Something in the Orange & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #720
I hope the title didn’t confuse you into thinking this was a Songful Style post featuring Zach Bryan’s Something in the Orange. I do really like that song although I find the lyrics a bit confusing. I guess that makes my confusing title appropriate, after all.
I suppose a more relevant title would have been Something About Orange because there really is something special about this vibrant and energizing color. But there truly is something in the orange of my dress…it’s a bunch of beautiful white leopards!
When you combine the meanings represented by the color of my dress and the symbolism of leopards, not only is this outfit eye-catching, it is also very telling about my personality.
I wouldn’t call my dress a true orange though. It is more of a red orange which actually makes it easier for me to wear. A true orange is a bit too heavy on the yellow to suit my skin tone.
This “Roaming Leopards” dress is a recent purchase from an end of season sale. The color is actually called Orange.com, which is very similar to Pantone’s Red Orange featured in the NYFW Autumn/Winter 2024/2025 Color Palette. The fabric is a rayon/spandex blend but it feels similar to stretchy tee shirt material, soft and comfortable, like a pajama outfit.
I think comfort is the first step towards confidence. You can’t feel great in your clothes if they don’t feel great on your body. This dress feels great on my body. It also has pockets and top notch swishability. I do love a swishy dress with pockets.
Next step to confident clothing is to add in a color that catches the eye.
Being a bold mixture of two powerful hues, the vibrant Red Orange color is connected to energy and empowerment. Because it is heavier on the red and lighter on the yellow, it exudes a passion that is playful, fun, and engaging. In many cultural contexts, Red Orange inspires optimism and strength while evoking feelings of vitality and wellness.
But what about the Leopards?
Like Red Orange, Leopards also symbolize strength and confidence but with a touch of stealth, perception, and bravery. Other symbolic interpretations of the Leopard include survival, authenticity, agility, and self-reliance. In many cultures and religions, Leopards are greatly respected as scared animals. They can represent intuition, karma, and courage as well as spiritual awareness and divine connection.
Leopards and Red Orange seem like a uniquely compatible combination, don’t you think?
What about the rest of it?
I needed a topper for my new leopard dress and I found that my DIY upcycled ugly dress was the perfect thing. The Red Orange color is a spot on match and the ditsy floral is an appropriate backdrop for the Roaming Leopards.
The tiny floral print on my duster has a tinge of a very light olive green in the leaves. So I used that earthier color as an accent to the bright red orange. I recently ordered two new pairs of Furkenstocks because I wore straight through my last two pairs. I got this olive green pair and a dark brown pair. I was only going to get one new pair but they were half off when I ordered. Since I had already planned to pay full price, I figured why not get two new pairs. And I am really glad that I did because I wear them nearly every day.
Keeping with all the green things, I carried my green Teddy Blake bag and added a green scarf and some green flowers to my straw hat. For my jewelry, I wore my wooden leopard print earrings, my green tree of life necklace, my wooden owl necklace, my caged crystal necklace, and my Shelbee mala beads.
Green is a dominant color in nature so it complements the vibrant red orange that can appear in organic things like the sunset, flowers, and fruit as well as birds, bugs, and mammals. Green is refreshing and peaceful, putting people at ease and bringing a sense of calm. It symbolizes health, vitality, and vigor and is motivating and optimistic. Green is a perfect accompaniment to the empowerment of red orange and the confidence of leopards. And it is my forever favorite color so I am always happy to wear green.
This outfit definitely has serious mood boosting abilities. It is also great for lounging around, running errands, or going out. Because it is suitable for most anything, I wore it for three days straight. Then I washed it, put it in the closet for a few days, took it back out, and wore it for two more days after that.
Do you have any clothing items or outfits with mood boosting capabilities?
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
38 Comments
Jennifer
I love the coloiur of your dress!!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer! I am really enjoying these vibrant and bold colors lately. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Anne M Bray
Orange and Leopards… Yum!
Wish you had a closeup of the two prints.
I’m teaching 2 classes this Fall, and survived the first yesterday. Good thing my collegue, who is teaching the same class (Photoshop for Fashion) at the same time, was doing the demo, since I couldn’t get my Zoom to function. Argh! Technology!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ugh, I need to get better with the close up photos! I always forget to do that. I am happy to hear that you survived day 1 despite your Zoom malfunction! Definitely the downside of technology. Wishing you a successful semester!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Wow! You look stunning in this dress!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, thanks so much, Amy! I am definitely embracing trying out new colors!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
Thank you so much for the feature! It’s such a lovely end-of-the-week surprise! I really like the red/orange shade of the dress and the fun print. It pairs so well with your duster!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Laura! I am embracing all sorts of bright colors lately. I hope you have a most wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Awesome outfit! I love orange, but it’s difficult to find in any shade, so well done!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! I keep adding more and more orange to my wardrobe. I think you are going to start seeing more oranges pop up since Pantone announced red orange as an “it” color for fall!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Oh good!
Melynda Brown
Orange and I have a checkered past, not my favorite color at all, except for this one time! My husband and I wanted bikes to take along on our journey of National Park Volunteeres. When I walked into the bike shop there was an orange bike. And I just knew it was the one, and it was! It fit me perfectly, had an easy turning radious and I bought it! Unfortunately it was stolen on our first assignment, and NO bike purchased since, fits as well or is as easy to ride, not even my e=bile. I remembered this memory when I say the smile on your face in the orange dress…thanks for hosting and the feature of my Bread Crumb Muffins….have a great week ahead!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Melynda, thanks so much for sharing the story of your orange bike! Orange is not a color I ever really liked at all until the last few years. It is my 13 year old son’s favorite color so it has been growing on me for quite some time. We even painted his bedroom orange and bright yellow last year. But now he says it’s too bright for his teenage angstiness. LOL What a bummer that your orange bike was stolen (seriously, what is wrong with people?). I hope you are able to find one again that makes you as happy and comfortable as the orange one did. Have a most wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
I LOVE a leopard print that is the actual leopards – I also love the classic “leopard print” but full on zoological prints of animals makes me very happy!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Me, too, Sally! While I do love a classic leopard print as well, zoological prints of any animal really tickle my fancy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
Love your leopard print, and this is a beautiful pattern mix! It suits you so well. I find this red orange color to be very mood boosting and energizing. Red is one of my favorite colors to wear, and I have been seeing a lot of this vibrant red orange since it is on Pantone’s palette this year. A perfect choice for fall and winter, since colors start to get dark and dreary as the weather gets cooler. Hope you enjoy your holiday weekend, and thanks for sharing and the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Di! Red has always been a favorite color of mine to wear as well. Lately, orange is creeping into my wardrobe, too. I am really enjoying experimenting with all the colors! I have recently added a few new dresses in different shades and tones of orange. I think it is going to be such a fun color to wear this fall. I hope your weekend is amazing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
While I never liked orange, i can appreciate it more and more. Especially the colour you are wearing, I don’t like the light version. Funny how you check out the meaning of colours and prints! Wonderful combination.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! Orange never really appealed to me either until very recently. I keep adding more and more of it to my wardrobe. I also don’t like lighter shades of it…like that dreadful Peach Fuzz! LOL
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh I love your dresses! That is a fabulous pairing and the green goes so well as a compliment to the orange tone.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! I thought it was a pretty magical combination myself! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
What a glorious outfit! I love this biright, energetinc colour on you!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Every time I wear a super bright color like this, I think of you. You are the queen of color!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
Aw, thank you!
Patrick Weseman
Looking so very nice. Love the outfit. The hat is perfect. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! It is back to school week here…my favorite week of the year!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Oh, I love this orange leopard dress! At first, I was looking for leopard print as in the regular rather than a print featuring leopards! And, that made it just that much more fun and perfect! I love how you always find something else to play off of…like the green. You have such an eye for details, my friend! I can see why you kept wearing this dress…it’s cute and comfortable (well, I’m taking your word on that one). Love all the green pops, too!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh, thank you so much, Marsha! As much as I love a traditional leopard print, when the print is the actual animal it is just so much better, don’t you think? I definitely pay attention to the details when I am creating my outfits. The details are what sets it apart from the masses! LOL I enjoy playing dress up with you, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
Love this energising color and how you used another dress as a duster. Ingenious. Beautiful pics.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Gail! I really appreciate that. I felt great wearing these bright colors!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
Oh, I love this color! What a fun print with the leopard and I should try some mix patterns in the same color family. I also love where you took your pictures! This looks absolutely lovely for the end of summer days.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mireille, thank you so much! I was surprised at how well these two prints went together. It really made me happy! I took these photos in a cemetery near my house. It is really old, really big, and has some beautiful scenery for photographs. I hope you enjoy the final days of summer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Orange really is the talk of the new season, I’ve seen it everywhere. You look super in this and thank you for sharing it. Hope your month is going well. Jacqui xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! I started really loving orange a few years back so I am happy it’s trending now so I can find more of it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail Is This Mutton
I’d call the color red coral, a lovely hybrid between orange and red. I brought a few pieces to Greece with me. Great that you shared a post on Orange to match with mine!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Gail! I thought it might be fun to share an old post with an orange-ish outfit! I have really been drawn to oranges and yellows lately even though they aren’t my best colors. They are just so joyful, I can’t resist!
xoxo
Shelbee
alina revuteck
I love this whole idea! The mix of red-orange and leopard print sounds so bold and fun. It’s great how you tied the color and print together with personality and confidence it really makes the outfit feel more meaningful, not just stylish. And honestly, comfort + pockets = perfect outfit already!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Alina! I really appreciate that…as much as I appreciate pockets in a dress!
xoxo
Shelbee