Ladies, is your wardrobe feeling dark, drab, and depressing? Sure, black is an elegant timeless color that works wonders to hide unwanted stubborn belly fat. And sure, it’s a color that every woman should have in her closet at least to a degree. But if the scales are tipping too much towards “funeral chic” and less towards “classy and elegant”, with your whole closet drenched in black, maybe it’s time to add some other colors to your outfits. Here are several tips to help you out.
Why We Wear Black: History & Context
There was a time, many centuries ago, when wearing black was extremely uncommon. Sumptuary laws dictated that only the nobility was able to wear black in the Middle Ages. But the non-noble elite pushed back.
Fast forwarding to the turn of the 19th century, Beau Brummell cemented the wearing of black in menswear with the advent of “Black Tie” attire. And Coco Chanel followed suit in the early 20th century with her “Little Black Dress”.
Clearly, black has always been associated with elegance, social status, and uniformity. Of course, there are other simpler, more pragmatic reasons to wear black. It looks good with a variety of other colors, for one. It’s also a slimming color.
That’s all to say that black is elegant, versatile, and when worn in certain ways, maybe even a little edgy, and it has been for many years, if not centuries. No wonder some of us have so much black attire in our closets!
How to Transition Away from a Mostly Black or All Black Wardrobe
Why would you want to transition away from black, if it’s so versatile and classy? Well, if you find yourself here, you probably already have your reasons. But suffice it to say that too much of a good thing can still be, well…too much!
While an all black wardrobe is versatile enough, sometimes you just need to add more color to your life. Here are several tips for how to do that.
Replace Black with White
You don’t need to aim for an all-black and white wardrobe but adding more white pieces like our Anthony’s Resort Wear Frayed Linen Jacket into your wardrobe can help you create looks that really pop without going too wild with color.
Then again, you can always add brighter colors to your accessories when the rest of your outfit is black and white. Think of how good black and white look when offset by the richness of jewel tones like ruby red or emerald green, for instance.
Add More Neutrals to Your Closet
White isn’t the only neutral that you can sub for or mix and match with black. Try other warm and cool neutrals such as:
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- Tan
- Olive
- Brown
- Grey
- Charcoal
- Navy
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While at first it might be easy to add these into outfits with black, we recommend slowly moving away from black and building outfits around these neutrals along with other colors.
For example, you might purchase our Look Mode Beige Flower Camouflage Jogger Pant and pair them with a black top at first, but then, later on, choose to pair them with a much brighter top, like our Kristin Crenshaw Solid Dolman Sleeve Crinkle Blouse in Gucci Green!
Add Pops of Bright Color
Whether it’s in the form of a brightly colored or patterned top, or statement earrings, you can create an eye-catching look and add tons of visual interest to an outfit with black by punctuating it with pops of brighter colors. Anything goes, from bright neon to soft pastel.
Depending on the look you want, you can choose a saturated hue or a dustier, more muted option. The beauty of black is that it works with so many other colors.
When Choosing New Colors, Be Mindful of Your Color Season
When attempting to infuse your wardrobe with more color, many people ask the question “What colors go with black clothing?” In reality, black is neutral, so most colors do! Therefore, it’s more important to consider your color palette.
Of course, your favorite colors matter, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. There are three overall color tones to consider:
- Warm
- Cool
- Neutral
When choosing between the three, it’s important to ask yourself the question “What color season am I?”. There are four. Learn more about the types of colors that each season exemplifies and just as importantly, the features that classify you as one versus the other.
1. Winter
- Colors: Cool, bright colors like true red, cobalt blue, emerald green, black, white, and icy pastels.
- Features That Make You a Winter: Fair to dark skin with cool undertones, dark brown/black/platinum blonde hair, dark brown/blue/gray/icy hazel eyes.
2. Spring
- Colors: Warm, bright colors like coral, peach, warm pinks, golden yellows, light aqua, and mint green.
- Features That Make You a Spring: Light skin with warm undertones, light blonde to medium brown hair, light blue/green/hazel/warm brown eyes.
3. Summer
- Colors: Cool, soft colors like pastel blues, soft pinks, lavender, soft greens, and muted grays.
- Features That Make You a Summer: Light skin with cool undertones, light blonde to medium ash brown hair, light blue/gray/cool green/soft hazel eyes.
4. Fall
- Colors: Warm, rich colors like olive green, mustard yellow, burnt orange, brick red, chocolate brown, and camel.
- Features That Make You a Fall: Light to medium skin with warm undertones, red to dark brown hair, warm brown/green/hazel/amber eyes.
Fall in Love with Color Again: Find Clothes That Reflect Your Personality
Adding color back into your wardrobe doesn’t have to be as difficult or onerous as it might at first seem. Here’s a summary overview of what to do:
- We recommend starting out by knowing your “color season” type and which colors look best with your complexion and features.
- Next add timeless neutrals such as white, beige, or navy into your wardrobe and mixing and matching those with existing black items by slowly building out a capsule wardrobe with intentionality.
- Meanwhile, start picking out bright-colored accessories or statement pieces that you can wear with black items.
- Finally, once you have a little more variety, in your wardrobe, start mixing and matching outfits with your new neutrals and bright colors!
Ready to get started? Add some color to your black wardrobe with a colorful top.
