MALE & FEMALE ATTIRE IN NEW ZEALAND

[Lon]

Now I grant you, being from California, I, like many of my cohorts tend to dress more colorfully than folks, say, in Des Moines, Ia., but here in New Zealand's South Island bland is in.
Here it is Friday, and tonight all the young women will be at the Cafe's and Bistros in their black skirts or pants, black shoes and jackets. Where's the color? Prints? Feminine looking clothes? It looks like a Sicilian Widows Convention. The guys will be in their colorful brown, black, grey or dark green shirts. Kiwi blokes wouldn't be caught dead wearing white, yellow or any pastel colors. Men's shoes? Horrible!!!! Black, and all of them look like Gum Boots. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kiwi relatives and friends, but I get depressed just looking at their clothes sometimes.

[Tombstone]

Originally Posted by Lon

Now I grant you, being from California, I, like many of my cohorts tend to dress more colorfully than folks, say, in Des Moines, Ia., but here in New Zealand's South Island bland is in.
Here it is Friday, and tonight all the young women will be at the Cafe's and Bistros in their black skirts or pants, black shoes and jackets. Where's the color? Prints? Feminine looking clothes? It looks like a Sicilian Widows Convention. The guys will be in their colorful brown, black, grey or dark green shirts. Kiwi blokes wouldn't be caught dead wearing white, yellow or any pastel colors. Men's shoes? Horrible!!!! Black, and all of them look like Gum Boots. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kiwi relatives and friends, but I get depressed just looking at their clothes sometimes.

Would you say that this is "geek chic"?

The younger and "i gotta look cool" crowd here in the U.S. always dress in black. The techno-geek uniform.

Where are those white patent leather shoes when you need them?!

[Beth]

My new look on the cold days is black shirt, black tight fitting low riders, black tapered leather jacket that fall just below the widest part of my thighs (hehe, makes ya look skinner ), and black leather boots with three inch heels. I pair this all with a lovely pair of earrings and a one-inch green stone anhk pendant that someone brought me back from Egypt when they had to go there on a diplomatic visit for the military. So, my only color is usually from the pendant or my lip gloss and I really like the look.
Colorful clothes are simply not as hip as black!

[lady cop]

in the summer (all 10 months of it) here tropical colors reign...but i like black at night, maybe with a hibiscus or other touch of color. Tombstone, those are some BAAAAAAD shoes!

[Lon]

Originally Posted by Beth

My new look on the cold days is black shirt, black tight fitting low riders, black tapered leather jacket that fall just below the widest part of my thighs (hehe, makes ya look skinner ), and black leather boots with three inch heels. I pair this all with a lovely pair of earrings and a one-inch green stone anhk pendant that someone brought me back from Egypt when they had to go there on a diplomatic visit for the military. So, my only color is usually from the pendant or my lip gloss and I really like the look.
Colorful clothes are simply not as hip as black!

Black may be hip, but it also doesn't require any thought re: coordination of garments and strikes me as hip for lazy folk (except you of course). Personally, I like black in lingerie and find it sexy, but when I see a bunch of women dressed as you describe your preference, it looks like an S&M Convention. Bring out the whips and chains.

[Beth]

Originally Posted by Lon

Black may be hip, but it also doesn't require any thought re: coordination of garments and strikes me as hip for lazy folk (except you of course). Personally, I like black in lingerie and find it sexy, but when I see a bunch of women dressed as you describe your preference, it looks like an S&M Convention. Bring out the whips and chains.

Looking polished and fashionable looks S&M? Which piece? A leather jacket? I assure you, dressing well, even in black does take effort. Certain cuts do not go with certain things. Cetain handbags do not go with a certain style, nor do certain shoes. Perhaps I just have an adversion to technicolor clothing on a cold day. Black is much hotter and it is harder to comfortably wear most of the year here.

Originally Posted by lady cop

in the summer (all 10 months of it) here tropical colors reign...but i like black at night, maybe with a hibiscus or other touch of color.

Yup, in the summer, the black attracts the heat from the sun. I made a mistake and wore a black shirt to Long Boat key once and had to walk around in it-in the sun. I tend to avoid tropical colors, though. I like pinks alot (as far as tops go) and periwinkles and various shades of blue and sometimes peaches and creams. I also wear a lot of fitted white tees (screen print or plain) with shorts or denim skirts. Tropical colors tend to overpower me since I am blonde and wash out my pale eyes. You have darker hair (I think, if I I remember correctly), so that hybiscus would look great and really stand out. -You know I did that once it willted in my hair! Here I was thinking I looked all pretty and tropical and people were looking, but then I started getting uncomfortable. The blasted flower was wilted and sloshy in my hair. A motherly type came up to me and discretely told me that a dead flower was stuck in my hair.

[Lon]

[quote=Beth]Looking polished and fashionable looks S&M? Which piece? A leather jacket? I assure you, dressing well, even in black does take effort. Certain cuts do not go with certain things. Cetain handbags do not go with a certain style, nor do certain shoes. Perhaps I just have an adversion to technicolor clothing on a cold day. Black is much hotter and it is harder to comfortably wear most of the year here.
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Black is black and that's all one sees. The cut and the accessories don't matter. Black predominates. It may show off blonde hair, but does nothing for the eyes or skin coloration other than make one look pale and ghostly.

How about beige for a good lookin blonde, with pale green scarf, tan boots, white blouse, gold drop ear rings? Ah--I can see you now.

[Beth]

Sure thang babe. You paying for it?

People coordinate their wardrobes as fashion and finances demand. Black can look very good on a person. I rather like the way I look in it. If I want to bring out my eyes, I have a little thing called eyeliner.

[Lon]

Originally Posted by Beth

Sure thang babe. You paying for it?

People coordinate their wardrobes as fashion and finances demand. Black can look very good on a person. I rather like the way I look in it. If I want to bring out my eyes, I have a little thing called eyeliner.

"People coordinate their wardrobes as fashion and finances demand"

I can appreciate that, but why be a follower? Be bold!!! Be a TALL POPPY.

Yes, black can look good on a person. It's just not distinctive, it over powers everything else.

[Beth]

Originally Posted by Lon

"People coordinate their wardrobes as fashion and finances demand"

I can appreciate that, but why be a follower? Be bold!!! Be a TALL POPPY.

Yes, black can look good on a person. It's just not distinctive, it over powers everything else.

I'm not a follower. My wardrobe is not in common with many of those around me. But you are asking me to be a followerer by asking me to dress in accordance to your taste, rather than mine. I dress accordingly to how I feel at the moment, not according to someone else's opinion. If I dressed according to opinion, my hemline would drop three inches and my tops would go up a size as not to emphasize certain attributes.