Mail Bag: Combining Black and Navy

Kasmira:

Hi there. I am planning my wardrobe for my trip to Paris. I am comfortable combining black and brown....any thoughts for combining navy blue and black? Thanks so much,

Laura

I approach combining black and navy blue the same way I do black and brown. For both combinations, the key is making it look intentional. I try to repeat one of the colors at least twice in an outfit. For example, if I’m wearing a navy skirt and black top, I’ll also wear black shoes. Even better, but perhaps a little too matchy for some people’s taste, I’ll repeat both colors twice: navy blouse, black belt, navy skirt, black shoes.

The easiest way to introduce a black/navy combination into your outfit rotation is to start with an item of clothing that already combines these colors. I have a navy skirt with black stripes and black lace trim, a navy bolero with a black collar, and a tartan skirt with a dark (almost navy blue) and black in the pattern. These easily lend themselves to the creation of black and blue ensembles. (For brown and black combinations, a leopard print is a great way to tie the two colors together.)

Black and navy can be a rather dark combination, so I like to add a pop of color. Yellow is my favorite accent for black and navy, but I also like orange and bright pink.

The following photos are of a few of my outfits combining black and navy.


If you like, you can just take me along on your trip to be your personal stylist.