KEY POINTS:
Most people have an uneasy relationship with some of fashion's new colours. These shades are a bit zingy - like Kylie Minogue - you either love'em or hate'em. For many of us, the neon and other brighter shades - tangerine, coral, yellow, cobalt blue - remind us of the decade that style forgot, the 80s.
Just like Kylie reminds us of poodle perms and doing the Locomotion.
And then there's the fact that New Zealanders in particular have an issue with wearing colour; unlike our Australian and American cousins, we really prefer not to stand out.
But don't worry - as with any uneasy relationship, there's nothing a bit of counselling won't solve.
Follow these steps to move out of the darkness and into a brighter fashion future.
Forget about the past
Yes, you probably still have nightmares about those neon-splattered sweatshirts that all the gym bunnies at Les Mills used to wear. It's okay, we all do. And it is true that this trend is partially attributable to an ironic rave revival, or maybe some sort of misplaced mutated nostalgia for the 80s and early 90s.
Indeed, dedicated followers of fashion and culture will probably have heard of New Rave by now. You may even have seen pictures London clubbers who espouse this new trend.
And then there's last season's collection by London designer Christopher Kane, who's widely tipped to be going places faster than the latest It bag. Kane got European fashion editors extremely excited about his lime, pink and purple mini-dresses two seasons ago and the look seems to have caught on.
But there's clearly no need to go all out with your Glo-sticks like Kane or the London clubbers do. Even if you did 80s fluoro the first time round, you too can engage with this trend.
These bright new shades run the gamut from traditional, vomit-inducing fluorescent pink to brights in jewel tones and big blocks of colour, as recently seen in collections by Miuccia Prada and Jil Sander in Milan, and here in New Zealand, Mala Brajkovic, that almost anyone could pull off and which will probably dominate the mainstream stores.
Take a good look in the mirror
Especially while you're applying makeup in a bright new colour. Mad facial rainbows in bright green and yellow are all very well for the catwalk but the rest of us will probably stick with some attention-getting nail polish or maybe just one bright colour on our faces, say either on the eye or lips. Recently seen at the European shows was a stunning older French woman, wearing all designer black except for a slash of bright orange across her mouth. Sure, that takes confidence - but there's no harm in experimenting in the privacy of your own bathroom. Who knows, maybe you'll like it.
See each other occasionally
There's no need to rush it. Just accessorise. Make like Kylie - she's been wearing hot pink Day Glo bracelets on her tour - and add a fun item or two to your party attire.
Just leave those flashy neon accessories, like wacky fluoro visors, to the rave revivalists for now.
Trying something sophisticated like a plain, bright yellow belt on a black dress, a brightly coloured or white pair of sunglasses, or an unusually bright, patent shoe.
Worth bearing in mind, is that the other inspiration for this look is fashion futurism that is, all slick, high gloss, robotic and slightly 60s looking.
That means related accessories are mostly made out of man-made materials like Perspex or rubber.
It also means you can experiment with the jewellery and the plastic without spending up large.
All of this accessorising updates your look and makes you appear a clever, stylish individual who knows what's going on rather than ateenager high on beer for the first time.
Start seeing each other a little more
Now that you've become more comfortable with colour, you can take it further into your wardrobe. There's no need to be scared. There are plenty of relatively non-threatening examples. Consider a neon-coloured graphic on a T-shirt, like the ones World makes for boys. Or maybe a bold trim on a jacket. Amid the more full-on items, vintage clothing stores like Fast & Loose will offer plenty of less extreme examples, too, such as skirts or shirts with just a touch of fluoro.
Go all the way
The time has come to don your first wholly bright piece of clothing. Breathe deeply and remember, again, the first time doesn't have to be neon or fluorescent. There are plenty of bold shades to choose from that make just as much of a statement. The main thing with all these tints is to keep it simple. Minimal lines and bright colours go well together. The colours don't overwhelm and the basic lines are emphasised.
If you're worried about looking like an advertising blimp, stay away from frills and flounces. Instead go with smaller, plain garments in one bold colour.
A knee-length skirt, even a mini if you dare, in acidic orange will look better than a full-length skirt.
The trick to doing all this in a grown-up way is to pair your flash with more sombre colours. Like a bright purple shirt and a black pencil skirt perhaps. Or, for a younger look, one of Karen Walker's bright blue anoraks with some skinny black pants.
Make it a permanent arrangement
By now you know how endearing a little bit of colour can be. Depending on how you wear it, it can add space-age gloss, punk-as attitude, a trashy sort of glamour or utterly right-on-trend sophistication to your wardrobe. It looks terribly now, too. Bless you, bold colour. May we never be parted again.
