Color Palette: The Issue of Black & Brown

Traditional style advice is that black and brown should not be mixed. A faithful follower of this axiom, my wardrobe rule was ‘black and brown: never the twain shall meet.” Accordingly, I carefully selected my shoes and accessories to match black, brown, and neutral outfits. Recent conversations with fashion-forward friends (SaraHS and the rockstar archivists) and family (Aunt Sue) caused me to re-think my position and have spurred me to experiment with mixtures of black and brown. This experiment seems like a faux pas in the making, and I am a bit afraid it will land me on Stacy and Clinton's show. But, I think I have succeeded in creating two elegant outfits.

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The Drawing Board

 

Before thinking of these color groups as items of clothing, it is helpful to think of them as two complementary palettes:

Shades of Chocolate

Evening to Dawn

Both of these palettes are rich and velvety. They can be used for a classic, dark look or as a base for splashes of color on a cloudy winter day. Imagine a black satin top paired with a brown merino wool sweater and accented with pearls. Combine these with a silver-grey skirt and black patent flats or grey suede pumps for a day-at-the-library or night-at-the-museum look. 

Make the same outfit pop with a vintage green rhinestone starburst pin and a green vintage clutch. 

Lessons Learned

The key to successfully mixing colors and textures is to envision them as complementary, not matching. Colors and textures can unexpectedly complement each other to create a unique outfit or re-invent an old-favorite. Black and brown may not technically match, but they do complement each other nicely. Even though I've thrown the traditional fashion handbook out the window for these outfits, I think that Stacy and Clinton might give me a pass.

I will be wearing a variation of this outfit on date night with Pablo this week. (That is unless we get buried by tomorrow’s snowstorm).