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Giving up on black?

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Black isn't the best color near my face, but it's not horrible. Recently I've been thinking about avoiding black in my wardrobe entirely. Honestly it's less for flattery reasons and more that it would narrow down the possibilities of what I could wear/buy. I know there are some of you at YLF who don't wear black at all. Have you found it frustrating or helpful, and does it make your shopping easier or harder?

Dressing

56 replies

Latest reply was from Alassë

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I tried to give it up, but couldn't. It just kept creeping back in.

So I started calling it one of my "colours" vs. one of my neutrals. And all of a sudden it became easier to use it more mindfully and deliberately. It also became easier to see the OTHER (better) neutrals in the stores and gravitate towards them, instead. In my case that's navy/ink blue (including denim); all greys; taupe; winter white/ ivory.

It's hard to get away from black if your wardrobe is a cool toned one generally. Easier now than in some years, because navy and greys are available -- but still at times a challenge.

Another way of managing it is to say black only for bottoms, and not for items like coats.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I would love to give it up, like Suz I tried, unfortunately the clothes I love seem to always be made only in black. I don't buy black tops any more but I do have coats & shoes & bottoms in black. When other neutrals are available I stock up

Deborah

Veteran

Im afraid I cant help;) I have flirted with colours, didn't like it and now I am back to my beloved black. My only suggestion is to enhance the black with patterned and/or coloured scarfs and accessories.

El Cee

Veteran

Give up black? I am from New York. That would be sacrilegious. Black is probably not the best shade for me either, especially as I age. I have been gradually adding other neutrals to my wardrobe (gray, deep blue, cream, shades of brown) but find they are more difficult to mix and match with pieces I already own (and love). Black is just so EASY. It works with everything. So black is staying in my closet… at least for now.

Astrid

Veteran

I also reduced the amount of black in my wardrobe. I won't ever quit buying it completely, but I don't go for black as my first choice like I did in the past. And that already made a big difference. I think treating it like a color and not as a neutral, just like Suz suggested, is a good idea.

MsMaven

Veteran

Yes, as Caro says. So many desirable items come in black--ok--or white. I often look in vain for a nice top in a pretty color.

Anonymous

I have, near my face as my main colour. Which is the short way of saying I wear black bottoms, I will also wear a black camisole poking out of my cardi, blouse, top, etc but I have 3 black blazers that I haven't worn in 2 winters.

My wardrobe is mainly warm colours but unless I wear bucket loads of blush and lipstick, it is not a great colour on me,despite it's popularity.

I am slowly moving to grey and navy as my main winter neutrals but not all greys and navy ' go' together

Gigi

Veteran

I think giving up on black would be almost impossible...I don't have a lot of black in my wardrobe, but especially when it comes to shoes, some things are made only in black. I am just careful not to overbuy and to be really choosy about how the black looks on me (does it make me look washed out, etc.).

Sheila

Veteran

Hate Black ! Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.... I have succumbed to it in shoes and boots... and one funeral dress. But that is it.. NEVER ! I don't care if it makes my body look like a young Sophia Loren. NEVER.

Especially this time of year... everyone and their dog has on black coat. That just makes this time of year more gloomy in my eyes... and it's unsafe - especially at night with snowbanks. Should be illegal IMHO for outdoor winter gear... unless they start putting reflective stripes on it.
Right out of 12 blueprints... I agree with every word. Such a great article on black...
http://12blueprints.com/index.php?s=brand

1.Â With respect to anyone who feels otherwise, I
disagree that “black is always stylish and it’s slimming, plus all
accessories go with it”. It isn’t, it isn’t, and they don’t. Not for men
or women.

2. The fact is that black flatters very few people’s
natural colouring. Black can’t be at home with most types of natural
colouring because it isn’t there in the first place. The native
pigmentation doesn’t darken that far. Black just sits on top, out of
sync. For those of us looking at it, it’s the visual equivalent of
riding 50 miles in a car with an out-of-tune radio.

3. The slimming myth is a myth. A fashion
propagandism. Black is not slimming unless that darkness exists in the
natural colouring to provide balance and context for it. Without those,
the black block gets bigger. On the bottom half, the black block looks
heavy. Bulky. Fat. Fuzzy. Sweatpants.

There are many more reasons... we ALL have a better color than black.

Have you ever been to formal event and taken note of the number of women NOT wearing black ? Very few unfortunately. And shopping for formal wear ! Awful ! Don't compromise on black... walk out and look some more.

MuseumGal

Veteran

I've been trying to give up black FOR YEARS in favor a navy centered wardrobe. Like Suz, I now think of it as an accent color rather than a neutral. As in sometimes I accent my navy dress/outfit/whatever with brown, sometimes with black, sometimes with purple, sometimes with teal .... you get the idea.

Liz

Veteran

I've given it up as a default, but I haven't been able to find a good substitute. My coloring is warm, and navy and gray look worse on me than a good warm, rich black. But I try to buy very few black items. And, I now know I don't like high-contrast pairings, so I no longer assume "black goes with everything." There are actually only a few colors I like to pair with black.

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

I sort of gave it up by accident. At one point it was pretty much all I owned, so as I slowly switches to more colors, it kinda disappeared from my closet. I only own one black top now (not counting crappy old tees). I am actually trying to get more black now! I like black.

Helena

Veteran

I am a bit of a ping-pong ball on this one - I go from 100% committed to black, to committed to eliminating black! I will echo Liz' comment that it is no longer my default - I especially like navy, and am testing out dark gray again after a long break from it - but hard to let go of black entirely. The problem is it is such a no-fail! Hard to give up that safety net entirely! (imho )

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Sheila, I can't help but notice that the link you provide is all about the color black as it applies to someone being videotaped. As a photographer with a background in broadcasting, I agree that black is not a good color to wear on camera. However, I think there are plenty of people who do wear black well. I simply can't agree with the sweeping generalization that black is awful. But I do agree that it's a shame so many outerwear and formalwear choices are limited to black.

Personally, it will be a long time before I even consider giving up black. I have always liked it on me, although I don't often do all-black looks, and I usually prefer it softened with lighter neutrals and/or some color. There might be more flattering colors on me, but I can't imagine my wardrobe without black.

Susie

Veteran

I'm with Janet. I LOVE black. When buying a new item, given a choice between black and another color, I will almost always gravitate to the black one. I also love gray and white. I have some other colors in my wardrobe of course but I can't imagine black not being significantly represented.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I will never give up black. I try to avoid it too close to my face in the winter, as it is harsh, but it does bookend my dark hair so it's really easy for me to wear.

catgirl

Veteran

Can't give it up. Black is very me just as white is the opposite of me. I feel totally at home in blacks and greys and most items I love tend to be in those colors. When I do find edge and color united I will go for it as long as its one of my colors. As Suz said I think the key is to wear black deliberately, instead of by default as I used to do.

LoriFLA

Black is (was) one of my best colors but I haven't worn it in the past few years. It's less flattering as I age. I can still get away with it, I just opt to wear more flattering colors. Also, I only like to pair black with white, silver, gray, or tan/khaki, so that can be limiting. As a side note, I cannot wear black and white prints, they are way too harsh and graphic for my coloring.

Gigi

Veteran

Sheila, you are right that it's a pity that winter coats seem to be made only in black for the most part. And shoes are difficult too...I saw that my shoe wardrobe was practically all black, so I wanted to branch out, but it was incredibly difficult. People don't even make shoes in dark brown anymore! Grr.

Interesting about black not being slimming on everyone. I hadn't thought of that. I have read that all dark colors (not just black) are slimming, but I have darker coloring, so maybe that is why it find that it works for me. I don't know how it works on people who have lighter coloring, like people who would be springs or summers in the seasonal color analyses. I think one of the reasons I can wear black relatively successfully is that my skin tones have some blue-black in them (which was a surprise for me to find out, that skin tones of that color are actually even possible).

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I haven't banished black, and used to wear it a lot more. But I do go for dark inky blue now if that is an option.

Anonymous

I'm another one who probably couldn't get dressed without black. It's so easy, it works with my coloring, and I've always liked it on me. Opaque tights alone pretty much ensure that I'll have to wear some black if I don't want to make things really hard for myself. I have found that adding a little warmth or color, or even just some texture somewhere, looks better on me than just a bunch of flat black, so I try to do that.

I do agree, though, that it would be nice to have more non-black options available in stores.

Echo

Veteran

I am at home in black, and I DO find that it goes with everything, takes accessorization well and is easier to wear than lighter colours. It makes a perfect backdrop for standout pieces like blazers or scarves or jewelry. Although I live in a very cold area, I also have red, cobalt, pink and plaid coats along with the standard black. IMO, black is a staple. To my eye, it always pulls a look together and is more sophisticated than colours (on me).

I absolutely respect those who make a different sartorial choice. Other colours and neutrals look smashing on other people. But for myself, nothing works quite as well as black.

Gaylene

Veteran

Why would I give up on one of my favorite colors? For some of us, black is a choice, not a default.

Susie

Veteran

Just had to pop back on to add an observation. I was watching ice skating on the Olympics and found that the costumes that looked most elegant were generally the black ones. There was a richness to them that the light blues were lacking. Except for one where the skater was wearing burgundy with gold and looked beautiful, I preferred the black costumes.

karymk

Veteran

Well Laura, Im in the same boat as you. I look great in softer neutrals, but my personality is so BLACK. I try not to get it up by my face as I age, but I still think that nothing has the same edge as black. Not dark brown, not plum, not teal. There are some places black can take you that others just can't get to.

Susie

Veteran

I'm laughing at how you said that because I remember saying many years ago 'what does it say about my personality that black is my favorite color?'

ironkurtin

Veteran

I love black. It's rich, elegant, classic, and simple.

annaj

Veteran

I don't wear black. I just don't look at it in stores. I don't find it difficult or complicated. If something only comes in black, I keep looking, or make do without. You learn to just not look

Greyscale

Veteran

I wear exclusively black, but I don't think it would be too hard to avoid it entirely while shopping. Some stores, like J Crew, seem to avoid black for a lot of items - I've noticed they've shifted to having navy as their darkest color for sweaters and tees, often.

And now's a great time to try it, because spring and summer styles usually have a lot fewer black options! The shift to spring shopping has definitely started online, even if many of you are still stuck in polar vortexes.

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