What happened to colour rules?

[allhailtheaubergine]

When I was a child I remember my mother and grandmother being quite strict about colour rules.

You can't wear red and pink together because they clash. I think this applied to orange too (so no orange and red or orange and pink either)

Blue and green must never be seen.

Navy blue and black - no.

No to red and white together because it was too hospital-y. This even applied to a bunch of flowers someone once mistakenly bought my grandmother.

I don't think blue and brown was allowed either.

Do these rules still exist? Did they ever exist or were they a construct of my batty relatives? My mother still gasps when my young daughter wears an orange and pink skirt with red tights and a purple top .

People wear anything they like these days,

But it did exist?

I shudder when I see pink and red together and navy and black.

My grandmother always said, "pink and blue will never do, all the boys will look at you."

Which seemed like a good endorsement to me as a teen :o

It did exist and wasn't just your batty relatives.

(unless my relatives are batty too.)

There are new rules?

Nobody told me.

You forgot: Pink makes the boys wink. One of my granny's favourites, along with, All in brown, makes men frown.

My mum won't put red and white flowers together - blood and bandages, she says. (Is a wonder I turned out so sane :) )

There is a big superstition about red and white flowers - according to those who believe in such things it means a death is imminent. So you should never take red and white flowers to anyone in hospital, apparently. According to my mother. But have just googled and it's obviously a widespread belief.

"Red and green should never be seen except on the back of an Irish queen" according to my gran's friend.

And all the wedding ones:
"Marry in black and you'll wish yourself back"
"Marry in red and you'll wish yourself dead".

Cheery.

There is something fundamentally wrong with navy blue and black though, isn't there?

My rellies had exact same rules and I do admit I still am brainwashed by them!

However after years of never wearing black and navy I had a revelation from Holly willoughby on tv one morning saying (new rule coming up) that it's okay because it's "very French". I have since worn black boots and opaques with casual navy dresses and tunics and believe it works oh la la!!

The rules were made up. Like most "rules" in fashion.

The "no pink and red together" rule was shockingly broken by the enfant terrible and genius, Yves Saint Laurent - it was a revolutionary act ...

... fashion is funny, isn't it?

I do remember that other enfant terrible and genius the late Diana, Princess of Wales wearing a red and pink skirt suit and hat combo to a society wedding and my mother and grandmother chuntering for days about it.

I've remembered another 'rule': Red hat, no draws. It means that red hats are tarty and indicate the wearer is likely to be without undergarments.

suzikettles Mon 19-Sep-11 16:39:32
"Red and green should never be seen except on the back of an Irish queen"

Or an elf?

My mum ysed to say "fur hat: no knickers". And red is a colour only prostitutes would wear.
And of course I love red clothes- cue many disapproving looks through my youth.

The only rule my Nan ever told me is 'If you wear beige, you may aswell be dead'. She is disgusted at the trend for nude/camel colours of recent years!

I always thought it was 'pink & green should never be seen'!