I love this look, and wear it often! It looks so French to my eye, especially when you add in the white/cream. I actually think it works well even with a lighter shade of navy (not faded, just not as dark as ink), but it’s perhaps less sophisticated that way.

I’m listening, Angie!!! I love this combination but haven’t had the guts to try it yet. Your “how tos” are very helpful. I love the dress on the right…

I love this combo! I have a pretty ink blue silk shirt, and I actually don’t like it with any color other than black. It’s just too perfect to deviate from…

My first legging outfit used that color combination. I love the ink/black combo, although I just realized I only have one ink blue item currently in my wardrobe. Will have to do something about that…

San has that first top, right? It’s so pretty! I love this combination and have also yet to try it. Great way to ring in the first day of fall with some good inspiration!

I agree with Ele – this color combo is so chic and French. Years ago on a trip to France, I remember noticing that French women fearlessly paired navy and black. I will for sure be wearing this combo this fall!

LOVE! I’ve been on the hunt for a cobalt button down, and I will add ink blue to the search. I have also been considering over dyeing a pair of jeans that is just a very odd shade blue, so that might be perfect to wear with black. Thanks for the inspiration Angie!

It’s not a combo I gravitate toward naturally, but I do love these looks!

That dress is gorgeous.

My new favourite colour to wear is inky blue in all its forms. Especially popping against white.

But black and inky blue, I’d do it if I owned any black in my wardrobe

I love this combination of colors, understated and elegant

I love this look and would not have considered adding cream into the mix! Thank you for another great styling tip.

I love dark blues: ink, midnight, navy etc. I am always looking for tops, sweaters, etc in these colors and they seem to be not so common. I love these colors with black or white pants and dark wash jeans.

Very pretty combo. Yes Marrianna, I do have the top on the left.
Thankyou Angie for the color combo tips. I have black pants and black skirts, and I have cream pearls, so I’ll give it a go. I also just got a very pretty black belt.
Now I’m so excited about fall! I LOVE ink blue.

Thanks for this, Angie. I always feel weird wearing my ink denim with a black top, but now I will be rethinking this. What color shoes do you recommend for such an ensemble?

Great post, Angie! I have been trying to make black and dark blue work together to expand my wardrobe options. I found that adding white definitely helps. Also black patent belt works well over navy tops, I guess it falls under texture rule.
Patience, what about grey or pewter?

You’re right Ele and Laura. This is quite a typical French street fashion colour combination.

I guess ink blue just isn’t that popular at the moment. Remember, we’re having a very black season! I had an ink blue silk blouse which I had to retire because it tore. I am now sans anything ink blue in my wardrobe and that’s not so fab. I adore the colour. You and me are on the hunt for ink blue, Danja.

San, your outfit combinations sound perfect! Please pop them on the forum.

Patience, black shoes are a good option. So are cream or taupe. Even ink blue or grey.

I have an ink blue blouse purchased last year because I love the color, but found I didn’t know how to wear it. I did wear it with a chocolate brown pencil skirt and liked that. I think I’ll wear it this month with white jeans too. But you’ve inspired me to try it with other items this winter, and I love the tip to pair it with white/cream and black.

I can never find ink blue at a reasonable price point. It’s such a hard color for me to peg. I always find lots of navy, which just doesn’t have as much depth. I wish they would swap out all that navy for ink blue because I really love it. I could see it becoming my other favorite neutral, but I’ll never know because I don’t have a single ink blue item in my wardrobe. Too bad because it would be sweet with all my black!

Love it! Love all rich dark colors! That’s funny Angie, because I was considering find an Ink Silk Blouse to pair with my pencil skirt!

good one, Angie-love this too!

I have been on a navy, ink, midnight kick for awhile now and like Maya, it’s fast becoming my favorite neutral though I also have trouble finding ink rather than navy. Black of course is the foundation of my wardrobe but I have never been brave enough to pair the two together. I definitely want to give it a try!

Ann Taylor had a lovely navy-and-black dress a little earlier this season. The cut wasn’t right for me, or I would have snapped it up in a heartbeat!

I do love this look, and have a few items and combos that I wear. Nice post Angie:)

This is an incredibly elegant combination. It’s almost neutral and very luxe. I especially love it with a pop of cream. Great piece!

I also love this color combo and wear it occasionaly. I have a ink blue sleeveless silk blouse that I wear tucked in high-waist, wide-legged pants with a thin black patent belt, black suede peep-toe pumps and silver clutch. This is a going-out outfit that i haven’t worn in ages, but would really love to wear it again soon.

Check out the Talbots sale page. The suede ballet flats are inky blue (called indigo in the catalog). They look great with my skinny jeans and my pencil jean skirt this fall and might work for many of the looks that are described here. I am looking forward to incorporating some of these ideas. Although I could never give up black, as I grow older, I think the ink is less harsh with my over 50 complexion. There just isn’t enough of it out there. For some reason I couldn’t link it here.

Thanks for the tips, Angie. I’ve generally felt too unsure of myself to wear this combo, but I might just give it a shot one of these days, thanks to your confidence-boosting hints.

It’s one of my faves!

These suggestions are so helpful, Angie. Thank you! Before I shrunk out of them I had a whole wardrobe of my beloved ink blue, although it was seldom paired with black because I didn’t know how to do it. I only have a couple of ink cropped cardies now, but want to play with the possibilities of using them with black. The top pictured that Sandy has looks so good. Do you think it would work on a shorter (5′4″ or less) woman?

I love the outfits you displayed here. I like to wear black with my darkest blue jeans, with a pop of a white tank. Now I might try some inky blue with one of black skirts. love it!

m!

Love ink blue with black ! My “skinniest” straight leg jeans are a blue/overdye black shade and I like to wear with black tops that have some texture.
I use my turquoise multi strand necklaces a lot with that combo. Grey and cream are great ideas.

Oh, ladies! It’s so nice to see an appreciation for this sophisticated colour combination. I *wish* we’d see more ink blue in stores. I guess retailers and shoppers are of the mindset that black is more versatile, which is why we see so much black on the shop floor.

Joy, it’s worth a bash.

That makes perfect sense. Thanks for breaking it down, Angie.

I love wearing my dark indigo jeans with a black waistcoat or top – or black waistcoat and black blouse with white polka dots – and I just didn’t think about the texture being the difference. But my matte indigo tops – or even my matte aubergine top – just fall flat with the same black waistcoat or black pants.

I do have a poly-blend top that has the look of shot silk – kind of shiny – but I can’t tell if it works with matte black. When I try to photograph it, the shirt looks pretty matte and I don’t trust my eyes alone, so for now I’ve avoided pairing it with black.

This is a neat combo. I imagine this would be nice with grey as well?

Thank you for these ideas! I just bought a very cute ink blue, 3/4 bubble-sleeve top and love it, but have no idea how to wear it. I’ve been wearing it with khaki slacks, which feels too casual. (I tend to enjoy dressing up.)

I do have a black pencil skirt I might try. Thanks!