Rule: if you’re going to do a trend, really do it
Got all your new pretty-in-pink clothes yet, then? That’s what we’re all supposed to be wearing this season, although I confess I haven’t run out to snap any up yet.
The idea just seems a little gimmicky to me and will date so very quickly and expensively – especially if you invested in dusty pink tailoring, which all the fashion mags are urging us to do. I’m just not sure yet.
Not that I don’t adore the colour. I think pink in all its shades is very uplifting. I have quite a bit of feature shocking pink around my home and have fond memories of a pale pink shift dress and jacket arrangement I had years ago, which always felt cheery and chic at the same time.
It’s also a colour loaded with post-modern ironic feminine power messages, so I’m all for thinking pinking as a general plan, but at the same time there’s a warning voice in my ear whispering a name… and that name is: Miss Piggy.
I fear that dressed in pink head to toe I could resemble Mademoiselle Cochon emerging naked from a hot tub. Particularly if I chose to invest in the particular sweater shown above on singer Ciara.
It’s by a Belgian designer called Doriane Van Overeem (this season, of course…) and while I know it would look like plumpy plush piggy flesh on me – it does look really amazing on the artiste frequently referred to as Cici (as opposed to the rather better known Riri).
In fact I adore her entire porcine pink ensemble and it was the first picture of someone sporting this trend which has made me think, hmmmm, maybe…
What made me sit up and take interest is the bold way Ms Ciara has embraced the pink. Rather than making a weak token gesture towards it (as I have pathetically considered doing) with just a pink scarf, or other small (i.e. ‘cheap’) accessory, she’s embraced it with fearless enthusiasm. And a large measure of camp.
Pink is the campest of colours, particularly in this sugar shade, and she’s pushed that way further with the deliberate Pink Ladies mood in the pencil skirt and fluffy sweater combo, accentuating the 50s feel even more with her kitsch white Miu Miu extreme cats eyes sunnies and fabulous beauty queen white stilettos (exactly the style of shoe I’ve been going on about for weeks…).
But her master stroke is the shiny vinyl pink skirt from TopShop. The shape is classic 1950s (Rizzo herself would love it…), but the fabrication is totally 21st century. I had a similar skirt in the 1980s, but it was black which now seems so boringly obvious, although it was quite daring at the time. It’s the combination of slightly sick pink and vinyl that makes this one – and with it, the whole look – totally new and now.
I really want that skirt.
The only problem is what I’d wear it with, because I’m still not sure I could go head to toe bacon – and what other colour to put with it? I absolutely loathe this pink with black, unless it’s part of a humorously kitsch retro bath product range.
So I’m forced to conclude that that this pink is a kind of prime number of colours, because it doesn’t go with any of the classic neutrals (grey would be way too 80s…)
Really, the only other colour you can wear this pink with is white and as I know that would make me feel like a rasher of best streaky, I’m not going there – even though I’m very glad Ciara did. And she looks amazing.
But I want this skirt in navy blue.
PS I originally wrote this for my Age/Sun Herald/Fairfax Media column ‘The Rules’ but we couldn’t use it there because of issues with the photo – so I’ve used a screen shot from the website Red Carpet Fashion Awards, which you can look at properly here:
And you can find The Rules, every Sunday here http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/summers-here-boots-n-all-20131025-2w52d.html
Style Notes 
I have always loved pink but I’ve shied away a bit since having 2 daughters – pink is everywhere in our house it seems, so whenever I look at the pink in my wardrobe I pass it over. With the exception of a pale pink trench coat from Jigsaw, must be at least 8 years old by now, which I still love if it’s raining. I usually wear it with jeans. I still have an image in my mind of this gorgeous pregnant woman I stood behind in a post office queue once (so I had a lot of time to check out her ensemble). She was in top to toe black (winter) with a Chanel hot pink quilted bag with black CC logo. I still love that look – I was also desperately trying to fall pregnant at the time, so no doubt I was envious of her beautiful bump. Whenever I read that pink and black should never be seen (I think Trinny and Susannah used to say it too), I think of that pregnant woman in the PO queue. She really did look good!
That vinyl skirt rocks. Navy would be brilliantly subversive! You should SO get it in that colour. Ciara looks brilliant in that outfit.
I don’t really do pink myself. It’s an astrological thing. I believe your astro effects which colours and prints you can ‘do’ best. Take Beyonce for example. Looks brilliant in yellow, gold or “big cat” prints–Mars in Leo Rising. I’m betting Cici has a lot of Libra in her chart, the sign that apparently does pink best. Dita Von Teese is a Libran who also looks good in pink.
Wear it with red – totally works…
http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/8db/166/8db16664-7108-4f51-9160-8d7a78d45c1b
http://ohheyalison.typepad.com/.a/6a017c3650557c970b017c36796a20970b-500wi
Interesting. I totally get that – and I mix it up like that in my home – but it wouldn’t work for me in clothing. It’s a great bohemian look on the right person x
I always think that 5 and 6 year old girls nail the top to toe pink look – that’s if you let them style themselves. Nice to know that they are now on trend!
One of my daughter’s girl’s baby outfits was a pale pink and cream velvet babygro with tiny pink and green flowers embroidered on the front. She had the whole pink cheeks, rosebud mouth and golden curls cherub thing happening, so it was perfect. What I had to remember was NOT to dress myself as a matching accessory in my short dusty pink skirt teamed with my favourite cream Carla Zampatti long jacket with the oval brushed buttons and my creamy fawn suede heels (it was the 90s). It is quite worrying that I can remember that in so much detail, but couldn’t remember my pin number at the bank earlier today…
forgive me ladies of the universe, but I HATE pink in all its permutations, from pale pastel to eye-popping neon fuschia! If it suits you, go for it, otherwise…
Dear Maggie, 1. I love Miss Piggy,
2. From my experience, its only the pigs snout that is ever actually that perfect shiny PINK (their sense of smell is app 15 times stronger than ours! so something’s going on in there non-stop)/every colour in the universe can have a NEGATIVE connotation, but if associations are v strong/negative its never going to work, is it?
3. Its a great SKIRT and not at all difficult – why don’t you POP IN next time you venture this way and we can whip you one up in NO time. Vinyl if u wish, but a heavy polished cotton/leather (or sim) in navy would be cats pyjamas, no? (maybe not white heels with darker skirt – only for the v tall a la L’wren S.)
4. The adorable last pic in your post – that’s why I can’t eat pork (they are too gorgeous and way to close to dogs which generally I adore)
5. YSL Paris Pink (from back then) and Marilyn’s clip “Diamonds are a girls best friend.
6. I made a v sexy evening gown for a girl once … shell pink sequins on silk gorgette – sim to the dress Marilyn famously wore when she sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to JFK … knock out! … from a distance a virtually/might as well be nude shimmering goddess (my client rocked the look completely too).
7. Do love a pale pink business shirt on the right guy/def adds GLOW/freshness to the right complexion/face.
BX
Love all this and agree with it all. I didn’t eat any pork product for years because I love pigs so much, but have slackened off recently. So agree with 7. and Love the sound of 6. And got my version of this skirt in 100% PLEATHER for £35 from Zara last week. Bought 2 sizes – one for every day (and it will be warm in the British winter) and TIGHT for foxy nights xxx
Could you match it with a creamy beige? Or is that one step from Neapolitan ice-cream??
That could work… Good thinking.