Blue and Green should never be seen, except as a contrast or with something inbetween
I’ve often wondered about this rhyme, as I love blue and green together and think they look great. Having made a brief online search as to the origins of the rhyme and its meaning I am none the wiser. There does not seem to be a definitive sartorial explanation, in fact the origins of the phrase may not be found in dressing and clothes making but somewhere else entirely.
I found another phrase “Brown and Blue will never do” which equally does not seem, at first research, to have a definitive explanation. I love brown and blue together. Why won’t they do?
Phrases to live by, phrases to ignore
These phrases are confusing to me because we use them, as in we say them to each other, but then we ignore them rather than live by them or use them as a guide. Where does the authority of the phrase come from? And why do we say it if we don’t mean it or plan to live by it?
Conforming and Rebelling
Do we yearn for a code to conform, yet desire to flout it to demonstrate our independence? Do phrases such as the one above perfectly fit this dualistic mindset? We go to try a dress on, it’s blue and green. Emerging from the changing room we say to our friend, “What do you think?” She says, “You know what they say, blue and green….” (‘they’ is who this post is about, who first said this?) You say, either “True, I’ll leave it.”, or “I know, but I love it”. So the phrase gives you permission to choose either way.
Additional phrases to ignore
In terms of colour matching I also love black and brown together. May I propose, “Black and Brown will make you frown” as an additional phrase to bandy about which could make you choose either way. “Should I wear this? What do you think?” “Well, I’m not sure, black and brown will make you frown.” “Yes, well there will be a lot of frowning at the board meeting today so maybe it’s the perfect dress”.
Your own personal phrases to ignore
What phrases do you use when you are choosing what to wear or getting dressed? What phrases do you adhere to and which do you ignore? Or, what phrase have you made up which you use yourself, “Above the knee, doesn’t suit me”, or “You wear a lot of pink don’t you?” “Yes, pink pink makes you think. I wear it when I need to concentrate”.
Happy Sunday.
