STYLING 101: HOW TO WEAR BLACK AND NAVY

Jess Hart wears a navy coat and dress over black leather boots and bag.

BLACK would have to be the most popular colour in the world. It’s Fashion 101 and there’s a reason why we wear so much of it. 


Just like the LBD, black will always be the go-to colour when in doubt because it’s so easy and safe. It’s a uniform of sorts and is guaranteed to get you out the door with no thought required.  But be careful about resorting to an all-black wardrobe if you think it’s the key to carefree chic. It isn’t.

Black is serious, professional and conventional, but it can also represent the mysterious, sexy and sophisticated. It is a visually slimming colour and helps to boost confidence in appearance. 

But too much black can be overwhelming. Black on black can look dreary and bland, not sharp and chic.  The absence of colour renders it neutral so it will go with nearly every colour of the rainbow. Classic combinations include black with white, nude, red, yellow, cobalt blue and orange.

Olivia Palermo dresses up with a navy coat and black suede boots.

Keep it casual with a navy jacket and top over black pants and slides.  Pictures: thebarebonesofit.tumblr.com, fabsugar.com

However, there is one combination that is often overlooked – black and navy. A favourite of many European designers, mixing the two together looks oh-so sophisticated and extremely chic. Navy has black in it, so black and navy are perfect companions. Whereas there are many dyelots of navy,  which can make them tricky to match.  So keep it simple and wear navy with black.

Just like black, navy carries a sense of elegance and sophistication. It also conveys importance, confidence, power and authority as well as intelligence, stability and conservatism.

So break the safety cycle and look beyond the traditional ... take a risk and leap into the great unknown.  Every woman has black staples in her wardrobe– black coats, black jackets, black pants, black dress, black shirts, black knitwear and, of course, black accessories. But what every woman needs is to invest in a few key navy pieces as well.  

Another reason to take a risk – as I’ve recently discovered –  is when you get to a certain age black on black on black can be extremely harsh against the skin, making you look tired and washed out. Navy actually lifts skin tone, especially those with grey hair!


NOW SHOP THE LOOK

1: Oroton cashmere cardigan 2: DKNY calf hair ballet flats 3: Oroton trench coat 4: Trenery cotton poplin shirt 5: Florsheim leather Zizi Jiovanna bag 6: Saba dress 7: Florsheim Donata suede shoes