Black. Does it Go with Everything?
Diane Pollack
Last month I talked about the power of color. This month it is about Black. Out of every Stylempower insider news I have ever written, this one consistently, years later, shows up as the most searched for and read.
I know you have not all been reading this for years or have not read every issue, so since it is clearly a topic of interest, I thought I would send out my thoughts on this again.
I have been noticing more and more that women often automatically put everything back to black as a go-to color that supposedly "goes with everything".
Although this isn't on the official "fashion don't list", I am here to tell you that there are better choices that will instantly make your outfit look more cohesive and stylized.
Let's look at these two outfits.
Outfit on the left: Despite that the top has no sleeves it looks heavy (color-wise) and chops up the outfit. The outfit looks ehh - it's fine.
Outfit on the right: Despite the sweater being long sleeve and heavier fabric, it is tonal, picks up the color in the trim on the skirt and therefore keeps consistent with the softness and delicate nature of the skirt. Add a necklace and wow - it's fabulous!
Stylist Tip: Pair pastels back to grey for a much softer look than black.
For more commentary on this outfit details as well as other Fine 2 Fab you can visit the Stylempower Fine 2 Fab page.
Another example of what I have seen people do is put a print with no black in it, back to black.
The picture on the left, with black pants, looks heavy and does not really look like an outfit, merely two piece put together.
The picture on the right shows some other options (tan, sage or dark olive) that would be better stylized back to this neutral print. The colors blend with the print better and don’t feel like a stark contrast.
Spring is on the way. As many palettes get lighter and softer, think about your pairing to black to see if it is really the best option.
Need help? Contact me, I am happy to help.
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