Living Ind

Going Green

You can't go wrong with Mother Nature's favorite. By Krista Richmond

It is, without a doubt, the color of the season.
You see it outside in the growing grass and blooming flowers. You see it paired with purple and gold in Mardi Gras decorations. And this spring, you'll also be wearing it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

You can't go wrong with Mother Nature's favorite. By Krista Richmond

Photo by Robin May

It is, without a doubt, the color of the season.

You see it outside in the growing grass and blooming flowers. You see it paired with purple and gold in Mardi Gras decorations. And this spring, you'll also be wearing it.

"Green is the magic color," Vanessa Vicari, owner of Vanessa V., says. "I never hear, I can't wear green.' You can't really mess up with green."

Vivid emerald green gowns made a splash on the red carpet at this year's Golden Globe awards, but that's not necessarily how local stores are interpreting this color trend for the upcoming fashion season. Instead, the focus is on darker, military shades of green worn as a neutral and pops of more vibrant shades of green as an accent color in various designs, prints and accessories.

As the season transitions to spring, stick with olive or loden tones found in military greens as a base color or wear mint green shades with gray undertones, according to Muffy LeBlanc, owner of Hemline. Then, as the weather warms up for good, transition to the brighter greens.

"As styles and seasons change, colors change, too," LeBlanc says. "It's bright and happy and makes you think of spring."

LeBlanc also says you can continue to wear military greens as a background for brighter spring colors such as coral, turquoise and yellow.

One thing Mary Elizabeth Meaux, women's manager at Brother's on the Boulevard, cautions against is wearing different shades of the color at the same time.

"Don't mix your greens," Meaux says. "It's a grounding color. Use it as an accent."

And that is mostly how you'll see green presented at local stores - as an accent - according to all three. You'll see Granny Smith apple green swirls or color blocks of Kelly green in a navy top or celery green as a base color in this season's floral and paisley prints. You can even add a punch of color to your outfit by adding a lime green belt or large earrings with green stones.

Prints are perhaps where you'll see most of the green in fashions available at local retailers.

"It's very appealing when it's applied in watercolor strokes," adds Meaux.

And while the color of money is an every-woman shade, there are a couple of rules of thumb: LeBlanc suggests warm skin tones wear the natural, neutral greens, and cool skin tones wear clear greens.

"There's a shade for everybody," she says. "You've just got to find the right tone."