Have you ever heard someone say, “dark skin women can’t wear pink?” It’s a lie!
Growing up, I was taught to believe my skin colour limited the choices of colour I could wear. Red, blue, orange and such were colours I thought I had to steer clear of, colours I adored and was drawn to. Until one day, I dared to challenge this rulebook and I, for the life of me don’t know who came up with such nonsense.
I don’t remember exactly when it was that I saw the light but being that I have a rebellious streak, one day, I wore pink and it was not a disaster. I have been wearing pink ever since. Don’t let anyone tell you dark women can’t wear pink, you will be missing out on a great colour.
What the colour you wear says about you
Colour is a very powerful thing. It alters perceptions. For instance, in the western world, black is seen as a colour of mourning. It is also a high fashion colour. Yellow, on the other hand, is universally associated with happiness or the spring season.
Pink is a colour associated with women. Not that men don’t or can’t wear pink because they can, and they do. But, for baby showers or any girl or ladies’ themed event, pink is the go-to colour while blue is considered a more masculine colour.
The colours you wear also say more about you than you know. It affects how people perceive you as well as your mood. On perception, I once had a former manager comment on my dressing as part of my performance review.
There was nothing wrong with my work performance, in fact, she made really glowing remarks except for one thing. She was reluctant to say it and so I cajoled it out of her and to my horror/shock/dismay, she made a comment about how my dressing gave people a wrong impression about me.
My dressing was not inappropriate or unprofessional. But, in her opinion, I could do with wearing less bright colours and opt instead for black. A colour that she felt would make me look more professional.
“When people meet you for the first time, they will think you have nothing going on up there”, she said referring to my brain.
The comment was a little offensive because it felt like she wanted me to change who I was to fit a certain mould. You may be thick but if you wear black, you will look clever. But the reverse is true when you wear colour. You may have Einstein’s IQ but if you wear pink or any other such bright colour, you will be judged as dim or a bimbo.
The moral of my story is that you have to live your life for you. Take risks when it comes to fashion. Fashion is not a one-size fits all. What is good for the goose may not be good for the gander or whatever the saying is. Don’t let other people’s, “you can’t”, or “you shouldn’t” stop you from living or enjoying your life.
Other Lies
- Dark skin women can’t wear pink lips
- Dark skin women don’t look good with blonde hair
- Dark skin women shouldn’t wear blush
- Dark skin women can’t wear red
- Dark skin women shouldn’t wear black
These are all false. If there’s anything I have learnt about being dark skinned it is that we are spoilt for choice. There’s no colour I can think of that I can’t wear.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed reading this post, check out “You’re pretty for a dark skin girl”, here.
Top and Skirt: H&M