I write this aboard AirTran Flight #299, returning home from a very short but sweet visit to my snowbird sister and brother-in-law, in Boynton Beach, Florida. A twoday megadose of summer-in-February spent at their retirement community gave me a taste of retirement living as well as of Florida’s sunlight and vibrant color. Indeed, I saw people wearing fuchsia, sunny yellow, and teal in the middle of the winter. I snapped pictures of pink flamingos in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, heard the screech of deep green parrots in the palms, and combed the inky blue Gulf Stream beach for exotic seashells. I thought of my friend Elaine’s comment: “Stepping off the plane in Florida reminds me of the movie The Wizard of Oz, which starts in dreary black and white and changes to explosive color when Dorothy emerges from her house in the Land of Oz.”
I also couldn’t help but notice how everyone seemed in an unusually happy mood. Activities that these seniors were once lucky to squeeze into
their workweeks were now centers of their attention – like mall shopping, eating three square meals a day, playing games like “Mexican Train,” and even taking in the mail! Was it only because they were no longer slaving at the job? Or was it because of the warmth and beauty of this exotic place? Away from the bone-chilling drabness of Baltimore, albeit temporarily, I found myself pondering the profound effects of climate, seasons, and color on us all.
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I began my research by speaking to Baltimoreans who had made the switch from a warmer climate. What were their impressions? How did they adjust?
“The first year I was here I was in culture and weather shock,” admits Dr. Chaya Bina Samuels, who relocated to Baltimore from Irvine, California, with her husband and family. “I honestly did not know what seasons were before. I had read books about winter, spring, summer, and fall. But I didn’t understand what the big deal was. In California, the summer is a little hotter, and the winter is a little cooler. You only need one jacket, and it hardly rains. When it does rain, that’s winter! When I got to Baltimore, I was in awe of the spring. The tulips just shoot out of the ground, and the leaves miraculously come back onto the trees. It is amazing. I have never seen anything like it. And the colors in the fall are so vibrant and beautiful. I really enjoy it.
“The first time I saw snow fall in Baltimore, it was so beautiful and silent,” continues Dr. Samuels. “We went out and started playing in it. Everyone was asking what we were doing. They said we had to shovel the sidewalks. I didn’t understand what they were saying; snow is for playing. Then I had to drive in it. Not fun. I am a terrible driver in the snow. I avoid carpool and make my husband do it. I have to say that, all in all, I am coping very well with the weather now (after six years); I know how to be prepared. I have to psych myself up for the winter sometimes. Will I ever get used to it? Probably not, but I deal with it much better.”
Leiba Gornbein found a built-in support group when she moved to Baltimore from California, over eight years ago. The Gornbeins’ next door neighbors, the Kelemers, also relocated here from California just a couple of months later. “Erica and I went through it together,” reminisces Mrs. Gornbein, “consulting others to find out where to buy all the cold-weather gear. We learned, the first year, that everyone buys their winter clothing in early fall. Nothing was available in the stores, so we had to order online.
“My kids love the change of weather, especially snow! I’m still not used to putting on a coat, gloves, and a scarf before venturing outside. However, I love spring and fall. They only last a week or two, but it’s so beautiful, and the perfect weather is perfect, weather that my body craves and doesn’t take for granted anymore. Now, when it’s sunny and 50 degrees outside, it’s a great day. I never would have said that living in California!”
Leah, another transplanted California, says, “When I first moved to the East Coast from Los Angeles, I thought all I had to do was put on a coat when it was cold. It took me a long time to learn that you need to dress in layers, and that protecting your extremities with tights, boots, gloves, and hat is what really keeps you warm.”
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The weather is about so much more than how much rain, sleet, or snow falls and how much utilitarian clothing you need. It also dictates fashion. We know that people in warm climates like India and Mexico gravitate toward bright colors. But the peasant dress in colder regions of the world – like China, Mongolia, Lapland, Hungary, and Poland – also features bright reds, blues, and greens. Still, the climate does seem to matter. “When I got to Boston and New York from California,” says Leah, “I was struck by the muddy, boring colors, but now I dress that way, too.” Culture is a big factor, too. “Frum fashion” tends toward subdued colors – especially, in the past 20 or 30 years, lots of black.
Miriam Maghen, a fashion designer for Miri Couture, in Long Island, a store that features exclusive, one-of-akind creations, sheds some light on
these matters: “The rules of fashion dictate that bright colors are to be worn in the spring and summer months while darker colors are for fall and winter,” says Ms. Maghen. “Because people in warmer climates always have nice sunny weather, it’s acceptable for them to choose brighter summer colors even in winter. In states like New York and New Jersey, the weather is cool during most of the year, so people tend to wear darker colors. When they travel down south for vacation, however, it’s the colorful clothing they take along with them.”
Miri Couture’s many customers have varied needs regarding the color of clothing, says Ms. Maghen. “Black will always be a highly requested color, because it works with everything, always looks good, and can be worn all year round. Customers who are shopping for a family occasion or simcha, such as a kalla or mother of a bar mitzva boy, often request color because they want to stand out from the crowd.”
I was curious about Ms. Maghen’s opinion of the makeup and clothes color system, Color Me Beautiful. This scheme analyzes the skin and hair tone of a woman and classifies her as one of the four seasons. Those whose skin is blue-based, or cool (Winters and Summers) look best in colors that are also cool, like royal and navy blue, powder blue, fire-engine red, true pinks, Kelly green, cool grays, black, and white. Those whose skin is warm, or yellow based (Springs and Falls) look good in warm colors like oranges and corals, turquoise, lime and olive greens, golds, and browns. Ms. Maghen said, “I think Color Me Beautiful is a brilliant concept. Every person has certain colors that always look amazing on her, and it’s definitely based on her skin tone. Sometimes you can wear something very simple, but if the color works for you, it will look terrific regardless of the style. I feel that everyone should get to know the colors that work for her. The easiest way to figure it out is by looking at your makeup foundation. If it is yellow-based, you have warm-toned skin; if it is pinkbased, you have cool-toned skin.”
Anyone who has had the experience of going to shul – or even a wedding – and finding herself the only one in a light beige suit or colored dress will be happy to know that the blackonly trend has been “officially” declared (in an article in Bina magazine!) to be on the way out. Unfortunately, it is mainly the young girls who are brave enough to climb on the new color bandwagon. Most of us are still “wedded” to black – or maybe we just haven’t gotten around to shopping for new outfits. But if you would like to “lighten up” and are finding it difficult, Ms. Maghen suggests starting small. “Add a bright belt or accessory to an otherwise dark outfit. Next time, upgrade to one colorful piece of clothing, such as a skirt or cardigan. You will slowly transition to a brighter, more vivid wardrobe.”
I asked Ms. Meghan if it is possible that a person’s mood is determined by the colors she wears. In other words, if you wear bright or pastel colors, is it more likely that it will put you in a better mood?
“No,” she answered, “I don’t feel that wearing certain color has an effect on your mood. I do feel, however, that the color she chooses to wear is a result of her mood. A person who is in a good or happy mood will probably choose to wear fun colors, while a person in a bad mood might choose to wear duller colors. Color and fashion are two of those most important forms of self-expression,” she concludes, “so put that extra effort into deciding what colors and styles to wear for your next outing or event. Your style should reflect who you are!”
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Maybe your mood does not depend on your color choice, but the seasons really do have an effect on people. One friend told me that she suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year, usually in the fall or winter. She snaps out of it by sitting near a bright light that mimics natural outdoor light. Light therapy, also known as “bright light therapy” or “phototherapy” supposedly affects brain chemicals linked to mood, thereby easing SAD symptoms.
Although the exact cause of SAD is not known, the influence of latitude on this condition strongly suggests that it is correlated with changes in the availability of sunlight. According to the Cleveland Clinic (my.clevelandclinic. org), “Between four and six percent of the U.S. population suffers from SAD, while 10 to 20 percent may suffer from a milder form of winter blues. Three-quarters of the sufferers are women, most of whom are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Though SAD is most common during these ages, it can also occur in children and adolescents. Older adults are less likely to experience SAD. This illness is more commonly seen in people who live at high latitudes (geographic locations farther north or south of the equator), where seasonal changes are more extreme. It is estimated that one percent of Florida residents, four percent of Washington, D.C. residents, and nearly 10 percent of Alaska residents suffer from SAD.”
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Spring is officially here, baruch Hashem. As the sun bathes us with warmth and light – as we watch the unfolding of new green leaves and the sprouting of the crocuses and daffodils, the tulips and azaleas, each in its proper turn – we don’t need scientific research to know that we feel good. The end of a cold winter and the rebirth of warmth and color are gifts from Hashem – which brings me back to Florida. Perhaps my fondest memory of the trip will be the insight I gained and the appreciation I feel for our wonderful, colorful world!â—†
©Margie Pensak-2013
