Blooming Monday ……

According to Mental Health Research UK, Monday 20 January 2014 is allegedly Blooming Monday ………the most depressing day of the year.  It falls in that space between Christmas and Spring, where both feel a long way away.  

Workplaces are often a sea of neutrals, grey, black and if you’re lucky, navy.  MHRUK refer to it as ‘sombre attire’ – and they’re not wrong!  However, I don’t agree that many workplaces require this sombre attire.  True, some do, but it doesn’t have to be sombre.  Even the more formal business environments allow opportunities to use light shades as alternatives to white for shirts and tops or to inject colour through ties and accessories, thereby creating a more colourful and stylish impact. 

The workplace is awash with neutrals because most people aren't certain which strong or bright colours suit them or know how to confidently combine and wear them in an interesting and appropriate way. 

Open your wardrobe, take a look - unless you’re a House of Colour client of long standing, you’ll probably see a range of neutrals punctuated by 1 or 2 colours and if you have more than a core of 6 colours, Pareto’s principle will almost certainly apply; this suggests you’ll actually wear only 20% of your wardrobe  80% of the time, meaning the world will see you in a limited colour spectrum of the 2 or 3 core colours you are most familiar/comfortable with.

In order to raise awareness about depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), MHRUK suggests employing the simple trick of wearing your brightest (and, horror of horrors, clashing!) clothes to work on Monday 20^th January. 

Mental health has affected many of us directly or indirectly either through friends, colleagues or family, so help MHRUK’s campaign by donating by text. For less than the price of your next cup of coffee, text BLOO22 £2 to 70070.  Or for a chance to win a Blooming Monday t-shirt, join the competition on their Facebook page.  The most spectacularly outlandish, neon, clashing outfit will win!

Maybe you can relate to my son's position; he would rather be the only child at a fancy dress party wearing his own clothes.  If this is the case, you can learn how to brighten up your look appropriately while maintaining the consistency required to retain/reinforce/support your authority in your work place.  If presented in line with your normal look, it will serve to promote your profile. 

So join us by getting rid of those dark winter clothes and injecting a splash of colour into the workplace, school or University next Monday!  It could just be an accessory, a bright scarf or tie, or you could try a totally new ‘work’ look.  You never know, if you take it steady, you may be able to maintain it for the whole of January.... encouraging everyone to brighten up generally!

We’ll be selecting and wearing our brightest, most cheerful colours, check out our Facebook page for a photo on Monday and enjoy a stylishly colourful time!