An Ode to Wearing Crayon Colors

Sold out at Norstr. I found the Giada Stripe Linen Blend Button-Up Shirt elsewhere. It’s so soft and pretty. Thxs for the search starter!

Perfect timing…Lee has a Crayola crayon line right now! https://www.lee.com/shop/featured-collaborations-lee-x-crayola?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Performance+Max+-+Top+Tiers&utm_content=&utm_term=&ktb_team=ecom&ktb_tac=paid&ktb_obj=think&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23141544217&gbraid=0AAAAAD4JFGA-zfMAS1ksj2eDXxLhi9uc4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwp7jOBhDGARIsABe7C4fCu2E3R5LAku44x2_sCLW5jjSyfmvb1fB0acywSpoHZNtf_VoKA5IaAuVqEALw_wcB

Lots of fun options here! Did I miss where the striped shirt is from in the opening photo?

During the pandemic I got rid of all my jeans – I hated wearing them, they never fit right, and I didn’t feel cute. Since then I’ve only worn clothes that I feel good in and this means all things colorful! I have a fav skirt from Modcloth in 5 different colors that makes a great starting point for pretty much any outfit (do I sometimes look like a rainbow-colored person dressed by a toddler? Why yes, yes I know – thank you!!) Add in the occasional rental from Nuuly for special events / a lil dopamine hit and I’ve never been happier, each day picking out my outfit!

I recently bought a pair of plain red canvas keds, the most basic shoes on earth (except they’re RED) and I get more compliments on them than anything else I own. People are delighted by them. And they’re $55!! I wear a ton of navy and grey and camel, and red is such an easy way to brighten up everything. All winter I wore one of those little red knit triangle scarves everyone was wearing, and now I have my red shoes for warm weather! Not to be all Clinton and Stacy recommend a pop of color… but, yeah! Red!

Hello Jo and the team- have loved the blog forever. Wondered if Colour Analysis is a big thing in the US? It’s started to become a big thing in the UK and it’s completely transformed the way I shop for clothes (with the right colours! for me! what??) – Would be really interesting to see members of the team do it and see how this changes the way they dress, just an idea :) Love to you all and the amazing CupofJo community.

Inspired by a recent cup of Jo post I bought red sneakers and am loving them so much!

I feel so “me” in pink or coral. I have a bunch of black clothing but never wear it because I look like death warmed over, as my Gram used to say. The color theory stuff that’s gotten popular lately is interesting too.

I’ve always been drawn to color….raspberry, orange, mossy and kelly greens…I even have a pink pair of Dansko clogs!

I wear color all year round, especially on dreary winter days.

My problem is that I love red on others and WANT to wear it but the emotional upheaval it creates in me when I do is just…weird. It makes me laugh because the discomfort is real. I have always planned to do a low stress outing (like, to get groceries) so I can make myself wear a red item and then process why it’s so difficult for me. I know. I sound insane. I also have the most incredible crayon green jacket that I would love to wear but I don’t live in a city and it also requires courage. That one will be a little easier, I just have to figure out the pants to wear with it. If paying for those Ayr jeans didn’t feel so frivolous I would wear those with it but … that’s a lot for jeans. They do look like an excellent cut however and I never wear jeans because I’m picky. Might take the plunge.

I love this love for color. When I had my baby (over 10 years ago) a concerned aunty asked my MIL to tell me to not wear so much black! my milk would dry up! (spoiler: it didn’t) but when my dad died shortly after, my clothing tastes suddenly shifted dramatically towards any color any time. Only in more recent years have I on purpose added back more black to my wardrobe (it just goes with everything!), but I’m always trying to pick any other color instead. I have at times gone down pinterest-holes of color analysis topics and I do have my preferred shades (more muted/softened/jeweled than true primary colors). I’m currently wearing black sweatpants and a sky-blue sweatshirt for a casual WFH day and the color makes all the difference to feeling like I got dressed for the day.

Thanks for the link to red dress in the p.s. just ordered it and a few others to try for an upcoming wedding. I hate shopping and have been looking for months. So nice to have someone else find the dress for me!

I’m primarily (lol) a secondary color person: orange, purple, and green forever, baby! But I love seeing other people pull off the primaries in spectacular (literal) fashion. It’s a good example of how “good for [them], not for me” doesn’t necessarily mean that what’s not for you is something you dislike. You can like it a lot, in other people’s fashion, homes, etc… and still know that your favorite thing is different.

I just bought the perfect yellow dress at TJ Maxx, and didn’t even make the connection to a favorite childhood ritual until reading this post! My grandmother was a professional artist (primarily painting but lots of other media too) and valued color in clothing more than any other factor. When I was a teenager, she’d take me shopping for my birthday (which happens to be in a few weeks). True to her dreamy artist disposition, she’d just wander the racks murmuring or exclaiming about the colors, while I picked out whatever I wanted. 10/10 recommend growing up with bohemian grandparents.

I love crayon colors! Once in awhile my preschoolers’ outfits make a perfect assorted box and we have to take a CRAYON DAY pic. I have a couple ideas for posts that I want to share. 1. Colors/ seasons. The whole what season are you? I would love to hear from some readers who’ve been analyzed and what it’s meant for them. And then, in general, how we use color in our lives for joy, or expression, or convenience etc. What that perfect shade of peacock blue or emerald green feels like? 2. What small things we use/ add/ notice, about every day activities, that add joy? Like, my beloved lavender bar soap from trader Joe’s in the bathroom, followed by favorite hand cream. The small vase of a few flowers in the window by the dish sink that make me smiling doing dishes. The beloved bunny baby towel that’s been handed down from all the children that still dries the last baby. 3. Birthday cakes. Favorite flavor. Fun simple ways to make special. Gooey cake ice cream to accompany. The special birthday giraffe plastic figure that sits on top. The special candles. The Favorite frosting. 4. Finally, your breakfast in bed order. The sky’s the limit. Setting, who delivers, the works. Fresh from the tree mangoes, peaberry coffee with cream and lots of sugar, on a lounge chair, on the beach, in Costa Rica, delivered by my husband (or Pedro Pascal).

Last week I put on my emerald green loafers and felt a lot better for it. Spring has sprung.

I am CRAVING color in my clothes right now, as well as big prints. It seems to me that head to toe neutrals only work when they look expensive, and that’s just not my vibe! You CoJ folks do sponsored posts so well…

My good rain jacket is bubble gum pink. I love being able to bring a pop of color to an otherwise gray day.

I’m wearing red loafers today, on our first 80 degree day of the year, and a little girl on her way to preschool on my city block yelled “I LIKE YOUR JACKET AND SHOES!” when she walked by. Made my day (and I complimented her (hot pink) shoes, too!)

Can I give a shout out to a cool company here in Ireland? They make gorgeous sweaters in a rainbow of colors – this one is my favorite (as seen on Sharon Horgan in Bad Sisters): https://irelandseyeknitwear.com/products/clover-cropped-aran-cardigan-green-marl They make a great souvenir for anyone visiting and you can generally find them in any Aran wool shop (of which there are loads). The Clover cardigan runs small, but I’m not sure of the others – they’re lovely people if you reach out with any questions!

Man I love crayon colors — it’s m a bright spring and it’s my palette… but it hard!! We can go for YEARS without seeing these hues on racks. Having a ‘buy once buy right’ attitude is really important bc who know when you’ll find a bright yellow button down again!

I love these style posts and I want to say that I understand and support the COJ’s need for sponsorships and its thoughtfulness in the sponsorships it chooses. Now, to immediately purchase that gorgeous Doen dress.

Once I had a baby, I became tank top and black yoga pants girl. Middle school drop off and pick up usually sees me in roughly the same, maybe newer. It’s easy, it’s SoCal friendly, it saves me time and brain juice, (i am NOT a morning person). I add color with scarves (365), bags & bangles, but it does get monotonous. This post has me so cheered up and jazzed! We have a much longed & saved for trip to Maui this Summer, and I have been slowly building a fun, colorful section of closet to take – pastel blue striped cotton poplin skirt! Floppy floral palazzo pants in teal and melon! A bright pink voluminous cotton maxi skirt! Bright turquoise silky pajama style pants! Navy and cream striped drawstring linen beach pants…I am so excited, and today’s post just lifted my spirits & helped me out of a blue mood. I can’t wait to wear colors this Summer. Who knows, with help from COJ I might even do it before I hit Hawaii.

The thing I’m swooning over is the red sneaker styling in the Nordstrom link – the final image has little charms and beads woven into the laces! What! Rummaging through my jewelry drawer to see how fast I can copy this.

Ohhhh! A striped shirt always makes me feel like I’ve elevated my outfit just a bit.

Yes, we’re ready for some brightness and cheer to balance out . . . well, everything else at the moment. Bring on the crayon colors and “very chic clowns”! Does anyone have a clue about the cute red sandals with the Rails shirt? They’re gorgeous!

I am usually an all black dresser, but would make an exception for some fun red shoes! This is a great Spring round up!

I have another perspective on advertisements and sponsorships on COJ/Big Salad as a really long-time reader (circa 2008, during Joanna’s Smitten c/o Glamour days…). If Joanna and/or Alison are willing and able to share some further insight, I’d be really curious and imagine other readers might be, too, based on some recent comments asking for posts on days in the life of the COJ team or glimpses behind the scenes. Generally, I don’t mind sponsored posts on COJ or Big Salad as I understand these partnerships allow the businesses to operate. (Most recently, I consider Jannelle’s 6 month maternity leave, which is, sadly, far from the norm in working America, but represents the values I admire in COJ to value its people/community and take a committed political and social stance, even if it’s not the popular approach.) I’ve written personal blogs in the past and they take tons of work from conceptualizing posts, drafting and revising the writing, tinkering with the site’s formatting or coding, and taking or editing visuals, to say nothing of hoping the posts reach an audience or bring in any compensation. I wrote for years and had, at most, five comments. And that was ok! I didn’t enjoy the promotional or business side of blogging, so any readers came my way organically. I cannot fathom the amount of added work it has taken for Joanna and team to learn how to make a women’s lifestyle blog a monetizable business for over 15 years, and one that affords a handful of staff and freelancers a living wage with benefits, at that. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the link to COJ’s “Sponsored” posts category to see how many have been published in the past year. From one spring Babaa post to another, I counted 20. At most, I saw 3 sponsored posts in one month; on the other end, there were a few 2-3 month stretches without any such posts. That doesn’t strike me as very many, especially in light of 5-10 posts per week on the blog, 4-6 newsletters a month on Big Salad, and several posts/stories a week on Instagram. Historically, perhaps as early as 2009-10, I remember a time when COJ had static banner ads (at least I think that’s what they were called!) on the right hand side. I believe she’d have as many as 12 sponsors with banners/links of various sizes, all of which seemed like organic fits for the blog. Many of those brands were partners for years on end! Occasionally, the brands paid more to sponsor a post on the blog, most often in the form of a free giveaway for readers. That felt exciting, as a reader to have a minuscule chance of winning a morse code necklace, beautiful cardigan, or leather tote just for being a consistent visitor of the site! I discovered some brands I genuinely liked, and which aligned well with my values, such as Cuyana, Catbird, Lewis, and Bario Neal, amongst others. Have I made purchases from them all? No, but I have admired from afar, learned something new, or discovered something that I’ve bookmarked for later if the time comes (e.g. a cool hotel in Ireland). In all these years, I feel like a good 90-95% of the sponsoring companies/products have been a great match for COJ and its readers, and I think that’s really impressive. One of the rare misses, many, many years ago, was a partnership with a bottled water brand that didn’t resonate with readers due to its randomness and inconsistent environmental values. In the comments, Joanna graciously accepted and acknowledged constructive criticism and has avoided partnerships with similar companies since that time. Even still, I remember that the post was well done and visually creative (she took a beautiful family bike ride, had pretty photos along the waterfront, and looked genuinely happy)… it just ended with a sponsored by [water company] at the end which struck readers the wrong way. I actually miss some of the old sponsored posts because I liked seeing Joanna a little more front and center on the blog, doing things out and about in Brooklyn or showcasing some of the style trends of the time (how else would I have learned that pink skinny jeans were cool in 2012, if not for Joanna?!). These days, sponsored posts more often consist of a link list, similar to today’s post, and that’s fine! Would I prefer some of the older Nordstrom sponsored posts, such has three fun hairstyles with Caroline or Reagan or friends/readers using Nordstrom hair products? Or readers trying on spring lipsticks? Admittedly, yes. I’m sure COJ could revisit some of those ideas if they wanted to! They read as truer partnerships because we could see Joanna and friends using/engaging with the sponsored products/services, rather than writing about them. Again, I really don’t mind the sponsored posts from well-vetted brands. In light of the blog and newsletter’s consistent vetting of brands for partnerships, I would love to better understand why COJ has the popup banner/video ads along the right hand side and bottom of the webpage. In stark contrast to the hand-selected partners of written posts, these advertisements strike me as completely random and visually inconsistent with the tone/aesthetic of the blog. They’re at best somewhat annoying when reading on a computer screen, but at worst completely distracting when reading on a smaller phone/tablet screen. Most disappointing is when the advertisement appears inline, in the midst of a paragraph of a post, and interrupts the flow of reading. Right now, in my right margin, I’m seeing a rotation of auto-playing video ads (mercifully on mute!) for Wicked on Peacock, banks, home cleaning devices, cruise lines, and heartburn medication. In a banner at the bottom, taking up 1/6 of my screen’s height, is a rotation of billboard like ads for Sephora, insurance, medicine, banks, and more. Again, I’m not opposed to ads, but these ones aren’t hand-selected for authentic partnership and careful presentation to the readership but rather random in their message, morals, and presentation. If I could wave my magic wand, I would eliminate these ads which detract from the reading experience and are unavoidable and replace them with more frequent sponsored posts which, if I truly didn’t want to read them, could be skipped. These written posts are, at the very least, clearly labeled and don’t interfere with the site’s readability. Tldr (and I’m so sorry this has become such a long comment! I hadn’t realized how many thoughts I had on the subject, but, as a longtime reader, thought they may be of some small value to other readers or Alison/Joanna): could we actually have *more* sponsored posts, if that meant doing away with the more distracting—and frankly ugly—rotating banner/sidebar ads? Could you share some insight as to why COJ chooses to use this form of advertising? I imagine it’s because it’s consistent, passive income when sponsored posts are likely harder to come by and more laborious to implement, but would like to hear it from you all! xoxo a longtime, admiring reader

oh man this post is for ME. my husband looked at my (primary colored gingham on gingham on gingham) outfit today and said “you look like a very very very very very very very chic clown.” could’ve used A FEW MORE VERY’S DAVID. shout out to my fellow chic clowns out there, keeping it real!

Love the striped linen shirt at the top! It reminds me of this Southerner’s favorite summer fabric- seersucker. I have red&white, cobalt &white, and orange&white shirts so far and am always looking for more. And, yes, part of the appeal is the crayon colors.

For locals, the bistro on the 5th floor of the 57th street Nordies is everything you want in a department store eatery. I don’t shop there, I just go to the restaurant.

I have been looking for more colorful clothes ever since I became obsessed with Gaby’s outfits from Shrinking. There’s some good recommendations here, I’ll check them out!

A primary color makes me so happy

I’ll take the blue sweater and red shirt, pls! Also maybe time to write a love letter to your trusty denim skirt (again!)?

Genuine question meant with no snark. Has the ad strategy changed since Alison took over? I feel like I’m noticing way more ads these days so just curious. I know that’s how you pay your team etc etc but curious if the overall strategy has changed to include more sponsored posts?