Wearing Black Bright

Black is one of those colours that gets a bit of a bad rap. Black to a lot of people means morning, covering yourself up excessively or being overly serious.

Because of this, many women avoid wearing the colour black, particularly during the springtime.

But like every fashion rule, this one can and should be broken. Black, like every other colour, can be as bright or as dull as you allow it to be.

This means that those black clothing items you have in your closet don’t have to be discarded after all. Here are a few tips for wearing black beautifully.

• Offset the black with a bright and bold colour: While black can be bright and beautiful in its own way, this will be harder to pull off if the entire outfit is black. If one item, say a top or the bottom, is black, pair it with something very bold and bright.

This helps to offset the black and maintains a bright overall look. This works with the colour white as well.

• Embrace florals: Few things say bright and beautiful like florals. They practically inject life into whatever they are put on, and black is no exception. Whether around the waist, down the sides of the dress or at the sleeves, add a touch of florals to whatever black attire you have and it’s sure to be a hit.

• Accessorize: The beauty of accessories is that they have the power to transform the look of any outfit. This can be done in the case of black as well.

What you should do is make sure that your most dominant accessories are very brightly coloured. Colours like red, yellow and blue should be taken. These take attention away from the black outfit and make it look less dull.

This same concept applies to makeup as well. Since your outfit is dark, do not make your makeup dark as well (unless you’re going for a goth look). Instead, use bright shades of eyeshadow and lipsticks. Your hairstyle should also be non-conservative.

Black is one of those colours that is always tricky to wear. While it is often associated with sadness or seriousness, it can be turned on its head and made bright and bubbly.

From the other items of clothing you pair with it to your accessories and makeup, a deliberate effort needs to be made to offset the dark colours. If you can pull this off successfully, you can wear black as brightly as you want.