Why does nothing come in vibrant jewel tones?
August 6, 2020 4:16 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for clothing in vibrant colors. Specifically, comfy cotton clothing. I am looking for tights and dresses especially.
I loved the bright colors EG Smith tights used to come in at SockDreams and just checked the website and was disappointed that they now only come in purple. Where can I find brightly colored cotton tights?
I also have been looking for a nice jersey (or other fabric, this one doesn't have to be cotton) vibrant green dress (like the color of the ask metafilter page or especially the lighter green highlight color.) Any tips on where to find that? Thank you!
I’m currently a size 2-4.
I loved the bright colors EG Smith tights used to come in at SockDreams and just checked the website and was disappointed that they now only come in purple. Where can I find brightly colored cotton tights?
I also have been looking for a nice jersey (or other fabric, this one doesn't have to be cotton) vibrant green dress (like the color of the ask metafilter page or especially the lighter green highlight color.) Any tips on where to find that? Thank you!
I’m currently a size 2-4.
Best answer: I also like really bright colors and let me tell you, we are in a terrible moment in history right now completely separate from the unprecedented times™ in which we are living. It started in mid 2016 with the rise of Millennial Pink and we have been suffering in muted shades of blush and beige ever since. CLOTHING DESIGNERS HEAR MY CRY, RELEASE US FROM THIS PRISON OF TASTEFUL NEUTRALS!!!! The only place I have seen saturated colors in any brick and mortar store for at least two years is on the clearance rack, where they'll have like 3 or four off size jackets in cookie monster blue.
I'm trying to think and I'm pretty certain nearly all of my recent bright colored clothing has been impulse bought from Instagram ads, where quality, sizing, fabric, and manufacture standards are all a big mystery shruggo. But at least Instagram is trying. The rest has been similarly dodgy sellers on Amazon--same problems. You might find your dress on Amazon.
You might also check out and see if there's anything up your alley on We Love Colors. Back when I was into tights I had SO MANY tights from them. Other than that... .. . I will be watching this thread with interest.
posted by phunniemee at 4:37 PM on August 6, 2020 [14 favorites]
I'm trying to think and I'm pretty certain nearly all of my recent bright colored clothing has been impulse bought from Instagram ads, where quality, sizing, fabric, and manufacture standards are all a big mystery shruggo. But at least Instagram is trying. The rest has been similarly dodgy sellers on Amazon--same problems. You might find your dress on Amazon.
You might also check out and see if there's anything up your alley on We Love Colors. Back when I was into tights I had SO MANY tights from them. Other than that... .. . I will be watching this thread with interest.
posted by phunniemee at 4:37 PM on August 6, 2020 [14 favorites]
Best answer: decent exposures will make shirt dresses to order
posted by brujita at 4:41 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by brujita at 4:41 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Hard second for Gudrun Sjoden! The Molly Dolly dress maybe?
I also recommend:
Yana Dee
Karina
Matrushka (more patterns than solids, don't know if that matters)
posted by kalimac at 4:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
I also recommend:
Yana Dee
Karina
Matrushka (more patterns than solids, don't know if that matters)
posted by kalimac at 4:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
I feel your pain. I just picked up a shirt in a lovely shade of carmine from the thrift store. I gave up on the normal stores, search for my bright colors and nice fabrics at Goodwill. It's hit or miss, but I've found some great things that way.
posted by Crystal Fox at 4:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Crystal Fox at 4:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Eshakti, who makes clothing to order, has you covered - they have alllllll sorts of jersey cotton dresses in all sorts of colours - and they all have pockets! Here is their site filtered to just cotton spandex. I own lots of their dresses and the quality is extremely excellent.
posted by urbanlenny at 4:51 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by urbanlenny at 4:51 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
I like the French brand Sessùn...here are some of their jewel-green dresses.
posted by pinochiette at 5:13 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 5:13 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Boden usually has stuff in nice colors. Here's their current selection in green dresses.
And they're not cotton, but We Love Colors for tights
posted by brainmouse at 5:20 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
And they're not cotton, but We Love Colors for tights
posted by brainmouse at 5:20 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Snag tights does all sorts of bright coloured tights for all sizes
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:45 PM on August 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Chapati out of Germany has high quality knit clothing with saturated colors and unique style. I don’t think I’ve seen anything there in neutral tones. Last time in Berlin, we found so many amazing pieces here, we had to buy an extra suitcase to bring it home😬.
posted by oxisos at 5:48 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by oxisos at 5:48 PM on August 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Macys.com lets you filter by color among others. I see several bright green cotton dresses. I always buy $100 worth of stuff to get free shipping and free returns, and just send back what doesn't work.
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:19 PM on August 6, 2020
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:19 PM on August 6, 2020
Chapati! I bought a bright green knit coat from them years and years ago, and I have literally stopped people on the street, because it's bright and dramatic and amazingly constructed. It's got like one teeny-tiny hole in it, after years of fairly hard wear*. Cannot recommend highly enough.
(*Less so recently, admittedly -- it's shockingly warm for what's essentially just a doubleknit wool, actually a bit too warm for Seattle winters.)
posted by kalimac at 6:30 PM on August 6, 2020
(*Less so recently, admittedly -- it's shockingly warm for what's essentially just a doubleknit wool, actually a bit too warm for Seattle winters.)
posted by kalimac at 6:30 PM on August 6, 2020
Thredup - when you shop from the past, you escape the constraints of trends.
posted by bunderful at 6:42 PM on August 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by bunderful at 6:42 PM on August 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
Ureshii does lots of knit clothing, made to measure in a variety of solid colors.
posted by brookeb at 6:46 PM on August 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by brookeb at 6:46 PM on August 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
Boden has jewel tones a-plenty, as well as several MeFi-green dresses!
posted by erst at 8:06 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by erst at 8:06 PM on August 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
Seems like more of these than not are not cotton.
I really aim for clothes that will someday rot back into the earth so I'm always looking for natural fiber clothing and it's really hard to find! If you've got the body/style for it, which I don't, Indian dresses have great colors and often come in cotton.
In general through, I just find a piece here and a piece there.
posted by small_ruminant at 8:14 PM on August 6, 2020
I really aim for clothes that will someday rot back into the earth so I'm always looking for natural fiber clothing and it's really hard to find! If you've got the body/style for it, which I don't, Indian dresses have great colors and often come in cotton.
In general through, I just find a piece here and a piece there.
posted by small_ruminant at 8:14 PM on August 6, 2020
All Colors/Shop by Color page at Kettlewell Colours' USA portal. Saturated colors incl. jewel tones and vivid greens; few dresses at the moment, unfortunately.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:07 PM on August 6, 2020
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:07 PM on August 6, 2020
So, depending on what your body is shaped like this may not be an option but most of my bright clothes are from crewcuts, the J. Crew children's line, in boys' size 14. They are delightfully preppy, and also cheap considering their quality since they're made to be worn hard by teenage boys but priced to be grown out of by next year. Highly recommended if you can wear boys' sizes!
posted by potrzebie at 9:34 PM on August 6, 2020
posted by potrzebie at 9:34 PM on August 6, 2020
Response by poster: I think the shade of green I’m looking for is probably called olive if that helps.
Re: cotton, I strongly prefer tights be cotton (wool can be good too). I don’t mind if the dresses are some other comfy material.
posted by azalea_chant at 9:44 PM on August 6, 2020
Re: cotton, I strongly prefer tights be cotton (wool can be good too). I don’t mind if the dresses are some other comfy material.
posted by azalea_chant at 9:44 PM on August 6, 2020
I’ve gotten some nice jewel toned shirts from Banana Republic, and they appear to have dresses in bright colors too, including some in green.
posted by ferret branca at 6:42 AM on August 7, 2020
posted by ferret branca at 6:42 AM on August 7, 2020
The Reformation has some emerald green dresses and they’re having a sale right now. Many of their dresses aren’t bra friendly, but they note that in the description.
A lighter green
posted by Maeve at 8:30 AM on August 7, 2020
A lighter green
posted by Maeve at 8:30 AM on August 7, 2020
I’ve recently been really digging the colors from Jungmaven — it’s all hemp and cotton, and so far the quality has been great and the colors are bright and saturated. They recently added a tshirt dress, and the “aspen gold” color might work for you? There’s also a jumper dress that would be super-cute with tights and comes in kelly green. If you’re looking for other basics, they’ve got some great colors, but availability for any particular style can be hit-or-miss.
posted by duien at 9:06 AM on August 7, 2020
posted by duien at 9:06 AM on August 7, 2020
Seasalt
They use organic cotton, bamboo, linen and modal. Lots of rich jewel tones including greens. They carry sizes from UK 6-24 (so should have a US 2-4 covered, I think?) and ship internationally
posted by kumonoi at 2:06 AM on August 8, 2020
They use organic cotton, bamboo, linen and modal. Lots of rich jewel tones including greens. They carry sizes from UK 6-24 (so should have a US 2-4 covered, I think?) and ship internationally
posted by kumonoi at 2:06 AM on August 8, 2020
This is exactly what got me into hand-dyeing clothes. Dyeable white cotton or silk clothing from Dharma Trading Company, dyed with permanent, easy-to-use Procion fiber reactive dyes, which are set at room temperature with ordinary washing soda, can be literally any color you want. Break free from the tyranny of the international color planning conspiracy!
posted by chromium at 1:34 PM on August 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by chromium at 1:34 PM on August 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:36 PM on August 6, 2020 [9 favorites]