Does This Come In Black?

Abundant Black Disorder (ABD) is what I suffer from. It's a wardrobe dysfunction that's rarely spoken about. According to colour experts, it can occur at any time in a man or woman's life. 

The symptoms: a closet full of black clothing and accessories, the irresistible urge to 'buy it in black' no matter what... and the feeling of being too fat or too visible if you wear anything other than black, black, black. Who doesn't love black? It's chic and sexy, it makes you look thin and you can wear it anywhere. 

What people don't realize is that wearing black all the time seriously cramps your style and makes you look old. But how? Black is notorious for making your skin look aged and highlighting your wrinkles. Fabulousafter40.com compares having ABD to going to an ice-cream store. Imagine salivating over hundreds of exotic, delicious and oh so tempting flavours then ordering a tiny scoop of low fat vanilla. It's basic and practical but it will leave you feeling bored and unsatisfied, sucking the joy from your life and your look. Bland, bland, bland!  

Beware of falling into that black hole.  

H2T black is really a thing of the past, even for guys. Why then do we keep buying black? Why do I keep buying black? Generally, people who wear a lot of black want to go unnoticed.  I work with a bunch of over 40s and some of them really wouldn't understand my style. It's a dilemma I discussed briefly in Corporate Looks For Men. 

How can you cure ABD? STOP being so terribly predictable. Perk up your looks and liven up your soul with a dash of colour. Promise yourself not to buy black for a very long time :) 

If it's too drastic a change for you right off the bat, then look for outfits that combine black with a bold colour or pattern. Here are some examples to ease you slowly out of black and into colour. 

Prints: Prints are a huge trend at the moment. Aztec, stripes or anything else that works.

                                 

Black on Top or Bottom: If you can't give up black completely, try black on the top or the bottom just so you have a bit of safety. Break the black is the name of the game.

Add personality: A simple pattern or a bright color adds life and personality to a black suit, where there was none before. Justin Bieber is doing it right with his red D&G pocket scarf.
Have fun experimenting with different colours! If black is "home", play it safe until you are ready to spread your wings and embrace some awesome patterns and colours :)