Of all the fashion regrets I have, the biggest is all the black I wore. For years, if you bought a coat, it was automatically black. A trouser suit, a turtleneck, a party dress: black, black, and a very dense inky black. I don’t think I’m the only one who spent the 1990s in Victorian mourning.
Now, of course, I wouldn’t even dream of dressing all in black; my complexion can’t handle it and what was once edgy and sophisticated looks ordinary and flat. Furthermore, fashion is no longer enslaved by black: it is there, elegant as always, but it is no longer the first choice or the obvious resource.
That award goes to navy blue, gray or camel, which, luckily, are much more forgiving for those over 50. But the really big change, and what makes me wear color every day, is the way we use it now.
The fashionable term for this is ‘tonal dressing’: wearing different shades of a color or colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel: brown, caramel and camel, for example. And boy, is it a revelation.
Color used to be something you threw into the mix (a red sweater, a cobalt blue blouse) and hoped for the best. Now you build your outfit into grades of a color that automatically work together (bingo! Zero effort) and the effect is subtler and more wearable.
A tonal outfit looks elegant, but not combinable. It’s versatile and less flashy than head-to-toe block color.
And since it is a range of shades, the colors themselves are more interesting. No longer “brown is the color of fall 2024,” there are six or seven shades to choose from this season and wear together.
In Seed heritage For example, you’ll find dozens of items on the spectrum of browns, from caramel to camel to conker to maple, and they all look delicious together.
It’s hard to get excited about a brown item, but a mix of golden tans and chocolates looks rich and beautiful.
you don’t have to spend Seed heritage prices to embrace the new color environment. Start with one color from the current fall batch (all dark reds, all browns, any shade of blue, winter pinks) and then pick a couple pieces to start with.
A sweater is a good place to start: quality wool transmits color very well.
I’m sold on this brown moment after buying a tan skirt in the summer that everyone noticed (all browns pair well with off-whites and creams in winter too).
Start with a dark chocolate vest ($149.99, dish.com.au) or Aere neutral cotton and linen knit vest ($90, theiconic.com.au). O Seed Heritage has a Cinnamon Spice Satin Halter Top ($129.95) with a matching skirt ($169.95).
You could use any of them with Forcast Dark Camel Satin Midi Skirt ($79.99), Forcast slim pants ($69). The key is not to stop at the waist (most of us are inclined to wear colors on top) and carry the color all the way.
There are plenty of A-line chocolate leather midis: NEXT’s brown faux leather midi skirt ($111, next.com.au) or Oroton pleated pants ($199, oroton.com) would work.
Bright greens and olives are also great for fall. Some greens you could play with include Short trenery with belt in olive smoke ($159), matching sleeve shirt blouse ($229) and wide pants in olive smoke ($199).
Or go with all shades of wine, starting with Zara’s velvet sleeveless top in dark maroon ($79.95, zara.com/es), SNDYS burgundy long dress ($83.40) and burgundy straight-leg pants from House of CB ($220, myer.com.au).
This is also a time for unexpected color combinations like the Mister Zimi jumpsuit in red, yellow and fuchsia ($229) and unlikely bright but icy colors including iris and winter citrus – the palest, tangiest lemon looks lovely as an accent paired with blue or mixed with stark whites.
Rarely has color seemed so desirable.