For decades, we’ve been hardwired to believe that black is the foundation of a good wardrobe – that it’s ‘slimming’ or ‘professional’. I definitely subscribed to that idea in my early 20s, with black feeling like a sensible and efficient choice – easy to dress up with a pop of colour or a fun print, but still smart enough to be taken seriously.
But over the last 12 months, I did something radical… I banned the colour from my wardrobe.
In 2024, I had my colours done and discovered I’m a light spring, which means that I look best in warm, light tones. Black actually washes me out – a lot – and once I could see that, I couldn’t unsee it. Here’s how I was wearing black previously:
Last January, I decided to conduct a little experiment and I stopped wearing black as default. I sold most of my black clothes on Vinted, keeping only a handful of occasion dresses and pieces I wasn’t ready to part with.
I didn’t expect it to make much difference. But in reality, it’s completely changed the way I wear black, and seriously improved my relationship with the once overdone colour. Prior to putting a pin in black clothing, I definitely think I used it to blend in. It dulled everything down, including me – but when I stopped using it as a failsafe, I stopped hiding behind it.
In the last 12 months, I’ve worn black on just three occasions. The first was for an influencer event where I wore a black shirred top with an ivory cotton skirt, lime green heels and a matching bag. It was the first time I’d worn black for about six months. I loved the contrast between the cream and black, with the lime making the outfit pop – perfect for rooftop drinks at sunset. I got so many compliments that night, not because I was in black, but because the whole outfit felt deliberate.
Then, at Christmas, I paired a festive red knit with some statement black studded barrel jeans to visit the Christmas tree farm. The black gave the red structure and edge and made the outfit feel graphic and seasonal, rather than thrown on for ease. This look actually broke two of my personal fashion rules, as I don’t usually wear silver, either.
More recently, I’ve worn a cotton black skirt with an ivory polka dot top, red ballet flats and a red bag. When it comes to colour analysis, shades worn close to your face have the biggest impact, so keeping cream on the top half meant the black skirt simply sharpened the red accents rather than overpowering me. Ironically, after consciously avoiding black for months, this carefully styled outfit has become one of my favourites in recent months.
The main thing I learned about ditching black and then reintroducing it slowly is that, when black becomes default, it’s boring – like background noise. But now, I wear it with intention to create impact or to anchor a look. And just because black isn’t a dominant theme in my wardrobe, it doesn’t mean I’m against it. For some people, monochrome dressing looks effortlessly chic and completely aligned with who they are.
I genuinely loved this experiment, though. Once I stopped treating black like the safe option, my style became more fun and innovative. Would you ever give banning black a go? Let me know in the comments.
