Brown vs. Black…The Battle Heats Up #fb

My Fall shopping season is in full swing, and I am getting a clear idea of what’s in store for the Fall/winter season.  While I am still not thrilled with the absence of color (with the exception of purple and deep orange), I am very happy to report that brown is back.

Perhaps you didn’t notice (or maybe you don’t care) that brown was all but missing in action–being edged out last spring by the much less flattering but trendy gray.  Yes, some people wear charcoal gray well but when light-medium gray starts taking up valuable retail space where brown once resided, I wince and pout—sometimes even throw a temper tantrum (privately, of course)!

I suppose I shouldn’t complain.  Twenty-two years ago, when I started my business, brown was no where to be found (and was much maligned as well).  Since then, it has gained its well-deserved popularity.

I know that some of you are thinking…who cares, black is my go-to neutral.  No worries.  There is no shortage of black on the market, that’s for sure!

I propose that black play nice and share!  To be honest, more people look good in deep brown (I’m not talking those caramel or honey browns.  I’m talking deep, rich brown (and yes, there are some people (but fewer than you might think) for whom brown doesn’t work).  I’m also a realist, and I know that most women have some black in their wardrobes (even if they admit it’s not their best color) because it’s easy (on many levels).

If you haven’t already, consider giving brown a chance.  It has a yummy quality that black can never have.  Brown has depth and intensity and it adds warmth and softness (i.e. approachability) that black cannot.

The point here really is:

• Brown is deserving of equal visibility
• More people look good in deep brown than navy or charcoal
• Brown is extremely versatile – easily mixes and matches with other colors
• Brown has earned its place in the top line up of go-to neutrals so don’t take it away from us!

In fact, in a survey at www.JaneNation.com (a popular social networking site for women), they did a poll asking “What’s Your Favorite Fall Color?” and listed 8 colors.  When I took the poll, I am delighted to report that brown was #2 (just behind purple) and black had zero…count them, zero votes!  Women are expressing their preferences…now someone in the design world needs to listen!

Want to save money on wardrobe purchases?  Select your best two neutral colors (brown, black, navy, charcoal, camel, white, off-white) and build your wardrobe around these.  There is no need to have every neutral color in your closet—contrary to popular opinion, they do not all look good on you anyway, and you’ll make yourself crazy (and waste money) trying to create outfits for each of them.  In this case, less is definitely more.

There, I said it!  Now we just have to infuse the stores with truly gorgeous Fall colors like rich plums, deep teals, forest greens, magnificent reds, etc.  I’m staying hopeful that these will have more of a presence than they do now.  I have my fingers crossed, and time will tell.

Note: If you don’t know what your best neutrals are, have your colors done.  Yes, it’s more popular and useful than ever.  Be sure to find a consultant that does customized color analysis (not the seasons).  If you are in the Boston area, I can help you (https://totalimageconsultants.com/services/personal/color-analysis/) and if you are somewhere else, go to www.aici.org and look up your area in the directory of image consultants to find someone nearby.