a lonestar state of southern

Last year was the first year I keyed into the whole “Pantone Color of the Year” topic. Somehow I found out that 2013’s color was emerald, and got way into it. And by “way into it”, I really mean that my closet was already full of emerald (deep greens are my favorite to wear), so you can bet I gave myself a nice little pat on the back and congratulated myself for being so with-it.

I suppose I’m just lucky, because when I read that Pantone’s 2014 color of the year was “radiant orchid”, I was thrilled! My second favorite color to wear is the magenta/pinky/plum/purpleish/wine color that Pantone brilliantly decided to put a name to. (And thank goodness they did, I was quite obviously struggling with what to call it prior to 2014.)

The rich vibrancy of the color looks fabulous on every skin tone (including pale-ies like me!), and makes a statement without sacrificing elegance.

I purchased this Jay Godfrey dress a year ago, and unlike most cocktail dresses I own, have gotten so much wear out of it. I suspect it’s from the immaculate combination of material (a rich animal print satin), structure (waisted with a fun skirt), and you guessed it, color!

And check out that fun back…

I found these black strappies at Forever 21, which turned out to be a perfect low-key yet stylish addition.

As for earrings… you can never go wrong with a little sparkle, right?

In my opinion, radiant orchid is the perfect color for 2014. Bright, optimistic, fun and energetic… everything I want my year to be! Even though this dress is no longer available, I’ve thrown together a few of my favorites so you can incorporate this fun color into every area of your life!

Love from Texas,

Kate