Along with grey, chocolate brown is trending. We haven’t seen dark brown get a mainstream fashion moment for years. Now it’s everywhere. In underwear, sleepwear, workout wear, loungewear, swimwear, athletic wear, and accessories too. There are warm milk chocolates and cool darker chocolates. There are chocolates that are almost black. If dark brown wardrobe items are your thing, stock up with your favourites.
Chocolate Items
Chocolate can be the dominant neutral, or one of the neutrals in your wardrobe. It’s grounding, earthy, versatile, and rich. Chocolate can replace navy, charcoal, and black as the dark neutral of your style. Or it can comfortably live alongside those neutrals so you don’t need to choose.
Chocolate items can be dressy or casual. Dark brown can work well as wardrobe essentials and wardrobe workhorses. Chocolate footwear can bookend dark brown hair. Wear chocolate brown as bottoms, accessories, or footwear if you want the colour away from your face. Dark brown is great in patterns too.
Remixing Chocolate
The right chocolate can work well remixed with any colour. Chocolates look great with pastels, jewel tones, brights, and are especially smashing with other earth tones. Chocolate is fab with black, navy, and grey too. It’s pretty with whites and creams, and makes a statement worn as a column of colour. A dark brown complement of bag, shoes and belt is a rich addition to an outfit, and tends to look less severe and dark than black.
I wore a chocolate school uniform for years, which almost put me off dark brown for life. It has taken decades to recover. I started wearing chocolate last year because it works with my natural hair colour and complexion – and because I’ve recovered. But it has to be textured or patterned in some way – not solid dark brown – in order for me to feel good in it. I found a gorgeous brown suit in a subtle herringbone and have two patterned mesh tops to match. I wear the mesh tops with tans, ecru, whites, reds, and blue jeans too. I also have a great brown patterned belt and bag strap. The exact chocolate items are shown in the collection. I crisp and brighten dark brown outfits with cream or gold belt, bag, and shoes.
I’m not in the mood for more dark brown, but chocolate in patterns is fine. A pair of chocolate plaid pants is very welcome. And so is eating milk chocolate, although white chocolate is my favourite.
Over to you. Do you wear chocolate, and are you excited about its availability as a fashion colour?
