How to do the whole festive season while wearing black
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There is a reason why the stereotypical fashion editor always wears black. I am the living embodiment of that cliché.
My black Whistles blazer, charcoal Aethel roll-neck, carbon Raey jeans and onyx Russell & Bromley boots are the pieces on heaviest rotation in my wardrobe right now. They are warm. They look smart and elegant. And most of all, nobody can tell that I’m wearing them with such regularity – even, yes, at this time of year, when festive occasions usually call for a more frivolous, jolly approach to style.
To my friends, I am that meme that does the rounds on Instagram every so often, where one woman says to another: “You should wear colour,” to which the other, clad in head-to-toe black, replies, “I am!”. As Wednesday Addams once put it, “I’ll stop wearing black when they invent a darker colour”.
In party season, my all-black wardrobe comes into its own. But beyond the obvious New Year’s Eve festivities, I’ve found it works for every other type of occasion that comes up at this time of year too – more so than any vivid tartan or glistening tinsel ever could.
The celebrities are out to prove it too. At the Fashion Awards on Monday night, Kate Moss, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Charlotte Tilbury all made an impact in black dresses.
Then there was Amal Clooney, the human rights lawyer who never fails to look like the coolest person in the room. Last weekend with husband George Clooney, she pulled off a black velvet two-piece with a corseted strapless top and tailored trousers. Teamed with a bold red lip, this quieter approach to eveningwear looked grown-up and effortless.
At the British Independent Film Awards, we saw Claire Foy, Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston all looking elegant in black. On the other side of the Atlantic at the Academy Museum Gala there were even more inspiring takes courtesy of Jennifer Connelly, Meryl Streep, Sandra Oh, Olivia Wilde and Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor, to name just a few. Not a ‘“look-at-me” colour or an OTT embellishment in sight. Just a classic little black wardrobe.
They’re not alone. Black has never been more in-demand as a wardrobe anchor: “With the quiet luxury trend and emphasis on investment dressing, black is somehow more popular than ever,” says Heather Gramston, senior head of mens and womenswear buying at Browns. “We’ve noticed that most of our bestsellers across all categories are in [black].”
It’s the same story at Matches, which will boost its offering of black bags by 77 per cent for spring/summer 2024, compared with spring/summer 2023. Its buy of monochrome pieces overall will increase by 15 per cent.
At John Lewis, one in three womenswear garments sold in autumn/winter are black, and its women’s black cashmere roll-neck outsells the next best selling colour by 30 percent. Meanwhile, Net-a-Porter is playing into the demand for all things black this festive season with an exclusive all-black capsule from Jacquemus.
And consider the most in-demand fashion brands right now. Swedish ‘It’ label Toteme’s collection is largely made up of black separates. Ditto Phoebe Philo’s new eponymous brand. Then there’s Saint Laurent, Celine, Khaite, The Row… The message is coming through loud and clear: black is the new black.
While I need zero encouragement to don a little black dress for every festive occasion, I realise that it can be intimidating. It can be draining on some skin tones, and it can look funereal, which is not ideal at a celebratory time of year.
But even the brightest dressers are being drawn towards the dark side. Fashion entrepreneur Maria Kastani, known for her rainbow wardrobe, surprised herself by picking a head-to-toe black outfit comprising of a Joseph jumper, faux leather Stella McCartney trousers and a coat by The Esthe for an event recently. “It actually felt kind of great,” she said.
Creative director and avowed monochrome dresser Julia Restoin Roitfeld has been working with Save the Children on its Story Knits pre-loved knitwear pop-up store, ahead of Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday. For her, black is a joyful colour. She’s been wearing it for as long as she can remember; her mother, the former French Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld would dress her in black childrenswear purchased on trips to Japan.
“I remember at school people saying, ‘Oh, you’re wearing black, it’s so sad,’ but for me black is one of the happiest colours,” she says. “There’s not one colour that doesn’t work with black, it makes every other colour appear even more beautiful. It makes anything shine even brighter, like when you look at the sky and stars pop up. I see it as a bright, uplifting colour because it just complements everything.”
No wonder, then, that black comprises about 99.9 per cent of Restoin Rotfield’s wardrobe. “Maybe there’ll be a few leopard print pieces, a few white pieces for summer and a few denim pieces but I have never really been a prints person,” she says. “Also I’m a pretty practical person and the beauty of black is that it always works, no matter the fabric or the texture.”
Restoin Roitfeld’s go-to uniform for her school run-followed-by-pilates routine is a black jumper and black leggings teamed with a long black Ami coat, borrowed from, but unlikely to be returned to, her mother. I wouldn’t want to give it back either – because when it comes to French chic, black is at the very heart of the formula, whatever your age, shape or lifestyle.
After all, it’s been almost a century since Coco Chanel gave the world the little black dress. Invest in one now, and you can be sure it’s not going to date anytime soon.
Four rules for party dressing in black
Lift your look with bright or shiny accessories
Never underestimate the power of a single bold accessory choice. Sculptural gold earrings, a contrasting fuchsia clutch, a silver lame blazer draped over the shoulders in lieu of a coat. Even a strong lipstick shade can make all-black look more festive.
Go for a defined silhouette
Sometimes a blowsy silhouette gives the impression that you’re trying to be invisible or blend into the background. Follow the lead of Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman who uses defined silhouettes – such as structured shoulders or flared trousers – to make her usually-black looks come to life on screen.
Choose interesting fabrics
A black suit runs the risk of looking a little corporate for a party, but render it in velvet, sequins or jacquard and it’s a gloriously festive outfit. The same applies to other garments too. Me+Em’s velvet dress with lace sleeves and Rixo’s almost sold-out glitter velvet midi dress are perfect examples.
Stretch velvet lace dress, £250, meandem.com; Silk velvet midi dress, £325, rixolondon.com
Care for your black clothes
Not all blacks are equal, and the inevitable bobbles and fading that comes with well-used and washed clothing will do you no favours. Restoin Roitfeld uses a hand-steamer and a de-bobbler to keep her black garments looking fresh without fading. “As soon as my jumpers have a little bobble, it drives me insane; black needs to be impeccable,” she says. “It’s really all about maintenance. Look after your clothes well and they last for a much longer time.”
