What Are Your Favorite Colors for Work Outfits?
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What are your favorite colors to wear to work right now? Do you consider yourself an all-black, all-beige, or “pops of color” kind of person (or something else)? What do you think are the best colors for work outfits?
We've talked in the past about how to cultivate style, which prints suit your personal style, and how to look great for work every day, but we haven't really talked about this basic issue of your favorite / the best colors for work outfits.
(Ah, long ago we did talk about the best colors of shoes for work outfits — I'd love to hear your take today!)
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
My $.02 on the Best Colors for Work Outfits
I just saw a funny tweet that said something like “It's time to put away my black summer clothes and bring out my black fall clothes,” and I thought YES because, as noted previously, I wear a lot of black.
(I have tried to shift to navy more as I've gotten older because it is a much more flattering color, but navy shades are so hard to match… so I tend to wear navy tops with denim bottoms or colorful bottoms, especially in summer.)
{related: do check out our regularly updated list of wardrobe essentials for work!}
Then I started thinking about how “pops of color” were so prevalent a while ago, with tons of contrasting and complementary colors. Obviously, I still suggest these kinds of pairings a lot when we're talking about Suit of the Week or whatnot, but for a while it's been somewhat absent from a lot of “what to wear to work” commentary. I have been noticing more colors lately — there have been tons more colorful suits this year, and some of the stylings on shopping websites have definitely brought back color in a big way.
But beigy neutrals have been so popular lately — it feels like it's been several years now where the only thing some bloggers wear is different versions of the same beige outfit. I think it was Amy Poehler who said “good for you, but not for me” — my pale skin looks a bit dead next to beige, and I'm way too prone to spills to wear such a light color. I do suppose it's better for the screen than all black because lighter colors show texture and details better, though, so I try to adopt the general shapes and texture mixing where possible, but in black.
In the background of all this, of course, has been the return of “color seasons” as a popular way to pick out what to wear. (Elizabeth even reviewed her experiences with two online color analysis services!)
I suppose I do this to a certain extent — jewel tones look better on me, and it saves me time when shopping online to be able to automatically narrow the choices to my size and only the colors black, blue, purple, and red. It also does allow me to create something of a capsule wardrobe where everything, in theory, matches.
In any event: I'm curious, readers, whether you associate yourself with dressing in color in any of these ways. Do you wear all black, all the time? Do you stick to your “color season” for clothes? Or do you prefer the minimal all beige look? Do all of the looks strike you as currently popular, or do any feel like they're from yesteryear?
all black 4eva (like my soul)
Can we be friends?
I like my coffee like I like my women.
Bitter and murky!
From The Edge with Alec Baldwin.
Gray, black, olive, mauve.
Navy, white, grey, black.
As I get older, I try to find rich cool colors that are flattering to wear close to my face – teal, french blue, burgundy etc.. But it can be surprisingly hard to find these in the right tone.
All of these! I also like certain shades of deep pink but not quite burgundy.
Burgundy top and Navy bottom is a great combination. Loving everything aubergine as well.
I have base pieces of navy, charcoal, and denim. I love to wear mostly shades of blue (from powder blue to midnight plus + some green-blue shades) but if I’m in the mood to mix things up it’s adding some dark pink/rose or shades of lavender/orchid in warm weather, and dark green and burgundy in cooler weather.
I know it doesn’t sound super exciting, but not buying every color that catches my eye has really helped me have a cohesive wardrobe where I always have something to wear.
that sounds lovely! do you feel like navy and charcoal pair well?
Hear, hear!
I am a magpie at heart but wtf do I do with a lavender/white/cream top if 99% of what I wear is black?
The colours that suit me best are white, navy, black, and charcoal. Unsurprisingly, I rely heavily on those 4 colours. I’ve found that I just don’t wear clothes that I buy in other colours, no matter how pretty. I do have accessories (scarves and shoes) and a couple blazers in other colours that I consider flattering (berry, dark green) but that’s pretty much it.
I’m a big fan of dressing according to my season. I’m a winter as well. I think it makes a big difference, especially when you have a camera on a lot for conference calls. The right color can make you glow. I’ve found that I need deeper colors to balance out my dark eyes, too. Icy pinks and blues are supposed to be okay for winters, but they make my eyes seem overly intense.
Unfortunately, some brands just don’t have good palettes for everyone. It’s almost like the brand itself has colors that are “on brand” that are just one or two seasons (eg Madewell, Patagonia, etc). So annoying!
Yes to all of this! It is very annoying how some brands seem to refuse to have a flattering color available for everyone, except the usually black, white and mayyybe navy options. As a summer, I agree that Madewell and Patagonia are really not for us cool-toned people, lol.
Sticking with my seasonal colors has actually made my shopping choices much easier. My closet is much more cohesive, and I’m happier with how I look in my clothes.
I prefer charcoal as my default neutral, but is that out of fashion? It seems hard to find. I don’t think black is very flattering around my face but I find it difficult to find plus size dresses and suits that are not black. I can find some navy but very little gray.
I like dark purple (plum, eggplant) but I have a purple winter coat so I run the risk of being the Purple Woman in the winter. I like olive, camel, and beige/oatmeal but they feel very 90s to me.
I like a lot of color, mainly in jewel tones. either dresses, or bold tops with grey, black or denim pants. I may not be the most fashionable, and I definitely break the color with black rules, but it makes me happy and is professional enough for my needs, so I don’t care.
I’m also a fan of color and jewel tones. I favor bold bottoms with a neutral shirt, especially since I spend so much time on zoom these days.
Black, grey, navy, burgundy and aubergine
My go-to “pops” are red, blue, pink and burgundy. Otherwise I stick to black as my neutral. I’m too clumsy for white, and I have yet to find a beige that doesn’t make me look naked or sickly.