Black + Brown: How to do it successfully

It’s always been a no-no. Black shoes and brown socks. Brown pants with a black belt. But this year, test out this forbidden color territory with tasteful shades of caramel paired with black. The key is to pick shades of brown that will match black, of which there is a single shade. If you are a lover of chocolate brown, try mixing it with grey as two darks don’t make a right in this particular color situation. Camel, caramel, taupe and other shades all go well with black if you pick the right pieces. Here are some of our favorite ways to pair black and brown.

In the same piece of clothing:

We saw these exact Ciao Bella two-tone leather boots walking down the street this weekend and they were really cute. Great way to bring the colors together in a versatile boot.

Or, for a few choices in the black and brown boot category, check out this link to some stunning Etienne Aigner wide calf boots. Here’s a splurge with black and brown in the same piece:

Rachel Roy long cardigan is $345 but very high quality. Keep in mind the pockets could fall in an unflattering place on some people, but with black pants and heels, this is a beautiful fall and winter piece.

Tops:

Banana Republic’s Silk Camp Shirt is flowy, sexy and will definitely show sweat stains so be mindful of that. But in Taupe, it’s a great way to start with a light brown and add black pants (such as these slim-fit Martin trousers) or a black pencil skirt and create a perfectly seamless color transition. Plus, Banana has a 40% off sale on work styles today!

Bottoms:

Want a twist on a plain, black pencil skirt? Bluefly’s Robert Rodriguez skirt for $172 has a leather waist band. Wear with a cropped camel-colored jacket or the Silk Camp Shirt above. However, this skirt doesn’t have a pleat or any give in the back. This is for people with longer legs and smaller behinds.