I wear black.

A lot.

If I’m not in all black, there’s something black somewhere on my person. Some people say head-to-toe black is an advertising thing, but, for me, it’s simply an ease-of-getting-ready thing.

I remember the first time I threw on all black before heading out the door for work. It was 2003. I remember the apartment I was living in, I remember sunlight streaming into my bedroom window, I remember being short on time and I remember spotting a black skirt and black sweater hanging in my closet. Great. Done and done in record time, and sans any color coordination issues.

Rushing in the morning is one of my least favorite things. It makes me flustered; beads of sweat are proof of my agitation. I’ve been known to snag a migraine if the rushing is epic in size. So when throwing on all black took the what-to-wear-ness out of the morning equation, I was elated. From that day forward, black has made its way into my closet on a relatively consistent basis. If not black, then gray. White is a distant third place. Unless denim counts…in which case white follows denim.

Shopping for this year’s holiday party presented a unique challenge, however. I have a large selection of black cocktail dresses that I thought I’d dust off…but they were too big. Not the worst problem in the world to have, I admit.

Still married to the idea of continuing my black theme, I figured that going for something dripping with black sparkle would be different enough.

…really? Nah.

What to do…what to do.

I browsed. I browsed some more. And then I found it.

It was blue.

Not the most festive holiday color, but the shade reminds me of a stormy ocean. It’s a calming color, a soothing color.

I was drawn to multiple black options in the store, but I figured that I can wear black any day of the week. What’s wrong with a little color? Why not veer away from the expected? How about pushing the ol’ comfort boundaries?

Who knew that lessons exist while dress shopping? Not I. Tonight I am thankful for them, and for their gentle nudge back into the world of color. Even if only for one night.