Wearing all-black is an extremely versatile way to put together an outfit. There is no doubt that an all-black outfit is a staple of nearly everyone's wardrobe, whether it be a date, a night out to the bars/club, or just an everyday outfit. All-black outfits look great and it is nearly impossible to mess up. But does one spice up their all-black jeans and a t-shirt or jeans and a bodysuit? Here is a step-by-step guide on what I think about when styling all-black.

Shades:

The first thing I think about when I want to style all-black is the different shades of black I want to incorporate in an outfit. Incorporating different shades is a good way to “colour block” a monochromatic outfit. Sometimes when the shades are too similar your body can get lost in your clothes and I tend to give off bank robber vibes instead of going for whatever vibe I intended that day. My personal go-to when working with shades of black is incorporating a vintage wash tee or faded jeans to contrast a deeper shade of black. Point is, play around with shades and you will be surprised how the subtle difference can provide a pop in your all-black outfit.

Layering:

Once I have incorporated shades in my all-black fit, I start to think about layers. Layering is a great way to add dimension and visual interest to any outfit. With all-black outfits, adding layers can add depth to a base layer that may seem flat otherwise. It can be as simple as throwing on a jacket, blouse, vest, blazer, etc. over top of a basic tee/tank-top/bodysuit adds interesting shape and depth. Some of my personal favourite layering techniques are throwing a turtleneck or mock neck under a tee or crewneck or adding a long jacket over whatever you have on underneath!

Silhouette/Proportions:

Working with the silhouette or proportions is my favourite part of putting together an all-black outfit. Working with different cuts and fits of fabric is an amazing way to spice up not only an all-black outfit, but any outfit. I love exploring how different cuts of clothing drape of flow on the body, this can create so many interesting outfits out of seemingly simple pieces. Play around with flares, wide-leg trousers, oversized tops, crop tops, heavy cotton tees, linen, long jackets, cropped jackets, etc.! I have not even scratched the surface of silhouettes/proportions but trying cuts/fits other than fitted tops and bottoms can add endless variety to your all-black fit.

Textures:

Closely related to the silhouette/proportion of the outfit, is the texture of the fabric. Fabrics like linen and heavy cotton not only dictate the silhouette of your fit but adds interesting texture. Once again, mixing up the textures you wear in an all-black outfit will add dimension and visual interest over a cotton/denim look. It is certainly another way of “blocking” your outfit to show separation between different pieces, while adding interesting contour in a small scale. Adding things like leather/fake leather, knits, some synthetic fabrics, linen, heavy cotton, cashmere to your wardrobe is a sure-fire way to have your all-black fit pop off.

Accessories:

Finally, no outfit is complete without accessories. When choosing accessories in an all-black fit, I personally start with footwear. You can never go wrong with a pair of black sneakers, whether it be Vans, Chucks, Air Forces (must give the black AF1s some love!!) or even something more upscale. Another option is boots; Doc Marten’s or combat boots provide interesting silhouettes and texture in an all-black fit when paired with the right bottoms. You can also never go wrong with booties, Chelsea boots, or even pumps and stilettos! Next, I would move onto headwear. Adding a toque, bucket hat, beret, dad hat, bandana will add endless variety to your all-black fits. Finally, jewelry, as stated previously, the beauty of wearing all-black is that it is so versatile in that almost any type of jewelry will go with your outfit, whether it be gold, silver, pearls or even handmade. Adding jewelry to any outfit is an incredibly easy way to spice things up.

Hopefully after reading this, you have gained something about styling an all-black outfit. If anything, what I want to stress, and what I have been getting at in this article is; style your outfits however you want! There is no one way to do things, and the most important part about styling all-black outfits to me is having fun with what I put together and wearing what makes me happy and confident. So, play around with every different aspect of styling, make great fits, make terrible fits, at the end of the day just have fun with it.

All photography was done entirely by James as well.

How To: Styling All Black

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