There’s Nothing Chicer In This World Than Wearing These 2 Basic Colors Together
But you must adhere to the formula.
by Audie Metcalf
I won’t draw it out.
The colors are black and white.
BUT!
You can’t just fling on anything. There is a specific combination of these colors that will make you, scientifically, look 87% more chic. It’s the tiniest little trick, and yet, it is foolproof, failproof, and regardless of your sartorial gifts, you literally cannot make a mistake. No matter how you slice it, you will simply look stylish and gorgeous. Sorry.
And here it is:
Just jeans. Just a sweater. And yet, an outfit.
Wearing black on top and white on bottom is the simplest outfit formula of all space and time, and yet, I don’t see a lot of people doing it. It’s so easy! It’s so mindless! It means you can care/know/think exactly zero about style and still look like the chicest person in every room you enter.
It takes an expectation, and it shifts it. Ever so slightly. And the results are perfect every, single time. You just need to commit.
And because I am nothing if not committed, here is a traditional white and black ensemble. I think we can all agree this is mindless and boring and waiter-y and utterly bereft of ideas.
I know what you’re thinking. YOU LIKE IT. And listen, these are my clothes. I like them, too. And, sidebar, if you just want a perfect, casual white shirt that’s not too stuffy and accommodates a thicker arm, try THIS one. It’s always sold out for a reason. The pants are insanely flattering too, although they don’t make that full length version anymore, but they do come in THIS cropped length which I didn’t realize existed and which will be purchasing presently.
But back to the issue at hand.
I look like a waiter. There is nothing put together about this outfit. It has no ideas. It has no point or view. It has nothing. If you committed a crime and moved to another country to be on the lam and just want to blend in and never be noticed by anyone, wear this outfit. It’s perfect for that.
But if you want to look really fetching and chic and gorgeous, never wear this kind of outfit again.
And because I know the 2 huge rebuttals, allow me to dismantle them now:
“But Audie—what DO I wear with black pants? I have 37 pairs of them and I can’t wear a white shirt? And, because I read all your articles and commit them to memory, I also know that I’m not supposed to wear bright colors with black, so where does this leave me?”
I’ll tell you exactly where it leaves you.
Here:
All black, bb. It’s classic for a reason. And it’s perfect. It doesn’t hurt that in this particular ensemble I feel quite sure that I’ve discovered life’s greatest belt and life’s most flattering cropped blazer.
You can also go black-adjacent like grays and charcoals:
This sweater has been a revelation, and it’s SO good and SO soft and SUCH affordable cashmere I’m actually writing a dedicated opus about it this week.
I also bought it in black, oops.
Yes, varying shades of black is fine.
These are the full-length version of THESE profoundly comfortable and flattering jeans we write about incessantly. Oh, but you guys, this shirt is a new find and it’s so I N S A N E L Y gorgeous and well-fitting and comfortable I instantly bought it in another color once I received it.
And then neutrals like oatmeals and light grays with black bottoms are a dream combo that always looks put together.
Yep. Same sweater. That makes 3. All bought with my own hard earned dollars. Obsession is too gentle a word.
Ok. Your second rebuttal
You’re scared of white on the bottom.
It makes us look fat! It stains! It’s just scary! Allow me to dismantle all three arguments.
1. It does not make us look fat. It makes us look confident. But would I wear skintight white clothes on the bottom? Hell no. You’ll notice a theme in the gauzy, floaty quality of all white bottoms featured in this article. But white making us look larger is just one of those stupid things our moms said that simply isn’t accurate. Let it go.
2. I find white the least stainy because I can throw it on hot in the washer with bleach. Yes, even the white linen pants—I just let them air dry or tumble with no heat. And I have a dog and a kid, both riddled with dirt. So don’t come for me.
3. White just is not scary. It’s all very off-duty model. Just try it. You’ll see. Fine, that’s not a terrific rebuttal but I’m using tough love with this one.
And because I know you’re baaaaarely even reading my painstakingly chosen words and just skimming for more photos and outfits, here you go. This is my House-Clothes™ ensemble that I wear if I’m having a guest or a meeting or a zoom or basically anyone other than my dog staring at me all day.
Another superb tank top with wispy little straps that help to balance a chunky arm like mine, though this one is quite sheer so it’s not apprope for the post office. And those softer-than-air wide-leg pants have THE comfiest waist band, and you can essentially feel like the house-pig that you are while looking impossibly chic. Aka, my entire raison d’être.
And finally, I leave you with the most beautiful pair of pants in my closet. The single item of clothing that I’m most asked about when out in public. The most flattering, classic, wear-forever thing I own:
The fit, the flow, the fabric. They’re floaty, linen heaven. I wear them with THIS black 3/4 lightweight tee (which is a must in your life if you’re not wild about your upper arms) but I also wear them with my many striped marinières in the fall, jean jackets, cropped sweaters. They’re simply the most beautiful and versatile pants I own, and I feel very passionately that you should try them. I won’t be mad if you try them in the black. But if you’re brave enough to dip a toe into the white-on-bottom-black-on-top waters, allow it to be with these pants. And send me a photo.
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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