Learning how to wear black and white properly can help you to streamline your wardrobe while mastering an abundance of clever, new styling techniques. To some, a monochrome palette is elegant and stylish, but to others it is plain and boring. A black and white clothing colour palette can be as quirky and as fun as you like, provided that you learn how to choose and style your garments to elevate their understated qualities.

How to Wear Black and White

Like every other colour, both black and white come in varying shades (see below). When selecting your perfect shade of black and/or white, you will need to pay attention to the undertones in the shade to determine whether it is warm or cool. One of the most common issues experienced by those struggling to wear white is that they choose a shade that doesn’t suit their skin tone. Creamier shades of white suit those with warmer skin tones, whereas cooler, crisp whites are best for those with cooler skin tones. If you find that a shade of off-white or ivory is making your skin appear red, this means that you most probably have a cool skin tone and are therefore wearing the wrong shade for you. For more information on determining your skin tone type, sign up for your professional online colour analysis consultation exclusive to Online Personal Stylist.

Recommended Fabric Types:

Although white (vegan) leather is rarely a good choice, with black and white you are never limited to wearing selected fabric types. Unlike with other colours, heavier materials don’t tend to look so dated when worn in black or white. Both black and white look great in most different fabrics, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your look by trying out new textures. Depending on the style you are aiming to achieve on any given day, pairing different textures together in the same outfit will help you to differentiate your garments to prevent you from getting bored.

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The Best Colours to Wear with Black and White

White and black make an excellent colour combination alone. If however, you’re looking to inject additional shades into this stylish monochrome palette then consider these ideal tones, guaranteed to look fantastic with black and white.

• Turquoise
• Gold
• Silver
• Red
• Navy
• Beige
• Blush pink
• Dandelion yellow
• Lime green
• Royal blue
• Fuchsia
• Cream
• Lavender
• Powder blue
• Bubblegum pink
• Emerald green
• Chocolate brown
• Mango orange

Colour Trend Report: Different Shades of Black and White

Here is a list of all of the different shades of black and white, as well as the names by which they are correctly referenced. Under the Colours section of the Fashion Glossary, you will find an A-Z guide of every known colour and shade, along with their correct name and HEX code for reference purposes.

• 1 Black
  • 1 Technical black varieties
  • 1 Midnight blue
  • 2 Dim gray
  • 3 Ebony
  • 4 Taupe
  • 5 Davy's gray
  • 6 Charcoal
  • 7 Outer Space
  • 8 Café noir
  • 9 Black bean
  • 10 Black olive
  • 11 Onyx
  • 12 Phthalo green
  • 13 Jet
  • 14 Black leather jacket
  • 15 Raisin black
  • 16 Charleston green
  • 17 Eerie black
  • 18 Light Black
• 2 White
  • • 1 Ghost white
    • 2 White smoke
    • 3 Baby powder
    • 4 Snow
    • 5 Ivory
    • 6 Floral white
    • 7 Seashell
    • 8 Cornsilk
    • 9 Old lace
    • 10 Cream
    • 11 Beige
    • 12 Antique white
    • 13 Champagne
    • 14 Eggshell
    • 15 Dutch white
    • 16 Bone
    • 17 Vanilla
    • 18 Flax
    • 19 Navajo white

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