To start, a little story: last Monday I tried to inject some zing into the beginning of the week. A burst of energy in outfit form: a lime green top with olive pants, inspired by Traci Landy and Katelyn Cnossen.
But alas, the first pants I tried were too skinny. The second pair was too wide. I swapped the pants for a blue striped skirt. Then I tried a white top. I was way off course.
It was a high level of difficulty and ultimately too challenging for 7 am while trying to get the kids ready for camp. (But I will try again!) I started over, even though the getting-ready clock was running out.
I pulled out pull-on pants, because I needed something fast and easy by this point. I paired them with a polo to make it work for work.
And immediately sighed with relief.
It took me a minute to figure out why.
Yes, the pants were comfy. The shirt was simple. But overall, it was the color. Or in this case, the lack thereof. The dark colors gave the casual shapes presence. The soft silhouette made the serious color chill out.
Off I went to work. Where my colleague was wearing almost the same outfit. Which, combined with the comments to my note below, confirmed my hunch.
Wearing black makes more sense in summer than I’d ever realized.
Some of you might be reading this and thinking…duh? But I actually don’t wear a lot of black (take away my New Yorker fashion credentials!) or even dark colors head-to-toe very often. Often, these shades are used to elevate. To turn up a look. To add purpose and polish. (The fanciest dress code there is is literally black tie.)
Meanwhile, I think we’ve established that my personal style leans preppy, boyish, casual. And black often redirects me away from that ease.
But in the summer, black stops feeling formal and starts giving outfits room to breathe. Like in the looks above, with the soft relaxed pants, shirt buttons undone, the easy open necklines.
The non-uniform uniform.
Upon reflection (since that’s what we do here!), I think this is due to 5 key features.
1. Black toughens up texture.
The fabrics that work best in hot, humid summer weather are light and floaty. They are constructed with an open weave, like linen, or made from fine poplin. Eyelet and light lace and crochet add airy elements. Often they are sheer. They drape and soften on the body.
Black gives these fabrics structure and visual heft. It anchors without weighing us down.
2. Black shows off shape.
I’ve had black clothes on my mind since earlier this summer when I listened to the Fashion People podcast episode, The Suit Chronicles, with Alessandro Sartori, the artistic director of Zegna.
Lauren asked Alessandro, “Why do you only wear black and white? Is it just in your mind, does it not feel clear to you to wear color?”
And Alessandro answered, “No, because I love colors, but I love to see myself just with a shape, to understand the shapes better.”
Black creates negative space between our clothes, our bodies, and the world we inhabit, allowing the lines of our outfits to lead the way.
3. Black tones down preppy.
Black is not part of the preppy canon for the precise reasons we’ve discussed. Too formal, too serious. In fact, it was banned when I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch. And at Tommy Hilfiger and Brooks Brothers, it is not the default dark color. Navy is. But black takes the literal out of the equation. We’re not actually at the yacht club. We don’t need a nautical navy uniform or tennis whites. Instead, black lets us focus on the shapes (see #2), like the polo, the button-down, the chino, which are simple, gender-neutral styles. Black modernizes the classics.
4. Black simplifies decisions.
Honestly, black goes with everything, which makes getting dressed easy. But all black outfits really simplify summer style, like Madeline Rose Nachbar proves below. I was getting there in this post, with the khaki + black 30-second outfit formula. (And I love how Frosso picked up on that and took it a step further towards fall by shifting the khaki to an olive green.) But really, right now, all black is the easiest move you can make. To make more time for summer’s fleeting delights.
5. Black is practical.
In New England and the northeast, the idea of wearing white between Memorial Day and Labor Day came from early 20th century wealthy city dwellers escaping to the country for the summer. Upon their return, their white clothes were packed up, out of harm’s way from the sooty city streets. But that was the olden days. I live in New York City, and I want to be out and about as much as possible in the summer. In the parks. On the subways. Sitting on benches with ice cream cones. Walking miles from uptown to downtown and back again. The grown-up version of playing in the dirt. Black does the job without looking any worse for wear (can’t say the same for me).
Black, and other deep, dark shades like chocolate, navy, deep burgundy, and olive, dial the intensity up or down. They do more with less. They give form to something soft. They add ease to interesting silhouettes.
Black quiets the noise.
It makes room for shape, polishes casual fabrics, and frames simple summer accessories like jewelry, shoes, bags… and a good tan.
Plus, I can do less laundry :)
Come winter, black serves a different purpose. But right now, at the apex of summer, wearing black delivers exactly what I want from my outfits: immediate relief.
Let’s end with the mood I most like to revert to in the summer: relaxed sporty clothes to move in. Grounding this vibe in black takes it to a whole other level of cool, in function and spirit.
Anna Newton wears black in such a fresh, easy way. Her summer outfits are great inspiration.
I loved Libby McCurrach’s spotlight on Olivia Wilde’s style, which is based on classic black shapes and accessories.
After I write about a topic, I like to check to see what other POVs are out there and found this great JenKnowsBest post, which is full of easy-to-apply advice and styling suggestions on wearing black in the summer.
Nicole Cherelle and I have bonded over our short-girl status, and I love how she explored oversized, drapey style, which she grounded in black pieces and silhouettes.
Anna Eleri Hart wore white, cream, and black for a week. Love her little black linen dress!
Last, but not least, Sam Bolianatz incorporates black into his outfits in a sporty, chill way I love. His black shorts and tee with a denim jacket is a great transitional outfit.
Thank you for reading!
x Lindsay
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