Pick a peck of purple pieces


Yesterday evening, my GF Marla and I strolled the city's high-end shopping street after one of our seasonal catch-up dinners.

As we ambled past
Coach, Chanel, Vuitton, Prada, Cole Haan and an independent luxury shoe shop, we looked at one another and said: purple.

Not royal, Prince-trademark bright purple, but a murkier, mulberryish shade, in every window from luxury to mid-market. Violet, amethyst, plum, grape, wine: purple hues, everywhere.

The only place purple did not reign was a "sensible shoe" shop called Feet First, with its staid and sad display of black, grey and a few red pairs.

Online too, a parade of purple, for example, from top: Stella McCartney dress, $795 (net-a-porter), Rock & Republic tie-front blouse, $198 (eLuxury); Dior bag with clutch,
$2,550 (also from eLuxury), a Burberry packable raincoat, $725 (net-a-porter), a roomy Dior Shopper, $2,550 (eLuxury), and the pulse-raising Louboutin Altadama astrakhan platform, $995 (net-a-porter).

Not only the purview of the posh, purple parades at Nine West: the With a Twist Medium Shopper (in violet PVC) is $85.

Sexy, pl
eated LoveNYC stiletto booties provide a pearlized purple fix for a paltry $99.

Deep purple pairs with grey, navy and some greens, but it's neither a quiet neutral nor an amiable accent colour, the eccentric, arty aunt on the colour wheel.

I suspect, in a recession, retailers reached for something new to evoke the must-have mind set. Though I won't
capitulate to purple, my strand of big, tumbled amethyst beads, blue-violet beret, and prune cashmere V-neck might get an extra spin or two.

Comments

materfamilias said…
I'm always pleased to see purple being featured, especially in the fall/winter, altho' for me it's been a bit tinged by that supposedly inspirational poem "When I'm an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple." (Not so keen on the red hats, either!)
Duchesse said…
ma: Some lines of that poem are the opposite of what I hope to do, specifically,

"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me" and
"You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat".
NancyDaQ said…
I love purple, particularly the eggplant/plum hues! So it'll be a good season for me. I'll be doing my "Amish" color combinations (plum and black or plum and navy). I also like it with olive, gray, camel, or rust.

I'm not a huge fan of the bright purples, which always come to mind with that poem (ugh). And heaven help me if I ever do that silly Red Hat Society thing.
Anonymous said…
The New York Times reports that purple has become "the new neutral" among male TV pundits, who are wearing purple ties in an apparent nod to fairness between red states and blue states: http://tinyurl.com/6qfluo

And don't overlook the impact of stunning purple sheath Michelle Obama wore when her husband announced his nomination victory in June. Not, granted, a deep mulberry shade, but purple nonetheless.
Kelly said…
I just purchased a Mulberry small shopper by Hobo International online from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale...it's beautiful and will add a pop of color to my black and grey pants and skirt suits this fall and winter. I personally love the wine, purple, berry colors as they look good near my face!
Duchesse said…
Nancyf: News pundits are unlikely style models! Michelle's dress was what I'd call a royal purple, a very different hue than what I'm seeing jamming the windows.
All: It's an offbeat(beet?) choice and a brave volley from the designers... usually a recession evokes safety. If you can wear it, enjoy!
Kelly: Beautiful bag, lucky you!
Anjela's Day said…
I like those shades paired with greys. As I sit by the window wistfully looking out over the tops and eating my last slice of eggplant. A perfect combination to my winter-white skin. I can't wait for winter. I can't wait for purple.
Susan B said…
I like certain dark, more earthy aubergines, but brighter jewel-tone purples just overwhelm me. A bag or scarf in a more subtle shade is about the right amount of purple for me.
Anonymous said…
I love the purple, but purple has a habit of sometimes gaining a shade or tone that I like to call "hooker purple". That tone, I stay away from.

The posts with the most