Ever since Coco Chanel put the LBD on the map, black has been the ultimate everyday color. It is the clothing equivalent of chicken noodle soup — the fashion world's comfort food. It's hard to get black wrong, except by repeating it over and over again, something I see all too much in the corporate world. Black clothing becomes the fallback option.
Ladies, I get it. Black is a great color. It's easy. It's chic. It's flattering. It's professional. Don't get me wrong — I love knowing that when my entire closet fails me, my beloved LBD is just a hanger away. But, like chocolate chip cookie dough and neon, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. There are many more colors in the rainbow, and they too deserve a beloved place in your wardrobe.
If you're one of those people who finds comfort in black, but you're ready to spruce things up a bit, I have two tips.
1. Look for patterns. (Black ones are okay!)
2. Focus on a pop of color.
Black and white is one of the most available color patterns, from stripes, to polka dots, to floral. Bonus: Prints look great under blazers.
Once you have a cute, patterned top, experiment with a pop of color. I love yellow or red with black — it's the exclamation point on an outfit. Red shoes can be worn with several different looks; they're a surprisingly great neutral.
Your black clothes will always be there, and they'll be better than ever when you add some patterns and color to them!
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Catherine Hageman dispatches fashionista tendencies fit for a corporate career on Small Town, Big Wardrobe.
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