Everyday Bag: Black or Navy? - YouLookFab Forum

Hi ladies,

Long-time blog reader, first-time poster. I'm in the market for an "everyday" purse - I think I've settled on a simple bucket bag, which comes in both black and dark navy (see below). My default inclination is towards black - I wear a lot of it, most of my shoes are black - but I also find the navy appealing. Partly this is because I already have a black bag (though it's a slouchy hand bag, very different shape) and partly because, per Angie's advice about style updating, I've been wearing a lot more navy this year, which has opened me up to a lighter palette. So I wonder if perhaps navy wouldn't be more versatile.

More notes: I rarely wear blue jeans (I do wear black jeans) and I only have one pair of (rarely-worn) navy shoes, but I do have a pair of navy pants, a navy skirt, and a navy jacket that I've been wearing a lot this fall. But maybe multiple navies would clash? Bags are difficult! I'd like to invest in a nice one, but that means it should ideally work with almost any outfit I wear. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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10 years ago

Liz

Veteran

I'd definitely go with navy. Actually, if it was me, I'd break out even further with the color of the bag, and use it as a true accessory. (I don't worry about matching my bag to my shoes.)

Anonymous

My bags rarely match my shoes. I love statement bags in bold colors.

Bonnie

I'd get the navy - it's a beautiful color and very versatile.

Another vote for navy. It will look lovely with your black...better than black would. My most useful bag is pewter. It goes with everything.

Jules

That navy looks like a blue-black to me, and the "black" looks like it will fade to gray. I think the navy is a nicer more sophisticated version of "black" without really being a colour that will stand out as "blue".

Gaylene

I'm going to be a spanner here because my black bag gets a much bigger work out than my dark navy one for most of the year. Just for the record, my winter neutrals are black, navy, and darker greys.

I love my navy bag, but find it harder to work with navy in my darker, winter palette. My navy bag seems to work best if I can pick up the navy in a scarf or other accessory instead of trying to coordinate it to my outfit--in other words, I need to treat the navy as an accessory colour in fall and winter. My black bag, on the other hand, just is a no-brainer, grab and go.

That navy bag, though, comes into steady rotation during spring when my neutrals switch to cream, medium grey, and navy. It replaces my black bag as my no-brainer, grab and go, daily bag. The lighter palette seems to make a huge difference.

My take would be to think about your palette and also how you feel about tonal variations in an outfit. Obviously my tolerance is higher for non-matching blacks than for off tones when coordinating navies and greys, but everyone is different.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Which were you drawn to first? I'd go with that one. Often I love a bag (or shoes) in a particular color, and the color is part of what catches my eye. Then I see it in another color that I think might be more useful, and I'm in a dilemma. But really, the color remains part of the design for me, so the original color that drew me to the bag is an important consideration.

I'd go with the navy, if for no other reason than that black is so predictable.

Windchime

I'm not sure how to advise you and will follow this thread with interest because I'm also thinking about purchasing a new bag, and my neutrals are black, navy, and grey. Ultimately, I think both a black and a navy bag will be part of my wardrobe.

Gigi

I'm with Firecracker. If you're emotionally drawn to the navy bag because of its color, that's the one I would get.

In my wardrobe, I start out with practical considerations--lots of black shoes, for instance. After I have the basics covered, I feel like I need some other colors, regardless of whether I think they will be as versatile. I am not too concerned about my bag matching my outfit, as long as the bag is a neutral or something that acts as a neutral (burgundy, olive, etc.). Since you already have a black bag, I would feel free to get one of a different color.

Brooklyn

I would probably go for black because I like black with black and I also think it goes with navy. If you are after a different colour to wear with lighter outfits, I would keep an eye out for a cognac or tan bag. Lighter but still a neutral that will go with a lot of outfits.

CocoLion

(website)

I vote navy.

unfrumped

I am currently in love with bags that are black AND navy, and there are a lot out there. For some reason that combination is very appealing and it looks interesting with either color and also seems to go with other colors better than either alone.

Maneera

Since the idea is an *everyday bag* that you can happily use without thinking about it too much, I would recommend the Black. While I like navy a lot, my black bag gets a lot more use than my navy does, and this is when I do wear blue jeans a lot.

Get the navy if your primary objective is to grow your bag collection, since you already own a black one. But if you love the shape of the new bag and want something you'd carry almost everyday, I'd recommend the black (because it sounds like you're more comfortable with the color too).

Jennifer

Active Member

Thanks for the comments so far, everyone! Lots of votes for navy - and to those of you who commented on the shade, I agree - I think this is an especially subtle and lovely shade of navy. But for those of you who commented on "which color attracted my eye first" - it was actually the black - and I think I was attracted to the bag because it seemed like such a minimalist, pared-down-to-the essentials bag in both shape and color. But then I learned that it's available in navy...and that's when the indecision started...

Honestly I'm still torn. I do think that there is a part of me which is looking for the "one" bag, and I feel like navy could do double duty in the spring, if not the summer...but on the other hand I have noticed that sometimes tonal dressing doesn't always work (i.e., sometimes navies will clash). On the other hand I do agree with the point about fading - it seems like navy might "wear" more gracefully - though perhaps it would be easier to touch up a black leather bag? As a grad student just starting to buy nicer bags I don't have too much experience with this...

I might need to see if I can get my hands on a real-life version...but in the meantime, any additional thoughts would be very welcome!

Penny

Lovely shade of navy - although I agree with those who have noted the versatility of black. I love navy and wear it often, but I prefer a red, black, or metallic bag with my navy clothing, whereas I don't hesitate to pick up a black bag with black clothing . . .

Summer

You seem to have an affinity with black in general, so I'd go with the black bag. I find that it's easier, somehow, to pair a black bag with navy clothing than the other way round.

JAileen

If I were you, I'd go with black. If you wore navy a lot, I'd actually recommend cognac!

LaPed

If it's truly an investment piece, I personally would go with black, because I know myself and know I won't "grow out of" black whereas navy is back-and-forth for me, some years I love it, sometimes it feels tired/stale. If you're curious about a navy bag, go for a cheaper one to experiment with.

Thanks for the comments, everyone - this forum is such an amazing resource. As I kept imagining different wardrobe scenarios in my head (do other people do this?) I realized I keep picturing the black bag - even if I start by imagining it in navy. So for whatever reason I think this purchase will be black. But I still hope to find the right navy bag someday...

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