Is Navy The New Black?
I woke up Friday, looked in my closet and decided that I’m sick of wearing black. Shocking I know, and a real shame because I own epic quantities of black clothes and accessories. I’m not planning to rush out and donate my things because I know I’ll go back to loving black because:
- it’s slimming
- is sophisticated
- is timeless and always chic
- makes packing and traveling easier
- is easy to coordinate
- seldom shows dirt
- dresses up and down with ease
- can look harsh on many complexions
As I shoved my black things further along the rod I ran across a navy handbag, turtleneck, and blouse that got me wondering if navy could play all the roles that black does in my wardrobe. Navy is not as readily available to buy as black, but can it replace black in your wardrobe?
Navy:
- is classic and timeless
- available in warm and cool tones so universally flattering
- is sophisticated and elegant
- seldom shows dirt
- looks effortless
- coordinates with every other color in the rainbow
- looks amazing in hot weather
- is slimming
Somewhere, at some time, someone said navy and black don’t go together… which is total bunk! It’s a sophisticated color combination that looks fantastic.
Bags look so much richer in navy than they do in black.
Navy looks great with brown, gray, black, green, red, pink, yellow, orange, beige, off white, purple, etc which begs the question, “why is black the most popular color?”.
It turns out that navy is the new black and will be occupying more space in my wardrobe going forward.
Have you embraced navy in your wardrobe?
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Thanks for reading and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.
Bonjour, Jennifer,
I began transitioning from basic black to navy and other dark blues about 4 years ago. Less harsh with my skin tones and I love blue anyway. Still have a couple of black skirts as some really basic styles just aren’t always available in navy, but I’m glad I changed things up. Plus my newer copper-framed eyeglasses really seem to coordinate in a more-flattering way!
Copper frames sound so fun! I’ve found the same about the availability of navy.
I have always loved navy, not as harsh as black. I especially love navy loafers. I don’t wear sneakers/trainers. Since I live in jeans and mostly white tees or white button ups they look casual and chic. Anytime I come across a nice pair of navy shoes I will purchase them since they are so hard to find.
Navy iIS black in my wardrobe. Black emphasizes the lines in my face and drains color from it as well. Navy brightens and softens my features. Why would I EVER wear black near my face?
Like many of the comments here, I agree that it’s been difficult to find navy for the past few years. Also like others have said, there are so many variations in navy shades that it’s difficult to find the perfect match in tops and bottoms unless purchased at the same time. I welcome the opportunity to bring more navy into my wardrobe if that will be the spring color. However, I do not foresee it replacing black for me. It would just be an additional color I’d wear. Also I don’t agree that black and navy should be worn together. It was a “rule” that I learned many years ago (50 years ago – yikes). Same for black and brown as well as brown and navy together. Same class taught that shoes and purse color should match, but at least I have become more comfortable breaking that rule in the past few years. LOL
After reading Jennifer’s advice that black might not be the most flattering color right next to my pale 66 year-old skin and hair, I decided to try navy. My favorite fall 2019 wardrobe additions were navy: a navy confetti pancho, a long navy/camel vest with a navy long-sleeve tee under it, a navy dress, and two patterned scarves that incorporate navy and can be worn with the vest and dress. I invariably get compliments on all of those pieces, so it looks like Jennifer was right. Thank you, Jennifer, for prompting me to try something new!
Bravo Pam! I will be following you this year;)
I’ll always be a fan of black but I think nothing looks sharper than a navy v-neck sweater with a tee and jeans. So classic. You have some great choices listed. Xx
I agree Jen. xx
Navy should definitely be my new black. It looks much better on me than black does.
A few people have commented they have trouble finding navy items. I’ve built up a navy collection over the last three years since I decided to buy no more black. I found lots of lovely navy things at Boden Clothing, Jigsaw, Pure Collection, LK Bennett, Woolovers. (I’m in Australia and I buy most of my clothes online from the UK).
Agreed with many of you. There are so many shades of navy so its hard to match.
Black and navy should never be seen together IMHO.
Navy is classy and softer than black as others have mentioned.
I adore navy with black.
Great designers do uniforms for the Navy. We wore black shoes, black purse and a black tie with our uniform. It looked great. The white blouse and the white on the hat just lightened everything up. So, black looks great with navy.
I love navy and wear it often. I look forward to seeing what you find. Navy and olive are my favourite basics colours.
I adore navy and have worn it all my life, but especially since early 20’s when I was building my career wardrobe. I have blue eyes, fair skin and warm chestnut brown hair . . .and have always received the most compliments wearing navy and other blues and greens. I pair it with pale buttery yellows, peach, and white in blouses, and for night and a little drama I love a long navy skirt with a fluid chiffon blouse in black, paired with black sling backs or kitten heel pumps. I also buy all my swimwear in navy mix-and-match pieces from Lands End collection, and then a white cover-up to make the most of a tan.
Love the black and navy tote….where can I find it????
That bag is on the widget for handbags
I love, love, love navy! It looks much better on me than black and has always been a neutral in my closet. It looks great with denim and especially chic with white. Navy seems to be everywhere for Spring, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find that perfect shade.
I’m finding a lot of it too!
I have been wearing navy for about four years now, especially in summer. It is widely available in Australia. we have a much shorter “winter” here too, so navy is quite trans seasonal. just love navy, and it is much more flattering close to my face than black.
I have been adding navy to my wardrobe for the past year or so. It’s such classic color for every season.
I love pairing navy and lavender — years ago I had a beautiful navy winter coat and had a lavender hat and scarf to go with it. I used to get so many compliments!
I’m planning a trip and using navy as the base colour for the travel capsule. It is a great, versatile colour and much better for a warm weather trip than black which can look dull in a hot climate. I agree with Penelope that it can be hard to create outfits with the many hues of navy and I like her suggestion for carrying a colour swatch of “your” navy!
I have always loved navy. It looks great with distressed jeans. In the summer it looks great with red and white. love navy shoes and booties!
It’s so fresh looking
Navy is certainly a happier color than black and I just love it’s versatility agelessness. I have always used it in place of black since the latter is too dense and heavy for me. My ongoing issue with navy is the many variations of the hue, making it difficult to create outfits unless coordinates are purchased in the same brand , at the same time. I have several navy pieces that are mismatched and do not create outfits, because, unlike some colors, in my opinion, mismatched navy looks tacky and cheap. Especially when warm and cool tones of navy are mixed.
I now carry a fabric swatch of “ my” navy color with me when I shop to help avoid mistakes. It saves much frustration. (Paint chips are invaluable for this).
Great idea Penelope!
Love navy but there are so many variations in the shade. Not all navy pieces can work together which is so frustrating when trying to build a wardrobe around it. Mixing prints could solve some of the problems . Yet I prefer solids. Don’t others have this difficulty?
I’ve been wearing Navy since age 5 in grade school. Mostly because my mom made me and now 55 years later, I still wear Navy and it’s so easy to throw on. The color is softer too. Thank you for finding some Navy options. The brand “Something Navy” at Nordstroms has some nice Navy basics.