Avoiding black: strategies? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Shopping

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Avoiding black: strategies?

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I’m more and more bored by black, especially solid black clothes with no pattern. Although I appreciate its “edgy” qualities, I have noticed black is not the most flattering with my coloring and it feels too harsh for where my head and heart are, at this moment.

I’m curious to hear from others who have moved away from black clothing. Is it even possible to avoid buying black in shops???

Shopping

36 replies

Latest reply was from lisaflex

Bijou

Veteran

Yes of course, but it does require you to deliberately walk away from the black items, not to even look at them....because often the nicest things come only in black. It is a dilemma that I too have faced and I still buy and enjoy wearing black, but quite rarely from head to toe.

I found having a non-black handbag was a good starting point. My first non-black handbag was a cognac leather bag, it was even more versatile than the black.

Staysfit

Veteran

My wardrobe has almost no black at all. When I want something sophisticated I go for metallic. When I want something dark I use a charcoal, navy or eggplant instead of black. The black I have left in my closet is from previous purchases, mostly shoes, and occ. black in a pattern. I have considered on and off whether to get some black leather pants or a skirt. I love the way they look, but I think I can get by without them. I think a wardrobe without black may take more effort. So many nice items come in black. Often, when I’m looking for something, I find exactly what I’m looking for in black, but since I don’t wear it, I pass it over and spend more time hunting for the right color.

LaPed

Veteran

I think you have to commit to an alternative. Decide what your ideal dark neutral is -- navy? chocolate? charcoal? olive? -- and start building a solid wardrobe core in that colour palette. Make sure it's a colour that really goes with just about everything else you wear. Once you've identified an alternative, use it as a reminder every time you see a black item that strikes your fancy. It's easy to find a cool black topper, boots, bag, etc; waiting for the perfect navy/chocolate/etc will be more of a challenge, but it's an exercise in Angie's "PPP" -- practical, picky, patient.

Also, as Bijou suggests, look at your outfits and ask yourself whether they'd benefit from a lighter neutral -- like cognac, taupe, or white -- in place of black. I almost always opt for darker neutrals, often but not necessarily black, and I have to challenge myself to add a pop of lighter/brighter somewhere. It can really lift an outfit, especially this time of year as the days get shorter...

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

This actually sounds like a really fun challenge. I have black in my wardrobe- especially black (pleather!) pants- and I won’t get rid of it. But will avoid buying new black items. AND will try to see whether lighter neutrals can work even better in an outfit. I suspect touches of yellow-brown will really work for me because of my hair- but it is NOT common. I used yellow accessories this summer and it worked really well.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Yes it’s possible.Black is just easier to match up.l didn’t realise that there were so many shades of navy until I stopped buying black.l think you are right about colouring most people don’t look their best in black and there are so many lovely colours to choose from ,why limit yourself.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I echo the ladies. You have to be VERY deliberate about walking away from black from now on. Be VERY careful about how you add it to your wardrobe. I have been doing so for about five years. Find another dark neutral and keep black in small doses.

LaPed

Veteran

Jessikams, you've picked a really good season to look for golden-brown colours! They seem to be everywhere -- you might want to do a judicious stock-up while the trends are in your favour.

The Cat

Veteran

I moved away from wearing a lot of black some years ago. A few tips:

1. Decide whether you want to gradually move away from wearing black completely, or rather to mix black items with colours you know to be more flattering, interesting, fun or whatever. In my case, I decided to stop wearing large amounts of black very close to my face, so I purged black turtlenecks, scarves, shawls, hats, sunglasses and umbrellas--and replaced them with items in lighter and brighter colours.

2. Though I will probably always want to have SOME black bottoms, tops (crewnecks, etc.), shoes and toppers, I have chosen to limit the number of black items in each category (like pants, skirts, boots and jackets) to 2 or 3. I sometimes get some beautiful black items as gifts, but I don't want a too black-heavy wardrobe, so whenever I have more than 3 in any category (except underwear and hosiery), I'll keep the best and purge the rest.

3. Instead of always buying items in black, identify two or more other neutrals that you want to focus on when buying essentials (i.e. pants, shoes and coats) for your wardrobe. In my case, it was grey and white plus, more recently, cool brown and rose beige. In your case, it might be toffee, olive and other earth colours.

4. If you want to continue wearing SOME black, decide HOW you want to wear it. In my case, I have decided to always wear black with a non-neutral, and I will often also include a third colour (neutral or non-neutral). With your colouring, beautiful options could be to wear black with camel / rust / toffee / mustard / olive, and/or chunky jewellery in gold / brass / copper / amber.

5. Patterned black items might be easier to wear (than solids), in particular if one or more of the pattern colours are repetions of your colouring (your hair colour, skin colour or eye colour).

Bennett

Veteran

Black is a fairly equal player with the other colors I am drawn to, but I only ever pair black items with white pieces because I like the graphic statement it makes. Never head-to-toe black. And now that I think of it, I have ZERO black bottom pieces. Hmm...

Sal

Veteran

You have had really good advice here and I agree that you look wonderful in the mid tone neutrals.

I am still a black fan but I wear it differently - I wear black clothes with lighter shoes and bags for example. I have added very few black footwear options in the last three or four years (one pair pumps, one pair of heeled sandals) and I do not own a black handbag. However I do like black pants and black dresses, and I find black tees and tops super useful. I don't have a black coat. I do like black with a pattern - both monochrome, neutral and colour.

Not defaulting to black could be helpful eg needing a puffer jacket - look at the other colours available - needing boots - consider the browns and the leopards.

JAileen

Veteran

Except for a small holiday capsule, I don’t wear black. Instead I have grey and navy. I have little contrast between my hair and my face, and black seems too harsh. I envy people who look good in black, because everything comes in black. Here’s how I avoid it: I just don’t buy it. I just refuse to add a color that doesn’t work for me.

Anonymous

Truthfully, I wasn't able to do it. I tried hard to translate my black to navy over the course of the past two years. The end result was two equal neutrals in my wardrobe (black and navy). My problem stemmed from accessories. ALL my accessories were geared toward black.

Good luck.

Anonymous

I have been gradually phasing out black in my wardrobe. As I get older I find it washes me out.
I do have one suit and 2 dresses that are black that I hold onto as a “ funeral capsule” ( I know it sounds morbid but I have any elderly relatives so I am not about to buy new black items but these are serviceable should the occasion present.
I have a tight palette made up of colors I love and look great on me. Navy, gray and denim are my go to neutrals but recently added white denim. These gives plenty of options in pants, dresses and blazers with my accents of blues, greens, purples and white filling roles of tops and accessories.
It works for me.
I find a lot of times capsule dressing pushes black, white, khaki palette and while great for some it is not for everyone. Good luck with your phase out.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Nodding along with everyone, especially LaPed, Angie, and The Cat. You have to be deliberate and patient but it's worth it. I did this shortly after joining YLF and haven't looked back.

I do still have black represented in my wardrobe, but more as an accent than as a neutral. I own black footwear and a black belt, a black tux jacket, black trenches, black trousers and some patterned items with black in the pattern or as the background of the pattern, as well as one turtleneck and a few summer tops. I actually find black works better on me with some skin showing to lighten the overall effect, so I much prefer it in summer. In winter I tend to wear it with ink/ navy and white or light grey and usually as a foil to a pattern that includes black.

When I decided to go this route, I deliberately chose navy as my dark neutral, taupe as my medium neutral, and light grey and winter white as my light neutrals. Back then my hair was dark blonde. Now that it's grey, I've phased out taupe and added a bit of charcoal, and I find that black actually works better than it used to, but it's not great in quantities near my face unless it is a very rich or bright black. Anything with a brown or faded undertone is awful. Charcoal, weirdly, is brilliant.

My eyes are blue and my colouring is really cool, so camel and toffee never worked on me. I think they'd work brilliantly on you, though.

Joy

Veteran

I have gotten very picky about black as I get older. There are different shades of black and I like it best as a sheer or lace where skin can dilute the blackness. Also textured blacks rather than a solid black can look softer. A big exception for me is black velvet. It is just too concentrated a black.
As Angie says, use other dark neutrals...charcoal grey, navy, dark taupe, brown, even burgundy or plum or eggplant can serve as a dark neutral.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I don't avoid black completely but do stick to black and white combinations near my face. One look at a navy top next to me compared to black was enough to get me off solid black. I would play in a store with different browns now that they are trending to see if something sparks.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

WOW you guys are like a whole team of wise stylists! Thank you, thank you, thank you to each one of you for taking the time to write such detailed and specific thoughts. I will be referring to this post for guidance for a long time, I think.

Sal and Suz and TheCat, nodding along. I believe I will start to wear black differently. I do like it as an accent- belt or shoe- especially as a jarring or “wrong” note in an otherwise soft pretty outfit.

LaPed, you are so right, this season my colors are well represented, very tempting to stock up.

Angie, good point about intentional shopping. Earlier this year I developed a poison eye for bright red. I purged it from my closet, and it has been an interesting challenge to avoid buying it. Sometimes I almost forget- I spot a print I like- then I realize “too much red!”

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

For me it wasn’t a question of how to stop buying, but how to start wearing it. Black black doesn’t work for me, but I found that charcoal grey and similar colors that are nearly black do. Do they work for you?

I started wearing it when I was in Berlin in the 90s, and cut back naturally when I left. Now that I’m back in the city, I wonder if I will soon be.... you know the AC/DC song, right?

And I don’t mean this in a snide way, but if it doesn’t look good on you, why do you buy it? I’d think that when you tried it on and looked in the mirror, you’d see that your lovely complexion is flat, and put the black back on the shelf. As you and La Ped have both observed, this season there is bound to be something right there that will flatter you very well.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

Fashintern, for sure, environment plays a huge role. Berlin, NY, etc- black becomes like a uniform.

Now I’m thinking about the WHY. I loved bright color as a kid, but started wearing black as a young adult because my mom (who of course bought stuff for me) believed it to be the most elegant and professional color. It’s only now I realize: she was a dark brunette who looked great in black. We could never figure out why it did nothing for me! Difference in coloring, helloooooo...

Then I went to architecture school, and you can well imagine...architects, like Berliners, love black.

Now that I’m thinking more carefully about fashion, though, I don’t want to fall back on black’s easy solution all the time. Onwards!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

You're an architect? That explains it, lol.

BTW, the b/w scarf in your profile pic is good. Why not pair it with a solid color, or if you want to get edgy, with another pattern?

And may I suggest you get the black out of your finds and fill it up with things in the direction you want to go? I've been sticking "someday" things in there, and wouldn't you know, it's now fiendishly tempting me to put all together, like these 3 pieces, from entirely different makers that ended up next to each other & I now want to wear together. Must. have. self. restaint.

White Stuff ELM - Langarmshirt

View Info

Top Pick

1

Ivko PANTS FLORAL PATTERN - Stoffhose

View Info

Top Pick

3

Desigual ABRIG HENKEL - Wollmantel/klassischer Mantel

View Info

Top Pick

8

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Jessikams, black is New Zealand's national colour. Our most famous >100 year old sports team are called the All Blacks.
I find black and white really helps me get off it. And dark navy, and khaki/olive, which mixes well with black but tones it down.

Anonymous

Lot of good advice here! I do wear a lot of black, with some of the above strategies (sheer, matte, lot of skin), though im dark enough to balance it. I did move away from it briefly about 15 years ago while browns were available, but unfortunately they aren't always.

My addition for you would be think of black as a non neutral, so being sure you include one of your neutrals when you wear black to balance it. Or make sure black isnt the highest proportion of the outfit.
You may be able to avoid it permanently, but some years will definitely be harder than others!

Anonymous

This is a very insightful post. If I had thought to post the same question, I might have had more success. At the very least, there would have been some boundaries in place.

Mainelady

Veteran

You can do it. True, you need to be intentional about looking for and choosing other dark colors. I learned that when I stopped coloring my hair. I love black and can still wear it, but find that a dark blue looks better with my new coloring. A challenge I find it that black is almost always available and the other dark colors I want, often are not. Good luck! I look forward to seeing which colors you choose!

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

Black with neutrals instead of black AS a neutral: brilliant, Suntiger!!!

Anonymous

Im moving away from blues now, but thats my strategy with them! Just because something is "a neutral " doesn't mean its neutral to you. And something that is not "a neutral " , like blush, orange, or yellow) may be.
That being said, there will be a lot of unicorn hunting, especially for workwear...

Helena

Veteran

I eliminated black almost completely for a good while, and am just now adding it back in, for love rather than by default. I would suggest just choosing another dark neutral (I use ink blue) and using it wherever you would normal default to black! Combining black with your new dark neutral is a great transition strategy, as well as a good way to continue using black with intention, when it truly is the best choice. Good luck and have fun with it!

lyn67

Veteran

I LOVE black and always find it professional, elegant, slimming and edgy:-). But I am a no contrast blonde girl so have pay attention where and how I am wearing it. I wear it mostly on bottoms in the colder season and on top in summer, love it in (usually monochromatic) geometric or nonfigurative patterns with other neutrals like greys and creams) and I like it as an accent, too. Flat black is really very harsh but I love black with some texture (boucle, tweed, slub, fluff) and grinning (lace, mesh) or other details (cowl neck, drapes, pippings,etc).

Joy

Veteran

I second what Mainelady said. Finding a new dark neutral is hard, especially if you look best in warm colors. Those cool dark blues or purples may not work. Also, blacks seem to be easier to " match" in a wardrobe. I found that navies and greys come in a multitude of shades and it is difficult to find pieces to work together unless you buy the same color in the same brand in the same season.

12