Outfit Styling: Why Blacks and Whites are not styling neutrals
In my series How to Build a Timeless Wardrobe, I’ve mentioned that I don’t believe Blacks and whites are styling neutrals, contrary to what I was taught in middle and high school. For those of you who are really trying to build a timeless capsule wardrobe, you should probably consider this when buying your neutrals.
I believe shades of black and whites can be neutrals depending on the person, which means each person needs to figure out which shade of black and which shade of white looks best with their skin type, hair, and eyes (and if you’re a fun creative person who really doesn’t care what colors you wear, these posts might not be for you, and that’s okay). If I’ve ever been unsure why I don’t wear something in my closet very often, all I have to do is consider what color or shade of a color it is, and usually I have my answer— it’s a shade that looks bad on me.
My number one value in having “neutrals” catered to my unique color palette in my closet, is the ease it takes to grab them and pair them with something else. I LOVE getting crazy and creative with my outfits, but I also really like being able to throw on a quick outfit when I need to. And when my clothing revolves around a similar color palette (7-10 colors that compliment my body and my aesthetic), that makes my job of getting ready in the morning SO much easier.
Because I am one of those who can’t wear midnight black (it majorly clashes with my hair and makes my skin look really green and yellow), I wanted to show you what shade of black I CAN wear. If you are an autumn/fall color palette like I am, this will probably be true for you too!
I’m wearing a vintage faded black! Which, in my opinion, is a bit more of a dark charcoal gray, which is a color that looks great with my eyes and does not clash with my hair.
And I’m not wearing this faded black too close to my face, but I’m wearing it as a base (as pants), that way I can wear a shirt (like this green striped shirt) that really brings out my eyes. The white stripes in this shirt are also not a crisp white (which would clash with my eyes and teeth), the white is a bit more muted. Now that I’ve figured out my color palette a bit more, I’ve realized when I shop for white I need to be shopping for a cream white, which I rarely find in the stores. I am jealous of anyone who really pops in a crisp white because there is so much crisp white out there in the retail world.
So what do you think? Do you have questions? If you are unsure where to start with finding your own color palette, you can read this post full of resources. Do you have whites in your closet that drain your face or make you look alive and healthy? Do you have blacks that clash with your hair or do you have shades of black that compliment your hair?
