Tropical Dreamscape

Surely one of the most arresting sights in the world is a woman walking across a beach wearing a swimming costume of dark blue, the most flattering shade against the horizon, with a design of hibiscus flowers in the most appealing shades of pink. The dark blue of the costume not only sets off the pink to perfection but in itself constitutes an act of charity towards the viewer, whose eyes might otherwise be tormented by less considerate colour combinations. And the design is not just a pattern but a statement. The flowers are large enough to be seen from a distance, which means that the woman walking across the beach is seen from a distance, in the sense that she is noticed. The flowers are outlined in white, which is like being outlined in chalk by a policeman, but in a good way. And the thick shoulder straps, apart from their manifest function of support, are a further statement of positive intent. They say, “I am walking across this beach so that you can see me,” even if the woman herself is saying nothing at all.