Broad moore: Why Not Try: Black with Brown

Monday, September 17, 2012

Why Not Try: Black with Brown

This fall and winter, why not try black with brown? I know that when I was growing up the edict was either/or, but never both together. Thankfully, fashion has become more relaxed and we can wear white after Labor Day, socks with sandals, and, yes, black with brown. In fact, pairing black with brown can be extremely chic when done right.

So, what constitutes to doing it right? Luckily, for this combination, it’s hard to go wrong. I personally like to pair my black with warmer browns, such as camel, caramel or cognac. But, it can be equally chic with darker browns such as chocolate and espresso. Really, the only thing to keep in mind is to make the pairing look deliberate.

For example, I wouldn’t pair an all-black outfit with espresso-brown shoes because it could look like you got dressed in the dark and accidentally chose your brown shoes instead of your black shoes. However, the same black outfit with lighter brown shoes, such as cognac, indicates you deliberatelychose contrasting shoes to enhance the look. And adding both a brown belt andbrown shoes can make the look even more deliberate.

Probably the easiest way to try this trend is to find items that combine the two for you. For example, my black flats have a brown ankle strap, making pairing them with my black dress easy as pie:

Hive and Honey "Yvonna" Flats - Image via Piperlim

Another easy way to wear black and brown is to introduce a third color, like with my black, brown and cream dress:

I'm excited to wear this dress this fall with boots.

Other black and brown items I love for fall include these fabulous printed pants from Anthropologie:

Pilcro Stet Slim Pants - Image via Anthropologie

And this polka dot sweater from Old Navy:

Polka Dot Boatneck Sweater - Image via Old Navy

Still not convinced? Maybe you need a little Pinspiration? In that case, here are some of the black and brown looks I’ve pinned for inspiration this fall: