool enough.

Where is the sad beige jumper? This person cannot be professional. If you experience this, then my argument here is that sometimes, it is good to be underestimated. Come across as no threat whatsoever. She cannot be serious because she turns up in these colour block jumpers… 

There is only one way up from there. I love  being underestimated. It is an opportunity to plough your own furrow, no one is competing with you. They are too busy judging your choice of colourful knitwear. You can quietly get on with giving those sad beige jumpers a run for their money. I know one person who continues to make remarks about how muddy my car is. I find it grating. I suspect it is intended to grate. But I’ve decided that if that is what she wants to focus on - I’ll let her have it.

My final thought on this is this notion of dressing how you FEAR to be perceived. Either being worried about standing out. Or dressing like a bin bag model to cover up how you are feeling but in fact giving away that you are feeling low. Whilst I don’t think anyone should have to pretend they are not feeling low, I do believe that you can dress to improve your mood. I don’t like wearing orange because I know it doesn’t suit me and makes me look like a corpse. But I do like bright pink, dark green, blue. And depending on how I’m feeling sometimes I might avoid wearing these things because I do not want to be noticed. I am feeling overwhelmed, I look like I’ve been living in a hedge and I’d rather have a huge coat on covering everything up and go totally un-noticed. I’m fine with not wearing orange but not fine if I feel embarrassed to be wearing bright pink which I look fantastic in and makes me feel good. 

So, as we enter a new year and think about how we want our lives to change or not, I would like to remind you that wearing a colour block jumper will make you and others feel good as long as the colours suit you. And if you are unlucky to be around any sneery onlookers, well, being underestimated might be good for you too!