The Style Files : Black And White Is Red Hot! 

The fuss free palette of black and white has been on the fashion radar forever. It breaks all barriers, age, size, height and has always been extremely chic. Coco Chanel had a particular affinity for it and it’s a recurrent theme that is carried through most Chanel collections. In the words of Coco Chanel: "Women think of all colours, except the absence of colour. Black has it all. White, too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." Karl Lagerfeld’s muse, Amanda Harlech, is rarely seen out of her monochromatic pairings! 

Eternally chic this powerful colour pairing can be executed with high impact by either  taking the minimalistic approach with sharp tailoring and classics or being bold with structured graphics. The winning, elegant and contemporary formula of a white shirt and black jeans can be given a rock chic spin with leather pants, perfect for weekend nights out on the town. 

Luckily for us there are loads of black and white permutations out there. Uncannily when you wear the trend you’re instantly fashionable without looking like you’re trying. A word of warning though, it can be surprisingly tricky to get black and white right in real life. Never go overboard and do a black and white handbag and black and white shoes to complement your black and white outfit, one of either colour is fine. Introducing another color could lessen the impact. If you’re keeping it simple avoid being boring through clean cut lines, without being austere. If you take the graphic path style it with a feminine feel. Soft touches and beautiful tailoring are the key to doing smart monochrome. 

The designer SS 16 collections that featured monochrome magic to be inspired by were Victoria Beckham’s incredibly fresh, modern and minimalistic collection and powerhouse fashion player Burberry. Designers understand that monochrome is perfect, offering as it does the freshness of white with the safety and security of the infinitely more forgiving black. This season there’s plenty of monochrome to choose from. Stripes are the simplest place to start, and probably in your wardrobe in one version or another already. Gingham is a big trend this summer thanks in most part to Victoria Beckham. 

In a complicated world, there’s something reassuring about clean, simple black-and-white. The look is modern, cool, and assertive, especially when it’s logically organized into stripes, figure-flattering vertical planes and grids. It should never be over the top, in your face and when worn exudes an aura of self-possession. 

By Minoli Ratnayake