Happy New Years!

So as we round out our New Year’s celebrations, I wanted to shed light on another new year’s custom that also involves my favorite subject, FASHION!  Some of you may be aware that there is still one more New Year’s upon us.  Chinese New Year’s falls on Monday January 23, 2012.  On this day, there’s a certain custom upon which those who celebrate the New Year do.  What is it you ask?  Well, all who celebrate the holiday wear RED!  Why do I love this?  Because, red is an amazing color to wear.  Let me shed some light on the tradition and why I love this color.

The Mythology behind it:

“According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian (Chinese: 年; pinyin: nián). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu's mount” (www.wikipedia.com)

The psychological effects of the color?

Red stimulates us, raises the pulse and is a lively color.  It makes us feel courageous, strong and confident.  It’s a color of power.

Why I love it?

            Besides the fact that I love the psychological effects of this color it is a great color to wear. Blouses and tops especially are great in this color.  Now I know you’re wondering, “What do I do if a red blouse or red dress doesn’t look good on my skin tone!?”  Well, that’s what accents are for!  Throwing on a black dress, with a red pump or red clutch is not only fashion forward, but never goes out of style and is ALWAYS eye catching!  I encourage all you mommies this month, to bring in the new year with some bold red statement pieces, (you know to help bring in all the money, lucky and success) and of course to look FABULOUS!