Favorite Neutrals - YouLookFab Forum

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Favorite Neutrals

Kaelyn

Veteran

style underfire's thread about the color black's role in fashion got me thinking about neutrals in general, and I was wondering which ones all of you like best and why.

Black seems to be a very love it or loathe it one. I happen to love it, but I know plenty of people who won't get anywhere near it if they can avoid it. I hated white for a long time, but my wedding dress changed my attitude three years ago and now I'm working on adding more of it. I generally don't like brown, but a VERY dark brown works for me in small doses, and I like the look of cognac but haven't tried it yet. Gray is hit or miss, but I LOVE charcoal and a very light, silvery gray. I like navy but don't have a lot of it, other than blue jeans. Olive was a favorite until I decided it didn't look good on me a few years ago, but I'm adding it back in because I want to try it with more colors and on the bottom half.

So I'd say that currently black, charcoal, pure white, and olive are my favorites. They all make me happy, regardless of how they look on me. Black is my all-time favorite, and I'd say charcoal is a close second.

How about you?

General

40 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I've mostly given up on black for now but I do love charcoal, deep gray-olive, navy (esp. very dark), dark brown with a cool undertone and off white.

Windchime

Veteran

A couple years ago I would have quickly answered "black", but because of the influence of YLF, navy blue is a very close second. I might even like it better than black, at least for now. Another new neutral for me since YLF is white/cream. So my neutrals these days are black, navy, grey, and white/cream.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love a smattering of black in very specific pieces and in patterns. I DO have black items that I wish weren't black though - like my puffers.

My favourite neutrals are:

all shades of white
black
ink blue
cognac
light blue and mid blue denim
gold
animal print

Anonymous

Navy, indigo, dark brown, charcoal gray, medium gray, taupe and soft white.

JAileen

Veteran

Grey, dark blue, olive.

Helena

Veteran

Black, white, cream are my faves ... Gray is also hit and miss for me, it's useful at times but I can't say I love it. I like navy but more as a color than a neutral. I do love a leopard print, in small doses, as a neutral.

abc

Veteran

What Angie said!

Black
Navy
Metallics
White
Animal prints
Denim

Kaelyn

Veteran

Ah, yes, animal print and metallics are also excellent neutrals. I love silver and gunmetal. Gold is okay in small doses. I like my animal prints best in black and white, like my leopard print blouse.

Bonnie

Veteran

I like to wear black, navy, denim (dark to faded), and white.

Sal

Veteran

Mmmm, at the moment mine would be
- Black
- Mid denim
- White, preferably winter white or ivory near my face
- Gold/pewter
- Ink/Navy blue
- Dark brown - not wearing much right now

I am trying to reduce:
- Grey - all shades

Keix

Veteran

My favorite neutrals would have to be black and denim. Many people have been influenced towards navy by YLF; personally, I've been influenced towards white, which I previously avoided for fear of staining it. I still wear very little brown though, aside from a pair of cognac tall boots. Dark brown is my least favorite neutral because I think it clashes with my (black) hair and I've generally built my wardrobe around colors that go with black rather than brown.

DonnaF

Veteran

Charcoal is by far my favorite, but it's hard to find. I also like pewter, gunmetal, and silver. Black with cream patterns or black with white patterns have enormous power to seduce me and sometimes gray as well.

LaPed

Veteran

Stripes!
Black
ALL greys, especially the solid non-heather ones.

I had a stink-eye for navy for a long time -- too prep; too corporate; too, well, naval -- but I've mostly come around because I do really like the color itself, connotations aside. Plus, isn't denim just a variation on navy?

I like olive but it seems to have a diminishing place in my wardrobe. I do carry an olive bag almost every day though...

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I hardly wear black at all in the warm weather, but it comes out in the winter. I think browns look really good on me but don't wear them much for some reason except for footwear. Mostly I wear navy, grey, white, cream, taupe, olive, metallics, animal print, and a bit of cognac.

Anonymous

I wear them all. Although I couldn't banish black, I am trying to move to lighter neutrals. My favorites are light silvery grey and a mid tone taupe. I also like most clear greys and navy, all whites ( especially worn together) and the color of natural linen.

Kaelyn

Veteran

Great to hear all your thoughts! I love how everyone has different preferences.

KL, I think the same thing has happened to me with white. Wearing a white dress (with a black sash and black shoes) for my wedding started it, and then when I started reading YLF and seeing Angie's enthusiasm for white, I slowly fell in love with it, too. I'm actively trying to buy and wear it more because variety is good and I'm a little too obsessed with dark neutrals.

La Pedestrienne, YES, stripes are a favorite of mine, too! My dad always teased me about how many striped shirts I had in high school. Every time I picked a new one he'd look at me and say "MORE stripes?" (It was funny because I got that from him. He had a lot of striped polos.) I also used to have a bit of stink-eye for navy for the same reasons. I don't care for the preppy look, but I've always been a blue jeans girl so I eventually got over it when I realized I could wear other navy things just like I'd wear jeans. I have a dark navy dress that I adore!

Gigi

Veteran

Right now, my favorite neutrals are cream (a definite cream color, not white), black, and cognac. I like cream because it pairs with so many things, and as a high-contrast dresser, I love to pair it with my darker items. I like cognac because of its rich, warm hue. I like black because again, it creates high contrast with lots of other things.

NauticalVulpine

(website)

Well i learned something to day. I didnt know some of those were considered neutrals.

Im a sucker for black. A large part of my closet is black. I adore charcoal and olive. They are very flattering colors. Ik brown is flattering, but i hardly wear it. Im working towards getting a gold pair of pants. I really need more metallics. I love leopard print! But i like to wear it in shades of gray or sliver. And blue jeans are an everyday thing for me. They are just what i feel most comfortable in. I will wear it as a shirt, vest, jacket, or accessory. I almost never wear navy or white. (At least not near my face) I feel like they drain me of color.

Quyen

My favorite color in the world is one I rarely wear - red. Go figure. Denim, black, charcoal grey and olive are the colors I mostly wear even though they are not necessarily my favorite colors to look at. Although I love what black does for my body, I love what pale neutrals like cream, linen, and white, and even silver does for my face. My makeup looks less harsh, more glowing and healthy when I wear the lighter colors.
Recently I've taken a liking to an all white outfit underneath a black trench. This is a huge change from what I usually gravitate to, which are earth tones associated with boho styles. Honestly, I love just about all colors and many different styles which is why my wardrobe is so eclectic.

Staysfit

Veteran

Grey, all shades, but mid tone to light is best
Silver
Denim, light and mid tone blue, and grey
Eggplant
White
Pewter
Gold

Anonymous

I agree that hair color influences choices. My hair is brown, not black, and dark brown bookends it beautifully. I like gray but am getting tired of it, though it's a great replacement for black. Denim blue is my absolute favorite, but try getting non-denim dress pants in that color.

Anonymous

My absolute favorite neutrals include

Black
Charcoal
Lite Grey
Military Blue (need a better name for this color)
White (only during the Summer).

Kaelyn -- the Vivienne Files does an amazing job working with color palettes. I learned a lot from reading her website. You might be interested, if you have time.

Anonymous

What's interesting to me are what neutrals I DON"T like or want anymore - after years of persisting with them. Brown and navy . 10-15 years ago, I used to have a brown wardrobe ....seriously. I bought anything and everything that came in brown. I have no interests in it at all anymore, and go out of my way NOT to buy it. Navy - well it's ok, but other than one or two pieces, I don't love it against my face anymore, as odd as that may sound. I never feel as sharp and sophisticated in navy and I do in black.

So it's black, grey, camel and white for moi.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Black, ink and white. And silver... for accessories - I have a purse for summer and several pairs of shoes. Oh, and denim, if that counts. I have got rid of grey, brown, and beiges, but am considering introducing cognac, maybe a purse and something for my feet.

Sal

Veteran

Lisa- I had a brown wardrobe too. Boots, wide legged pants, trouser suit, a cocktail dress, a coat, a wool skirt, sweater.... I could go on. I still have the dress coat and skirt.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Navy, grey, black and off-white for me.

Thirkellgirl

Veteran

I have always been a huge fan of very dark navy blue, and still am, but I've been buying black this year. I don't know why I never wore black before, because in the few old photographs where I'm wearing a LBD instead of a navy suit, I always look great in it. I think my mother told me when I was sixteen that black was too old for me, and I never gave it another thought. I'd like to get some more white into my wardrobe, too. Deep plum is very flattering on me and I consider that a neutral since it goes with everything else.

Alexondra Marie

(website)

My closet is a neutral haven. I have a whole pinterest board called "Call Me Switzerland" dedicated to my love of neutrals. The ones I wear the most are just about every shade of brown, darker greens, navy blue, white, and I can be partial to darker reds, though less neutral than the others. I'm trying to introduce more lighter colors this year starting with blush/rose quartz because seeing it everywhere has made me fall deeply in love with it.

I have camel trench coat I've been wearing recently, and I get so many compliments on it. I call it my "Elaine Benes" coat.

Kaelyn

Veteran

Interesting points about hair color and neutrals. Mine is very dark brown but almost everyone perceives it as black. I've always been drawn to black footwear and although I'm branching out, it still feels the best on me. Dark brown works okay, too, but it's hard to find an exact match.

Sterling, I'll check that out!

Alexondra Marie, I LOVE that board name. Too clever!

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