There is something to be said for the
monochromatic look. Head-to-toe black à la Leigh Lezark, Carine Roitfeld as a
gothic temptress, or mixed in with deep navy and chilly grey just like
Emmanuelle Alt. There is an easy chicness to black, which has for years
coloured my own wardrobe all dark and moody.
For so many of us, a slick all-black ensemble is a style default. Somehow, it can suggest power without a shoulder pad (or with, if you prefer) and allows the total comfort that print clashing just doesn’t always afford.
But what happens when the adventurous mood strikes? Sometimes it hard to look at Taylor Tomasi-Hill and not feel like you could be showing more sartorial chutzpah.
Look, it’s a bit of a stretch to go from black-on-black-on-black to all the colours of Pantone at once.
Turn, instead, to texture.
For the colour-shy, an unexpectedly textured piece is the ultimate party trick. Weightless curls of silk organza or cropped, fluffy volume quickly mix things up. It’s an instant playfulness that sombre black doesn’t usually accommodate.
NB: even though the Cameo top is an inky blue, it was the piece that inspired this post and is too cool to exclude
Or, the opposite in frivolity, textured blacks can elicit the most heady richesse. The simple opulence of dark brocade or lush quilted leather against simple black cotton is unparalleled.
Playing with texture builds intrigue in a subtle, look-at-me-closer way with the most basic palette: monochrome all the way.
Basic, that is, unless you want to pile on all textural variations at once. Be my guest.
 |
| Oh, Carine / photo: I Want to be a Roitfeld |
For so many of us, a slick all-black ensemble is a style default. Somehow, it can suggest power without a shoulder pad (or with, if you prefer) and allows the total comfort that print clashing just doesn’t always afford.
But what happens when the adventurous mood strikes? Sometimes it hard to look at Taylor Tomasi-Hill and not feel like you could be showing more sartorial chutzpah.
Look, it’s a bit of a stretch to go from black-on-black-on-black to all the colours of Pantone at once.
Turn, instead, to texture.
For the colour-shy, an unexpectedly textured piece is the ultimate party trick. Weightless curls of silk organza or cropped, fluffy volume quickly mix things up. It’s an instant playfulness that sombre black doesn’t usually accommodate.
 |
| sass & bide 'His Kingdom' skirt / Cameo the Label 'The National' top |
NB: even though the Cameo top is an inky blue, it was the piece that inspired this post and is too cool to exclude
Or, the opposite in frivolity, textured blacks can elicit the most heady richesse. The simple opulence of dark brocade or lush quilted leather against simple black cotton is unparalleled.
 |
| Elizabeth & James 'Winston' pants / Diane von Furstenberg 'Daria' skirt |
Playing with texture builds intrigue in a subtle, look-at-me-closer way with the most basic palette: monochrome all the way.
Basic, that is, unless you want to pile on all textural variations at once. Be my guest.
