WIW 08.20 [something different - all black (insp by SarahTheWhite)]

Those of you who've been here a while (and probably even those who haven't) know that I generally don't enjoy wearing black. And rarer still will I wear all black. However when I saw SarahTheWhite's lovely faux jumpsuit outfit yesterday, I felt compelled to try something similar! Of course, not having a lot of black items made this more difficult than I'd expected. I tried this with all of my black tops ("all" *cough* four of them) and only this one had the right the vibe, although my black PJs tee worked pretty well too ;)

There are several reasons this outfit feels great for me, even though I'm wearing so much black:

- First off, LOTS of skin. Between the deep v-neck, exposed forearms, exposed calves, and low vamp shoes I feel like I've got more than enough lightness to counter the heavy feeling I get when I wear black.

- Secondly, not wearing black shoes. The addition of the snakeskin and tan also help lighten the look, plus the tan adds just a touch of extra color interest. I think I'd also like the look with my dalmatian ankle flats as well.

- And the third is two fold: a mix of very soft (fabrications, hair) and glam (sequins, deep red lipstick, double-coated mascara) keeps this feeling like me. I had originally thought I'd put my hair up, and if I'd done that I'd have sported a soft pink lipstick instead of the deep red; that hair adds glam and lipstick adds soft, so the balance is kept.

Yes black works well for me (both in color and style), and yes I'll don it here and there but it's soooo much more work to make it feel right. This one totally hits the spot, so thanks for the wonderful inspiration SarahTheWhite! And for fun, a copycat tree pose as well ^^

Available items collected below. Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome.

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22 Comments

  • MuseumGal replied 9 years ago

    My goodness, you look amazing in black.  Love the proportions here.  You look all kinds of fab.

  • Deborah replied 9 years ago

    LOTS of love for this outfit from me:) The balance of black and skin is what makes this work to my eye. 

  • Suz replied 9 years ago

    Wow!! SO much fun, and Aida, you look spectacular!! I absolutely love this on you. And thank you for explaining so well why it works ON you and FOR you. You are the Queen of Happy Analysis. (I hope it is okay with Angie if I offer you that crown.) 

    I love every single thing about this outfit. There. Is that enough?  :) 

  • Jaime replied 9 years ago

    Gorgeous! I love the unexpected shoes, the bright lip and the nonchalant tree pose! And I second Suz's nomination - your explanations are so clear, well thought out and helpful! 

  • SarahTheWhite replied 9 years ago

    I love this SO much! You look so great in black and in these proportions. I never thought about skin being the factor that keeps it from being too heavy, but that must be what it is that I like about wearing it as well, particularly since my skin and hair are so white. Too much black theoretically should overwhelm me, but now I know why it doesn't. Nice! Your analysis helped me too. :-) I also keep meaning to tell you how much I love your amazing curls. You have the hair I always wanted (you should see some of the curly perms I've had in my lifetime...). I try not to be jealous - and sometimes succeed.

    (PS - if those shoes come up missing one day, just know that I found a way to sneak them through the computer screen...)

  • Diana replied 9 years ago

    Good job making black work for you! I really like this - am thinking I might copycat you, actually.

  • Sveta replied 9 years ago

    Aida, you look spectacular in black - is the reason you don't like to wear it is emotional? 
    This is a great "faux jumpsuit" look and your implementation is stellar as usual. I would love to do something similar in navy...

  • jackiec replied 9 years ago

    Well pick me up off the floor! You are all in black and I love it! I really appreciate the write up for why it all works so well. Love the hair & lip colour paired here as well. Thoughtful and SO well done!!!!

  • abc replied 9 years ago

    Looks great and I second Suz's nomination. I really like how you take the time to explain your analysis.

  • rachylou replied 9 years ago

    Brilliant strategy!

  • Mo replied 9 years ago

    Ooh, a happy coincidence you are showing these silk cargo shorts I love, as I finally found some (in olive) that are coming tomorrow. I will be referring to this post as I play in the closet :)

  • replied 9 years ago

    I cannot get over how different you look in black, yet how great it works on you!  This is off the charts.  And I too appreciate the detail you put into your posts - if I only had half your energy and thought process for this stuff :)  My brain stops at "I like it".  It rarely asks "why?" ..... which is why you are so skilled at styling. Do you wanna come over and fix me up?  :)   

  • Neel replied 9 years ago

    Now this is what I call sexy :) .... Love the red lips with the all black! And I love your super detailed analysis. So much to think about! Wow!

  • Marley replied 9 years ago

    Aida!  I love this!  (Which surprises me - cuz all black outfits don't usually appeal to me!)  But the way that you've styled this  - like you said, with lots of skin, wavy hair, and ankle strap flats - really softens the black!  I really liked SarahtheWhite's all black outfit too.  In fact, I am getting inspired to try one myself!  Hmmm . . . I think I have the pieces in my closet to pull this off!  Maybe another WIW for me coming up this week. 
    I love your pics too!

  • texstyle replied 9 years ago

    Fantastic Aida - that's how you look in this!  I love the way your hair works with the black and your skin works as the second color in a way that keeps this from looking too heavy. The shoes and clutch are the perfect compliments as is your lip color.

    I also love your posts with the attention to detail you provide - so much can be learned from your insights.

  • viva replied 9 years ago

    I love this outfit and the jumpsuit effect. Your lipstick is lovely too -- perfect for your skin tone.

  • Angie replied 9 years ago

    The light shoe and gold clutch make the black pop and livens up the outfit. Nicely done. xo

  • kellygirl replied 9 years ago

    Gorgeous! Love the soft fabrics and structure here. You look terrific, Aida! 

  • Vicki replied 9 years ago

    Aida, I love this all-black look on you and your photos are gorgeous.  Laughing at your black PJ's mention.  The softness and silhouette of your pants really does something special, too.  The analysis you made is spot-on and will help me, too, except I couldn't make my hair look as amazing as yours.  Love the pink lip color.  What's the brand and shade?

  • catgirl replied 9 years ago

    I love how your analytical mind breaks down the art of this look. I am all for all black! I think the ruching also helps keep it "pretty", so to speak.

  • Keturah replied 9 years ago

    It's really perfect! I think your all-black ensemble really shows how an all-black monochromatic outfit should be done -- especially with the extra skin, shoes, and clutch to brighten it up. I also think it's really great that you chose a berry lip, to help brighten-up the face. I really think the whole nude lip thing is too washed out when one is wearing mostly black. 


    You look stunning too! The black really highlights your gorgeous skin, hair and eyes. 

    well done!

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Wow thanks ladies! Wasn't sure if this would come as a shock after all the light and white I've been wearing the past couple years ;) Nice to reaffirm that black is a good neutral for me, though I still plan to be limiting in my wear of it. Perhaps I just need to get more creative with it, especially since I do have a lot more black in my fall/winter wardrobe. Hmm... Things to ponder on.

    Suz, aw I would be humbled to accept that crown! Happiness is all important when I'm putting my outfits together, and I'm grateful to be able to articulate and share why things do and do not work for me.

    SarahTheWhite, yay I'm glad you caught this ^^ Happy to hear my analysis helps you, too. For you, you've also got the dark smokey eye makeup which helps tie the black in together (while I use my hair). Thank you for the very sweet compliment on my curls, it took a long time to sort out how to make my hair look this way.

    Sveta, an interesting question. Color is one of the few areas I don't analyze my emotional reactions to, and while black falls into that category it is also a special case so I do have some thoughts. One major part of it is that I am very easily affected by my surroundings (temperature, people, color, everything), so when I wear black it can negatively affect my mood. And the other major part of it is that while I would love more of my rock side to show through (I don't think I do a good job with it, TBH), that same side of me really rebels at the idea that I have to wear black for that effect. So I choose not to wear it, because I can :)

    Lisa, if I lived closer I'd be happy to come play ^^

    Vicki, the lipcolor I'm wearing here is Covergirl's NaturaLuxe tinted lip balm in the shade "Muscat", it's so highly pigmented I'd call it more of a semi-sheer lipstick. I think it has been discontinued (sad), but you can still find it on Amazon.

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