Outfits made up entirely of black components from head to toe are not my cup of tea. The effect can be very severe, lifeless, dull and, dare I say it, aging. To my eye this spells unattractive, especially when black is not your colour. I even prefer a little black dress worn with a non-black shoe and bag, be it a bright, muted shade or another shade of neutral.
I much, much prefer the look of an outfit that is almost black from head to toe. That is, when the black is broken up by very small doses of another (low or high contrasting) colour or neutral AND when the black items are texture-rich. By texture-rich, I mean mixing up black fabrications like leather, quilting, wool, lace, tulle, tweed, satin, faux fur, sequins, suede, moleskin, waxed denim, lurex, embroidery, velvet, chiffon and patent.
These pictures perfectly illustrate outfits that are almost black from head to toe. The black is broken up in several subtle ways, thereby successfully giving the look a lively lift. A white collar, a few colourful beads, a hint of pattern, a non-black neutral embellishment, or sheer fabrication that showcases skin tone. Combining black with dark charcoal or ink blue so that the effect is still very dark, but not overwhelmingly black, is another way to go. As is breaking up a black top and bottom with a non-black belt, bag or shoes. Non-black eyewear can also be effective.
Black will always be a fashionable colour because it’s slimming, chic, sophisticated, powerful and uber cool. Black items definitely live up to their stylish reputation, which is why I have plenty of them in my wardrobe. But when it comes to wearing black from head to toe, I prefer the “almost black from head to toe” route by about a billion percent. A little non-black addition goes a long way to soften and liven up the ensemble.
Discussing all black and almost all black outfits seems highly appropriate for Halloween, so onto the comment section. Do you like the look of all black outfits, or do you prefer the outfits that are almost all black similar to the combinations shown above. If you don’t wear either look, which one do you prefer on others?
