50 Shades of Gray in Your Wardrobe

Gray is hot this Fall. I’m not talking about which actors will star in the movie 50 Shades of Gray. I’m talking fashion. Gray is one fashion trend I’m happy to embrace! It’s frugal and trendy at the same time. How often does that happen?

Just think of gray with any color—it works in most cases! After all it’s a combination of black and white. Every color that looks good with black or white looks good with gray. And some that are not that good with white or black work well with gray.

It’s smart to buy some basics in gray to multiply your options and looks. I’d start with a pair of gray pants, but a jacket or cardigan could be a good item too. My mom says you can never have too many pairs of black pants, but in my experience a pair of good medium to dark gray pants will serve you well!

Ways to Enjoy Gray:

1.  Gray with pastels looks polished and professional. Think pearly pink with medium gray. A light blue is classic with gray.

2.  Gray with brights is fun and lively. Think cherry red, bright blue, spring green, hot pink, and orange. This is a more casual look, but you can tone it down with a gray cardigan for work.

3.  Try different textures of gray for interest when paired with solid colors. Even a black and white tweed looks gray overall. A black and white houndstooth tweed pencil skirt can look professional at the office, yet look sexy at night with the right top.

4.  Gray with other grays plus silver jewelry looks chic and understated.

5.  Gray pants or skirt with a beautiful white shirt and gold jewelry looks rich and confident. The same outfit with silver jewelry looks fresh to me.

6.  A light gray in a silky fabric catches the light and looks very sophisticated. A soft blouse or loose pants look beautiful in this fabric. Gorgeous for the holidays.

7.  Gray looks wonderful with autumn tones of honey, caramel,  cognac, and even rust. You can’t always make those colors work with black, but they are beautiful with gray.

8.  Gray handles jewel tones better than black does. A scarf or shirt in jewel tones is dramatic with gray, but never eye-startling. Think of how gorgeous a colorful painting is against a gray wall. That’s the effect you’re getting. Wine-colored accessories are beautiful with gray. Plum is gorgeous with gray.

9.  Charcoal gray pants have the same slimming effect of black pants. They give some variety to your looks if you wear black a lot.

10.  You can even wear light to medium tones of gray year-round. Light gray pants can be worn the same way as white pants in the summer and they transition between seasons easily.

So try out your shirts, jewelry, scarves, shoes, and bags with something gray.  I think you’ll be happy with how many looks you can make without having to buy a lot of new items.

And, yes, I bought my husband 2 gray ties. Hey, they were on sale, 2-for-1 and he needed them for a wedding.

By the way, I haven’t read 50 Shades of Gray as it’s not my cup of tea.