When I was a kid, I remember getting to watch the Wizard of Oz each year – I can’t remember which aunt’s house marked the annual occasion, but I can still feel the carpet on my elbows as I propped myself up, the excited butterflies that would come a-flutterin’ when the MGM lion would roar at the start of the film, and the brave face I would (un)successfully put on any time the witch would appear (all I can say is, she had some serious unresolved anger management issues).
While there is a whole lot of magical goodness to revel in (sparkly shoes non-withstanding), my favorite part of the movie was always when Dorothy would fall from the sky and open the door to Oz for the first time, revealed in all its technicolor glory. After the first 5 minutes of being in black and white, my brain would forget I was in a world of greyscale, only to be accosted by the full ROYGBIV spectrum in a dazzling moment of what was (at the time) some impressive special effects.
I remember seeing this dress for the first time at Butch Wax Vintage – it felt like that moment when Dorothy opens the door. So bright and vibrant and bursting with colors that are so rich they almost don’t seem real….
I think I’ve felt a kinship to good ol’ Dot ever since those screenings as a kid. Much like Dorothy, I’m highly prone to chasing adventure (and red sparkly shoes). But, I think I identified with her most in that moment when she take a deep breath and opens the door. That while the world of grey might be safe and comfortable in blissful unawareness, it’s always worth taking a deep breath and welcoming in new possibilities. From bright new discoveries to unrealized, hard truths. To a world that doesn’t accept the complacency of monochrome.
While I didn’t realize it at the time, looking back I wonder if her opening that door to full technicolor was like leaving behind the innocence of ignorance, boldly opening Pandora’s box to see the colors of the world. To acknowledge the good, the bad, the ugly…and never settle for coloring inside the lines.
As I think it true for many of us, these past few months have definitely been an awakening of sorts for me – to seeing some of the best in people, and some of the worst. To acknowledging just how many true colors exist in that Crayola Box. And in opening my eyes to the parts of my own life that were tucked in safe monochrome. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that the most terrifying part is simply deciding to open the door.
May we all let the color flood in.
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: Butch Wax Vintage (similar modern and vintage here, here & here)
Necklace: street fair (similar)
Belt: Alannah Hill (similar)
Handbag: La Belle Vintage (similar here & here)
Shoes: Seychelles (similar here & here)
Lip Color: Dior Rouge 634
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