Why is blavy bad?

BLACK would have to be the most popular fashion colour in the world. It’s WARDROBE 101 and there’s a reason why we wear so much of it.

Just like the LBD, black will always be the go-to colour when in doubt because it’s so easy and safe, is visually slimming and helps to boost confidence in appearance.

Black is serious, professional and conventional, but it can also represent the mysterious, sexy and sophisticated. It is a uniform of sorts and is guaranteed to get you out the door with no thought required.

But if you’re a 50+ woman, black on black can be overwhelming, and look dreary and bland. So be careful about resorting to an all-black wardrobe if you think it’s the key to carefree chic. It isn’t.

Black’s absence of colour renders it neutral so it will go with nearly every colour of the rainbow. And most neutrals look great together; think black and white, white and beige, white and navy, navy and cream … you get the idea. These colours usually make up the foundation of our wardrobes, so it’s only natural that we’d wear them together.

However, there is one combination that is often overlooked — black and navy. The old sartorial rule that cautioned against wearing black and blue together (especially dark blue or navy) has no real merit.

Just like black, navy carries a sense of elegance and sophistication. It also conveys importance, confidence, power and authority as well as intelligence, stability and conservatism.

Whether worn in a single garment or combined in a head-to-toe look, black and navy looks oh-so sophisticated and extremely chic together. A favourite combination of many European designers, it’s also dark without being gothic, and sleek without being too stuffy.

Navy has black in it, so the two are perfect companions. Whereas there are so many dyelots of navy, wearing navy with another navy (unless they are from the same dyelot) can make them tricky to match.  So keep it simple and wear navy with black.

So be a rulebreaker and look beyond the traditional … take a risk and leap into the great unknown.  Every woman has black staples in her wardrobe — black coats, black jackets, black pants, black dress, black shirts, black knitwear and, of course, black accessories. But what every woman needs is to invest in a few key navy pieces as well.

Another reason to take a risk — as I’ve recently discovered — is when you get to a certain age black on black on black can be extremely harsh against the face, making you look tired and washed out. Navy actually lifts skin tone, especially those with grey hair!

Are you a fan of navy and black? Ready to give it a go this season? Would love to hear from you. Ever stylishly yours …

Do you have a question for Cosmopolitan.com's style editor Charles Manning? Submit it here or tweet him @charlesemanning. Happy dressing!

Q: What's the best thing to do with your pants when you haven't had time to get them tailored yet, or can't get them tailored (i.e. pleather)? How can you style them so you don't look like a schlub?

A: First of all, hemming your pants is inexpensive and can usually be done at your dry cleaner in a day, so it really is worth taking the time to get it done.

That said, if you're in a bind there are 3 things you can do:

1. Put on a pair of super high heels. This really only works if your pant legs are on the looser side. Tight pants pulled down over heels never stay in place and always look awkward because of the way they bulge and stretch around the shoes.

2. Cuff 'em. If your pants are tight and made of a thicker fabric like denim or twill, a clean cuff is best, but they will start to look a little bulky if you roll them more than 2 or 3 times. For looser or slouchier pants, a bunchier, more casual roll is best. In either case, you want your pants to be slightly shorter than you would normally wear them. That way cuffing feels like a style choice, not just something you're doing because you have to.

3. Iron, pin, and tape a temporary hem. Fold your pant under and safety pin the excess fabric on the outer and inner leg seams to itself (that way the pins won't be visible from the outside of the pant). Next, iron a hard crease into the pant leg and then use double-sided tape (topstick works best) to keep the front and back of the pants from drooping. It's a lot of work, but if you skip a step the hem won't stay up, so you need to make sure you do all three.

Q: I work in the fashion industry in NYC and have noticed that fashion people never wear tights, even when it's 20 degrees. What is WITH the rejection of tights by fashion people? Is there a temperature at which they draw the line?

A: I blame this particular phenomenon on street style photographers. They love a seasonally inappropriate fashion moment — fur in summer, chiffon and bare legs in winter — and there is nothing fashion people like better than having their picture taken, so they are happy to oblige. Also, fashion people in NYC are used to suffering to achieve a certain look, so unless tights enhance the outfit in some way you are unlikely to see an editor or stylist wearing them, even when it's freezing out.

Of course, if you're into the bare-legs-in-winter look, bundling up on top and wearing a nice warm coat are essential. You'll never be as warm as you would be if your legs were covered, but at least you won't die of hypothermia.

Q: Is it true that you can't wear black and brown together? What about black and navy?

A: This is absolutely untrue. It's just one of those antiquated fashion rules like "no white shoes after Labor Day." Black and brown, black and navy, brown and navy — it all works.

If the colors are particularly similar, it's a good idea to layer them next to or on top of each other so their differences are more apparent. Combining pieces with different textures — leather with denim, silk with wool, etc. — will also keep similar colors from bleeding together. That said, if you're going for a subtler look, a little color confusion can actually be a good thing. The fact is neutrals almost always mix well together, so there really is no wrong way to do it.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Related Stories:

Is It Ever OK to Wear Leggings as Pants?

4 Easy Steps to Get You Out of Your Fashion Rut

The One Piece of Clothing Every Woman Should Own

To the fashion faux pas enthusiasts,

I have never felt like it was my place to judge what someone chose to wear on a daily basis, and I feel bothered by people, like you, who take it upon yourselves to call someone else’s outfit wrong. What I’m talking about is the global misguided phenomenon of Fashion faux pas. Yes, I can agree that sometimes, an outfit just simply does not work, however I cannot make sense of disliking an outfit because society tells me that it should not be accepted as fashionable. In fact, several of my most favorite fashion forward individuals would agree, and have sported their approval on several occasions.

1. You say, don’t wear black and brown together-ever. We would strongly disagree.

While this is a color combination that can easily go wrong, when done the right way this faux pas is no more. For example, worn on Blake Lively it looks classy, chic, simple and very put together.

2. You say, blavy is bad. To that we’d like to say, au contraire.

If you are unsure of what “blavy” is, it is simply the combination of black and navy. While many disapprove of this duo, I am an avid supporter. Do you really think a style worn by Cara Delevingne, Kristen Steward and Jessica Biel could be considered faux pas? I am a firm believer in the wear it if it works mindset, and blavy works, people, blavy always works.

3. You say, don’t double denim. We say do double denim.

While this faux pas may have gained its bad reputation from Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the 2001 American Music Awards, it has come a long way since then, so please, let’s reconsider.

With the recent popularity of the chambray shirt, denim on denim was bound to make a much-needed comeback. While Brit and Justin tried, J.Crew shows how this look can be properly worn with nothing faux pas-ey about it.

4. You say, silver or gold, pick one. We say, mix your metals.

Stop being so overly concerned with wearing a silver bracelet with a gold necklace; the real faux pas you should be concerned with is over accessorizing. Mixing metals is bold and makes a statement. Personally, I feel it’s very edgy and eye catching. In fact, Kylie Jenner is an avid supporter of mixed metals, and is almost always photographed wearing stacked silver and gold Cartier bangles.

Last but not least, one of the most well known fashion faux pas of them all- 5. You say, you can’t wear white after Labor Day. We say it’s all white to wear all white.

Lately, especially among celebrities, white after Labor Day has become widely accepted. Yes, we can’t flaunt tiny white sundresses during the winter here in Erie, but there are other options.

White coats and white furs are a great way to wear white all year-round. If Taylor Swift and J.Lo can wear it, why can we all?

So, have we changed your mind about faux pas yet? You’ve have it all wrong all along. There’s no need to limit your fashion sense. Why no give it a try?

Sincerely, Cat Walk