So you wanna wear colours but you're a beige babe
A mild approach to bolder looks
No offense dear TIDBTW, me myself I’m as beige as it gets. I’m talking this exclusive relationship with monochrome dressing on a colour scale broadly deemed as “neutral”. What does that even mean?
SNL has a point here: I’d like to think that the act of wearing solely black, grey, white and hues of beige – it’s not to mute our expression, it’s here to calm the mind. In a year where I / we constantly feel oversaturated and digitally overwhelmed, we dress to rest.
So unsurprisingly my latest old wardrobe item to bring back - a new year’s resolution turned new habit – is this HUND HUND trench coat from 2021. In recent years I struggled to wear it, mostly because I felt like a trench, any trench, would age me by around a decade in an instant. Now that I just turned 40 that tension is gone: said (beautiful!) trench, a grey sweatshirt, grey jogging pants (the matching element is important here) and ballet flats are all I need to feel like I got dressed. This outfit could not be more momcore or stale or in fact beige, but somehow it makes me feel put together.
Well, enough at least to travel with my kid or go to the playground - which is where I met my maker; as I became one with the sand around me, my friend Anna and her son arrived. Anna Zimmermann is an incredible artist, soon to open her second show within a few weeks, this time alongside other painters, including Arthur!
Anyone who gets to know Anna realizes she is as kind as she is stylish – but still, the outfits she pulls are intimidatingly cool! Once again her appearance made me silently beam with excitement, suddenly aware of my all-beige-ness. She, the epitome of what I mean when I say effortless: subtle cool elegance, confident enough to wear the most beautiful Prada loafers to a play date. I love a woman that owns her stuff! But most importantly, under her perfectly oversized cropped leather jacket there was the casual hint of a red t-shirt:
I was in shock. That’s how I want to do colours! Subtle, easy, fun. This can’t be so hard! So I got to work. Here are some ideas I gathered for myself, partly with things I already have – on how to redirect that inner beige babe, approach colours, the non-threatening way.
Play it like Tibi’s Amy Smilovic
In terms of general styling ideas and fun combinations, I really really enjoy Amy’s instagram lately. She seems to act with intention and play around with what is already there: seeing this belt hack I just went into my closet and tried to do the same: added an old leather H&M belt to my COS wool trouser evergreens and it did the job! The structure and compilation might not be as interesting, but it changed the whole look for me. It made it feel new to me. It’s something about intention and it’s okay if other people notice that you care about the effect of what you wear. Maybe intentional is the new effortless. And yes, a grocery bag and wallet count as added colour!
Focus on 1-2 coloured items
Moving on to actual colour theory, Amy often highlights one major colour, let’s say red or green within an otherwise very laid back outfit. It doesn’t look like she builds around it but rather just throws the item in at the very end. I’m sure you find at least one red / green / blue sweater in your assortment. She doesn’t shy away from wearing a lot of things, tying shirts and knits around her waist to create a more interesting look or silhouette. While in the past I would easily feel nervous about “breaking” an otherwise perfectly muted or elegant outfit, I will definitely try this more.
Add a bold scarf
I’m still not over the summer scarf idea and Pien Studios’ poppy red scarf-belt – a scarf in pink, purple, green or red can make all the difference. I love this little pink detail styled by Parisian vintage experts TURN and it works especially well because the rest is monochrome, high quality and interesting textures:
I swear I have this exact same scarf below, works even wrapped around your arm. However you wear it, it just has to be close to the rest of your outfit to add colour to it:
Pick your hero item
If you buy one fun new item, it might as well be a highlight top. I love the volume of the Etre nylon one, which comes in different colours:
Also on my wishlist is this azure blue slightly assymetric top, responsibly designed and made by Amsterdam based Reyèm. Founder
recently launched her newsletter, taking us along while she redefines her own style.Circling pack to her must-have top: not only a colour that changes things up, but also a new shape! You can pair it with black trousers and stay true to your beige nature or you throw in some denim, as blue and blue are always friends.
I also thought very profoundly about these red capri pants by Brooke Callahan available at CARMEN, would need to try them on though to understand their fit.
Meanwhile haunted by a particularly nagging feeling of nothingness in my wardrobe, I went into a neighbouring boutique. After browsing the racks for a while I managed to fall heavily for a green men’s tee. The brand is danish called Neutral, apparently invested in fair trade and I went for the size M.
To prove my colour point I wore this exact same outfit below to a VOGUE cocktail the other night, where I ended up feeling slightly out of place. Of course the majority of everyone else was wearing black. But I was also in my AVENIR denim – how wrong can a designer jeans suit possibly be? Exactly. With that base I felt like I had the right to green. Apart from the fact that it got steaming hot in my double denim number, no regrets.
Someone I admire for their excellence in colour highlighting is Verena Glup, founder of Oh Vintage. Read her TIDBTW interview here!
Stripes count as colourful clothes
About two years ago exactly, while I was hosting a charity pop up for Ukrainian designers, I was once again in the presence of fashion icon Lilia Litkovska. I absolutely love the way she styles herself. Day 1 she popped in with the coolest oversized stripe blouse, black wool pants and cowboy boots underneath. Although they are such a subtle way to add some colour, I find stripes incredibly difficult to wear. They mostly seem so business uniform / conservative – but an unconventional shape definitely helps. Litkovska have a very good checkered cotton shirt online right now.
Try full monochrome, but COLOUR
For summer, as you know, I love an all-white look, completed with brown, red or black details (for German readers, you might want to check this Vogue article on the spring outfit matter too). And don’t forget to match your crisp packet:
When we follow that thought, a monochrome outfit based entirely on red, blue or on-trend butter yellow can feel just as put together and pleasing. But definitely more bold!
might have been the first to dip into the butter theme:
This might be my favorite way to wear colour: uncompromising. Moving from zero colour to all-colour might feel like a big stretch, but just as in the BIRROT campaign below: COLOUR 1 + COLOUR 1 = CHILL. Visually dissolving in chic-ness and chocolate brown:
This gorgeous dress and trousers combo also comes in a burgundy and the styling reminds how I should really wear my woven bag: cool, loose, under the arm (aware of the risk to drop it, but yolo). How you treat your accessories is the ultimate key to un-dust any look. If my Vinted sale goes well, I will totally invest in this BIRROT winner.
Same with Tibi:
Two more outfits that got away for me are also made by LITKOVSKA: a slightly distressed shirt and skirt set in a soft blue (archive piece / 2023)
And this absolutely stunning all-red look from FW23/24, which I adore:
And then there is Paris based FANE (and now celebrity’s favourite brand) that has been on my wishlist since 2022. I adore their version of the box-bag, model MIE. And this total red styling by Helena Hiegemann:
Does grey count? Not exactly the same colour, but close enough to feel like they belong:
And you guessed it already: of course I had to get that bag!!
I should have known already when I walked into the store twice in 48 hours, but I REALLY knew when I couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the holiday.
told me she went on a little (successful) Vinted hunt after spotting the bag in my notes… that thought didn’t even cross my mind!! I was fixed on that particular item, vintage gems excluded. The brand is called SOOK Sustainable, I loved supporting that little store in Ortigia (probably doing really well come summer) and I could not be happier with my very slow but lasting decision!Let the necklace speak for you (and something old I brought back this week)
I started wearing a delicate little red necklace again, a fleamarket find from around 4 years ago. But if I would select one today, it would be by Berlin based PRUM. I’d go for the GIA below, adding a bit of extra everyday glam to let’s say a white tee.
Or if you are looking for more drama, matching your bag with your jewelry and charms is always an option:
Consider fun shoes
These red shoes that you are about to see, I already tried them on. They run a bit small so we didn’t get together on that day, but I’m still thinking about them a lot. A colourful shoe - be it a flat or sandal - is such an clever way to add colour, prominent yet understated. And the mesh ballerina had to get to me at some point!!!
Things I’m drawn to this week
So while I’m writing to you I can’t stop thinking about navy + black. Navy might be the most unexciting colour to reconnect with – but it also feels so close to home and goes well with everything. I know I have an old navy Arket shirt flying around, so I will go look for that.
I then got absolutely sucked into the style world of Charon Cooijmans, founder of
. I’m now considering a cashmere top over a shirt the most genius style hack of my week:
Which seems to be a thing now as impaccibly chic
proves – it’s giving 90s Gwyneth Paltrow and I’m here for it: a slight hint of skater boy but very sophisticated, my brain is just wired to love this. Something we must be able to copy with what we already have at all costs = none. Will try tomorrow!
Charon also send me on a little adrenalin rush – looking for that bag that she is wearing in the post above. It reminded me of my forever dream, this Old Céline canvas darling:
At least the logo comes in red! Her’s is a little more budget friendly and by Kassl Editions:
See, I’m slightly off the colour road again… change needs time! But the ideas are here. Maybe we start by tying some colourful beads to our beige bags. Talk soon! Xx
If you enjoyed this article, I appreciate it if you share it and TIDBTW with those who might like it too. Thank you so much <3
Things I did buy this week: 2
NEUTRAL t-thirt in green via März shop 29,00 € (item #9)
SOOK SUSTAINABLE Woven leather bag 149,00 € + 20,00 € shipping because I hesitated before!! (item #10) via Mave Ortigia
Things I didn’t buy this week: 7
Brooke Callahan Capri at CARMEN 130,00 €
PRUM GIA Necklace 139,00 €
ARKET MESH BALLERINAS, 139,00 €
PIEN STUDIOS Scarf-belt in poppy red, 175,00 €
BIRROT Lay2 H Dress + Trousers in Burgundy + Trousers - 335,00 € + 308,00 €
FANE MIE bag in Page, 640,00 €
Thank you for the mention and also I loved this extensive read!!