Originally written: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
The Colors According to Men
Adam felt his throat constrict as he watched Eve walk down the stairs. He felt a tug in his heart watching her smile her exclusive smile for him. He can't believe how lucky he is for having Eve in his life. He didn't know what he has done to deserve her, he just liked to think he must have been good to be blessed with this wonderful woman. She looked so beautiful and radiant in her elegant purple gown. A lavender shawl was draped on her bare shoulders, creating a pleasant combination.

After a few minutes, Eve reached his side and asked, "Enjoying your party, my prince?"
"Of course I am. Though I would have wanted to spend my birthday alone with you" replied Adam.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard two ladies arguing not a few feet away from them.

"Who is that woman in peach gown?" Adam asked his wife.

"That is Sarah Connors, wife of James Connors - the Ambassador to Grenada" Eve answered.

"And her opponent in fuschia pink gown is....?"

"Natalie Smith, James's PA and.....current mistress."

A few months ago, while I was reading a book, one particular scene caught my attention because the woman's clothes was described through a man's point of view. And somehow that doesn't seem right to me.

I won't mention the book, but in that particular scene, the woman was wearing a purple dress with a lavender jacket, thus my example on the story above. And her clothes was scene from a man's point of view. Somehow I doubt the credibility of the woman's dress.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not trying to say that the men don't know colors. I just think that the men think and describe colors in the most general terms like blue, green, pink, red, violet etc.

I have discovered this based from experiences. One time I was wearing a fuschia pink shirt and our male friend said that I was wearing a red shirt. I was shocked but I did not bother to correct him.

Then just a month or two ago, we were watching one of the awards Red Carpet in the E! channel. One of our male friends exclaimed that he thinks the one in pink gown was hot. When I looked at the TV no one was in pink gown. All I see were women in black, white, red, and peach - but no pink. When we asked him who, he pointed out the one wearing the...yes, you guessed it, peach gown.

And just last week, one lady came to our office to apply for a job. She was wearing a purple blouse while her companion was wearing a blue. When they left afterwards, Mr. Dong, my supervisor, told me that the one applying was the one wearing a violet. I wanted to laugh out loud and wanted to correct him that it was purple, not violet. He was the one who thought Ecru was a beautiful name for a cat, but doesn't know that it was a color until I told him.

In Linda Howard's Open Season, the heroine and her aunt had a test to determine whether a man is a manly man or not. He was asked if he knew what color is a puce? And the man stared hard at the woman as if she has gone crazy said that he doesn't know what a puce is. He only knows what a puke is. But the man has passed the test with flying colors. :D

In Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught, in one of the scene that was told in Kate's point of view, she put on a cream top and cream pants with designs at the side. When Kate was being described in Mitchell's POV afterwards, he described her as virginal in all white. Now, that is more realistic I think.

What I am trying to say is that somehow, I find it quite unbelievable when a man could describe a woman's gown cut, style, design and most especially the correct term for a shade of color to its minutest detail. It's just not a man's way I think.

So you see, this is again another issue I have when I was reading. Maybe its going on in a lot of books I have read in the past but I have just noticed this recently.
Posted by Sharon in Thinker mode at 3/21/2006 12:51:00 PM 3 comments

Labels: colors, man vs woman