Orange

I can’t quite put my finger on when I started taking a fancy to the colour orange. My only clue, believe it or not, is my clothing. They tell a story… a story of orange. I grew up liking the darker colours, blues and blacks. Something changed…

Some of my oldest items are jackets and sweaters, in various shades of orange. The wardrobe has been augmented since by shirts, socks, shoes, hats, a bathing suit, more shoes and a safety vest.

I bought my first orange jacket when I started getting serious about running. That was about thirteen years ago. I remembered the first winter having to buy a toque and of course it was orange. It only takes two to start a trend… at least for me. From there is just snowballed to where I am today.

It didn’t stop at clothing though…

There are many orange things as well; water bottles, a diver’s watch, Ghost Armor for my iPhone, mugs, water bottle jackets, gym bags, Ridgid tools, kayaks, a vacuum and even a paint tray.

Many years after the start of my fashion trend, I started collecting things. The list above is just a peak into my collection. I even considered an orange Jeep at one point but my wife shut me down… I was “out of control”… her words, not mine.

And just when you thought there’s nothing left out there…

Last Fall I was in Ottawa, on business. One night, I joined my cousin for a little shopping trip to the new Outlet Mall in Kanata. I bought some pants and a shirt. In fact we bought exactly the same pants and shirts so we have to check with each other when in close proximity. We continued our shopping and ended up at the Under Armour outlet. Upon entering, I looked up, near the back of the store, mounted high above a rack, to what until then had been the Holy Grail of orange… underwear. The one item missing from my wardrobe and a must-have.

I rushed to the back of the store, like a parent finding the last Wii U on Christmas Eve, held a pair aloft as if they were the last pair on earth. A crowd had gathered, hands reaching for their wallets, staring wide-eyed at some sweaters on sale near the front of the store. I was left alone with my find.

I found my size, then two more, when I noticed the price. $24.99 each! At an outlet store! The Holy Grail was surely cheaper. I shuffled back to the rack, hid the three pair near the back, in case I changed my mind. I left, empty handed and regretted it ever since. New research shows the price dropping, like a worn out pair of boxers. The link above gets you two-pack for $39.99… Canadian! Cheaper than the outlet?!?

Orange is not only my favourite colour, it’s become a lifestyle and maybe an obsession.