Chocolate brown in warm and cool tones is one of the biggest trends of the year. In the US, it’s in full swing in brick ’n mortar stores, and online. Retailers have gone to town offering dark brown items in every department. There are dark brown tops, bottoms, toppers, knitwear, athleisure items, workoutwear, loungewear, skirts, vests, dresses, swimwear, underwear, socks, hosiery, footwear, bags, belts, hats, and scarves across solids and patterns. After twenty years of non-existant dark brown, it’s everywhere and on everything. It never rains, and then it pours. Chocolate brown is mainstream in a big way. I see people wearing chocolate brown items on the streets of Seattle too.
I did not expect the industry to be as bold with chocolate brown. It has replaced grey, and is giving black and navy a run for their money. After an abundance of black, I find the resurgence and abundance of chocolate brown exciting and refreshing.
As I shop with clients helping them refresh and replenish their wardrobes, dark brown is very popular. Again, it’s unexpected. As a dark neutral, many find it versatile, softer than black, easier to wear than navy, and more flattering than grey. It’s great worn with other dark and light neutrals too.
The key to the success of dark brown wardrobe items is finding the shade that suits your warmer-toned or cooler-toned complexion. Next, integrate the colour in the correct items for your style. For example, you might prefer it in some wardrobe items and not others. In solids rather than patterns, or vice versa. For shoes, belts and bags, and not clothes. For outerwear, but nothing else. Take your pick.
Two years ago when it was a fringe trend, I came around to wearing chocolate brown after decades of recovery from wearing a solid brown school uniform. I will wear dark brown as a pattern or colourblocked item of clothing. Nothing solid, and no dark brown shoes, belts or bags. Currently in my wardrobe, I have these chocolate brown items:
As far as solid brown wardrobe items go, I prefer a lighter, brighter, and more orangey-brown that I describe as cognac, whiskey, saddle, or gingerbread. Currently in my wardrobe, I have these items in that shade of brown and am happy to add more.
Hubs Greg enjoys wearing dark brown with his generally navy, grey and black wardrobe. He’s also mentioned that brown has a “horsey” integrity. As an ex-equestrian and huge horse lover, I like that aspect about the browns I wear best of all.
Over to you. Are you wearing chocolate brown or other browns? Have you missed it? Or are you not a wearer of browns, and feeling that there is little else to choose from at the moment. Do you think you will succumb to wearing brown?
