Not suiting the colour yellow is no longer a valid reason not to.
I for one am extremely tired of hearing ‘XXX is the new black’. But, this time it’s real. Yellow like Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflowers, like Beyonce fabulously smashing up cars, like Snapchat, like Amal Clooney trouncing everyone (Meghan included?) at the Royal Wedding. This single shade that’s been reductively called ‘Gen Z’ yellow is coming for your wardrobe this summer.
Unlike the vanilla-ness of white, yellow is drenched with culture. Unpopping it requires disavowing what it’s done for art, music and literature – think of Yellow Wallpaper, one of the first published feminist narratives. On the latter point, the changing way of yellow, it’s uncanniness and gender neutrality has a political undertone that explains its pressing relevance to feminism and protest. Like millennial pink before it, it’s equally optimistic and nostalgic. However, unlike its predecessor, it’s zesty and energetic, a real mood setter.
That image of Amal wearing Stella McCartney with George Clooney beaming on her arm is the standard bearer for the new trend. It appeared on the runways of Rodarte, Kenzo and Calvin Klein as well as playing a key role in spring’s street style scene. Yet, it was when Bella Hadid pitched up at Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton men’s catwalk show in a zingy neon suit with matching nails it was impossible to ignore the full-whack of this powerful shade.
Admittedly it doesn’t seem like the easiest hue to wear – honestly, orange would be softer on the complexion – but its unapologetic brightness is its appeal. While the heatwave burns on a colour this vivid settles under the sunlight. Look to Ralph & Russo, Marques’Almeida, Whistles and Kitri for a zesty injection.
