So you have fallen in love with those stunning red outfits worn by our lady celebrities at the inaugural event of Ghana Movie Awards 2010. Well, deciding on a red gown or cocktail dress isn’t as easy as it looks. Why? I will tell you why.
Red is a strong colour that can work for you if you only know how to wear it the right way. Wear it right and you’ll appear confident, assertive and exciting. Wear it the wrong way and you’ll look threatening and overwhelming to your audience.
I happened to be at Woolworth searching for a good pair of brown leather sandals when a lady customer walked up to me.
She had a tomato red dress draped on her arm and she wanted a second opinion from me. Honestly, this is one shade “wouldn’t”, “never “and “ever” choose for myself. On her it was just “Wow.”
I was surprised she couldn’t even see it. Colours have a way of playing tricks with our eyes you know. Clearly she wasn’t used to wearing red. So-o-o, I advised her to choose a blouse in the same shade instead of the dress and wear it over a colour she was more comfortable with. She chose a black flirty flared skirt to go with it.
Identifying your natural colours
The lesson here is that red comes in a wider variety of shades. Wine red looks better on a darker skinned person whereas tomato red is appropriate for a lighter skinned person.
Your skin tone, the colour of your hair and eyes go a long way to determine the red colour you should wear. Hold the dress or fabric close to your face and if your face lights up then that’s the shade for you. The same goes for your choice of red lipstick.
A piece at a time
If you’re new to wearing red start wearing them one piece at a time. A red clutch purse like the one Jackie Appiah used to accessorize her black gown or a strapless red blouse like the one Juliet Ibrahim wore over blue jeans for the Ghana Movie Awards car presentation is a good way to start using red.
Other accessories you can use to complement your look are red jewellery, a red belt, a red handbag or footwear.
With time you’ll be ready to step out comfortably and confidently in those sophisticated red gowns and cocktail dresses.
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The author: Nana Aba Gilbert-Arthur is a freelance fashion writer, blogger and publicist. She offers low budget publicity services to emerging fashion and style businesses. Visit thefashionpublicist.blogspot.com for more fashion and style news and advice.
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