Nature as inspiration

That's a ring-billed gull at upper left; three elegant terns, very stylish with their black mohawk hairdos and bright orange bills; a black skimmer in lovely dark brown plumage in the centre; and, rocking dark red stockings and bills, four laughing gulls.

What unifies these is the idea of various shades of black, brown, grey, and white, with yellow, orange, and red as accents. I totally could see dressing like a gull, skimmer, or tern: grey or brown jacket, a coordinating darker shade of grey, black or brown skirt/pants, black or dark red shoes/boots, a white blouse or dress with a bright flame-coloured accessory (scarf, hat, belt, gloves, purse, etc), or alternatively, a bright coloured blouse with a long brilliant white scarf and hat....



The range of possibilities these birds suggest is wonderful. And life - aka our fave fabric providers - offers us so many wonderful options for shades and textures of grey with which to begin the fun....

Stella McCartney and Givenchy must've been strolling the same beach when designing their collections - pairing exactly that concept of neutral and grey/black/white, with brilliant yellow-orange-red accents. Timeless.