High Contrast Styling: Black and White

Seen all over the runways, these non-color colors will punch up your look!

I know, I know—another color thing! I don’t want to overdo it with the colors, and I was considering just working this into Color Reports 1 and 2 from last week. But I decided it would be best to call this out separately, because if we look closer, it’s less about color and more about styling. And it feels so fresh right now. I couldn’t let it slide.

There’s always black and white on the runways; there’s always black and white in the stores. It’s not “new.” But for FW 2024, there was even more than usual, strikingly so, and it deserves to be noted. There were chic, all-black looks, refreshing all-white looks, and others that mixed the two, for high-contrast looks with a big impact. The styling piece is how it’s presented—choosing to assemble pieces in these non-color colors, either stacked in the same tone or paired together.

The black and white looks were my personal favorites, and they’re the ones I’ve most enjoyed emulating in my own wardrobe. On the runways, Prada and Louis Vuitton give it a sporty feel; Chloe makes it ultra-femme with the gauzy white layer; and Chanel and Dior show it with perfect tailoring.

L to R: Dior, Chanel, Chloe, Prada, Louis Vuitton (all from nowfashion.com)

Valentino—so often associated with color (see the hot pink collection from a few years back!)—was the most notable in the all-black camp. For his last show at the house, Pierpaolo Piccioli intentionally made every item black—perhaps a cranky statement on his feelings about being pushed out of his job, perhaps a humble acknowledgment of the end of his era there, or a little bit of both. Here is one of his looks, followed by some other beautiful all-black ensembles from this season:

L to R: Valentino, Balmain, Proenza Schouler, Dior, Carven (all from nowfashion.com)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were TONS of beautiful all-white looks from designers, including Proenza Schouler, Chloe, Prada, Miu Miu, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and a new fave, Bevza. Again, this is so versatile and can work in many ways, from casual to prim to techy.

L to R: Victoria Beckham, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Proenza Schouler, Bevza (all from nowfashion.com)

Inspiration

When I was talking about this post with my husband, he mentioned that a great black-and-white inspiration was John Cusack in The Grifters, and it has been an absolute thrill to dig through his photos. The sunglasses, the tailoring, the hair! It’s all so good! Also love Paolo Roversi’s dreamy photos, 101 Dalmations inspo, and the great Grace Coddington.

Clockwise from top L: Naomi Campbell in Vogue by Peter Lindbergh; John Cusack from The Grifters; Paolo Roversi photo; Grace Coddington

Side note: do you remember that weird chain called White House Black Market?? Where everything was black or white, or both black and white? (A quick Google search shows they are still around (how!!) and that they’re now allowing more tones into their mix - groundbreaking!) I worked on a bunch of advertising shoots for them around 2008/2009, and they were very nice. But I’m not including pics here because … no.

When I consider all-white inspiration, I can’t help but think of our friend from the late-90s/early-2000s, Andrew WK, who pioneered the all-white look for the indie sleaze set. I truly believe that he would never have been as famous if he wore all black like the Strokes and every other band from that era. I’ve channeled him on many occasions over the years, and I think it’s time to look to our hard-partying friend again. Perfect white tee, well-fitting white jeans. Indie sleaze is back again, no?

Religious groups have adopted the all-white aesthetic, and it has been seen in editorials and on the red carpet—hello, Rihanna at last year’s Met Gala!

Clockwise from top L: Kundalini yogis from the 70s; Andrew WK; Elle editorial by Azim Haidaryan; Rihanna at 2023 Met Gala; Haitian Vodou ceremony by Franck Fontain

I have personally never loved the all-black look. It was such a thing in New York when I was there (and I’m sure it still is), and I just find it lazy, boring, and annoyingly downbeat. I cannot deny that it works for a certain type of person, but I kind of don’t like that type of person tbh! HOWEVER, after my color extravaganza last week, I found myself in an all-black look over the weekend. It felt soothing, like a palate-cleanser after dealing with so many flavors. All-black has its place, I admit it.

Some all-black icons I do endorse:

Clockwise from L: Rei Kawakubo by Steven Klein; Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice; Rick Owens and Michele Lamy; Ruven Afandor’s flamenco dancers; Claudia Cardinale in 8 1/2

How to Create the Look

And finally, the shopping section! These are my faves from the brands/stores I follow most closely, but you’ll find black and white at any store, at any price point. The key thing is to pay attention to fabric and silhouette. Look for natural fibers like silk, linen, and cotton to elevate, or interesting textures to break up the monochrome of it all. Try some longer tops, some beautifully tailored, relaxed-leg pants/shorts, some chic flats, and a midi skirt or dress. Also, socks in black and white are really working right now. The great thing is that if you buy any of these items, they’ll likely last in your wardrobe for a really long time. I’m all about the cost per wear, and buying black and/or white is sure to bring that way down!

Clockwise-ish from top L: Dissh tailored summer suit; Madewell sweater; Everlane striped T; Cos raffia clutch; Vince utility skirt and top; Matisse mesh ballet flats; Staud striped top (long over long!!); Clare V bag; A Golde Ren jeans; Anthropologie sandals; GH Bass loafers

xx,

Joanna