Wearing black with Autumn colors - can I?

Wearing black with Autumn colors is usually considered a no-no - you must only ever wear brown! But who said so??

I frequently hear you saying "But I have so much black in my wardrobe! Can I wear it? Is it wrong? How do I make it look flattering?"

First of all, there are no 'wrongs' with color, wear whatever makes you happy. And if something doesn't work then there are always ways to make it work! 

But believe me the 'pumpkin palette' looks amazing with BLACK! 

Wearing black with Autumn colors

You're drawn to dark colors...

Autumn is one of the deepest color palettes so it's only natural that you should feel drawn to strong colors. 

And if you're drawn towards wearing black, it can look fabulous with the brilliant colors of Autumn! 

A pair of pants, a straight skirt, some kind of jacket, even a little black dress, wardrobe staples that just kind of fit the bill at some point. Who dares to say that you can't wear them!

How to wear black with Autumn?

If you've had your Colors Analyzed and you know the Autumn colors flatter your complexion, you can choose to use them however you like. You don't have to stick to rigid rules and you certainly don't have to apologize for what you wear!

Particularly if you have a big purchase like a black winter coat or mac you will want to continue to wear it of course and look how fabulous the vibrant Autumn colors look beneath? Autumn color illuminates your complexion so if the color isn't reaching your face just add a vibrant Autumn toned scarf!

The whole idea is to enjoy wearing colors and if black is something you enjoy wearing - NO REASON NOT TO DO SO!  

Autumn color under black

Once you understand how colors work together and what they do for you then it's up to you to interpret and enjoy them in any way you wish.

Black by itself will always be harsh next to your face, but teamed with Autumn colors it creates a striking contrast! 

Autumn is one of the deepest color palettes and although your colors are richly blended which makes them, ostensibly, soft, they are also quite intense and heavily SATURATED.  Therefore, they are strong enough to provide a strong contrast against black and they can look absolutely STUNNING!

Olivia Palermo wearing black over and under Autumn colors

Brilliant color under black...

Wearing black near to your face is likely to drain your color so ensure that you include some brilliant Autumn color on the top half of your body.

Whether you want to wear vibrant color over or under black really doesn't matter as long as it can connect with your skin tone.  

Or brilliant color over black...

We all know that black gives us a perfect base to play with color and adding brilliant Autumn color produces a stunning effect.

If you want to take it a step further just throw a beautiful scarf around your shoulders to blend the colors together!

It works in the same way if you have a collar over your jacket or sweater. Even some brightly colored beads or earrings will add brightness.  

Christina had a closetful of black items and when she discovered that her coloring was Autumn it gave her the perfect opportunity to add in brilliant color bringing her black clothing to life!

Wearing black with the brilliance of Autumn colors close to your face

The bold colors of Autumn

Although Autumn colors have a softness because they are richly blended, they are BOLD. Quite bold and zingy enough to withstand the strength of black.

Here are a few outfits from the lovely Jess of elegantlydressedandstylish.com - she instinctively chooses the most brilliant colors to flatter her stunning red hair.

Every color makes a statement against black! 

Find the Autumn fabric swatch here

Dame Diana Rigg mixes the colors

The Autumn fabric color swatch