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Real-Life Style Challenge: Nothing But Neutrals

Last Updated on February 21, 2019 by Ashley - Emerson College
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.
Camel Blazer With White Tee

Welcome to the latest edition of Real-Life Style Challenge! Last time we learned all about maximizing color in our wardrobes. This week we’re going to take things in the opposite direction and focus on the other end of the color spectrum… neutrals. Neutrals include basic shades like beige, black, brown, white and gray, which are seemingly the most boring of colors.

The Challenge:

This week’s challenge is to spend the entire school week wearing only neutral colors. The goal is to create interesting, eye-catching looks while wearing the world’s least interesting colors. Ready to see me try it? Read on!

The Results:

Style Challenge Week 3

  • Monday: I went for a Parisian-inspired look to start off the week, wearing a black and white striped dress with a trench coat. To accessorize, I chose a camel belt, gray beret and some dark brown boots.
  • Tuesday: On Tuesday I paired a simple camel blazer with a basic white tee, black skinny jeans, and gray boots. I kept accessories simple, adding just a long necklace for interest.
  • Wednesday: Breaking out the stripes again, I wore a black and white striped tee under a high-waisted utility skirt. To finish it off, I added charcoal gray tights and light gray oxfords.
  • Thursday: For my last day of classes for the week, I went a little more casual, wearing a white screen tee underneath a black boyfriend blazer. On the bottom I wore brown skinny jeans and black Converse sneakers.

What I Learned:

As expected, this challenge was much less difficult than the color combinations challenge, thanks in part to the numerous neutral pieces that populate my closet. I’m sure most of you would probably fare the same!

However, while it wasn’t difficult to pair neutrals, I did find myself yearning to include color in my outfits – it was tougher than expected to resist adding colorful extras. As someone who thought I was afraid of color, this actually surprised me! It all goes to show that bold colors and neutrals are both essential for a stylish, well balanced wardrobe.

A few more tips I picked up from this challenge:

  • Patterns and textures are key. A bold striped shirt or sleek suede shoe can add so much interest and life to an ensemble… even when you’re working with an extremely limited color palette.
  • Layer, layer, layer. A simple color palette requires added complexity elsewhere in the look – this is easy to achieve by playing with layers. In addition, you can’t go wrong when layering neutral-colored pieces – there’s really no “incorrect” way to do it, so anything goes.
  • Wearing all gray or all black can sometimes be chic, but can also be very blah. So try mixing multiple neutrals in your outfit for best results.

What do you think?

Do you find neutrals boring? Do you wear all-neutral outfits often, or do you need that pop of color? How to you make your neutral pieces more interesting? What are your favorite neutral color pairings? Let me know in the comments!

Tags : Colors, Fashion Challenge, Neutrals

15 Comments
Originally published on February 29, 2012
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Comments

  1. estella.. says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    wow!! loove these outfits!! I’ll definately try them out!

    Reply
  2. Katie says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    I think I need to take this challenge. My style is all about color! I almost everyday wear bright or bold colors. It would be interesting to try to come up with all-neutral outfits. Love your looks!

    Reply
  3. Asilia says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    I love this idea. Camel and black look so good together, and I tend to wear a lot of color or all black, so mixing neutrals kind of combines the two ideas.

    Reply
  4. Erin says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    This is definitely a key element of my style! I love to mix neutrals — don’t forget that off-whites (like champagne), navy, and olive are neutrals too, and denim! The colors I like to wear are mostly soft natural colors like rose, lavender, pale green, and bluish-grey. Darks are either darker greens, maroon, or plum.

    On an everyday basis, I like to layer several tops over jeans or a skirt, and generally wear boots or flats. I like to choose micro or very small prints on a neutral background, and mix and match them; if I don’t add a colored top when layering, I pick a colored hair accessory or stockings instead, or I use print or color in my skirt if I’m wearing one. My favorite mixes lately are tiny prints, mixed neutrals, and metallics, especially copper!

    Reply
  5. Shmee says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    The vast majority of my wardrobe consists of neutrals (beige, tan, brown, gray, olive, navy, black, blue, and white) so I’m really digging all of these looks. It is indeed easier to mix and match neutrals, I wouldn’t even know how to wear a purple tee shirt!

    I am loving the last look with the gray mixed with the brown pants–definitely an interesting look, even without colors.

    Reply
  6. Esther says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    I unintentionally did this last week! I love neutral pieces a lot.

    Reply
  7. C says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    I always need at least one pop of color to my outfit, but the rest is usually neutral. Love how you made all neutral outfits interesting! Great post!

    Reply
  8. Kristina says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    I really like your outfits, especially the last one. While in the spring and summer I’m all about colors, I tend to stick to neutrals more in the fall in winter. One great thing about neutrals is that if you have a lot of colorful or patterned shoes like I do, it’s a great way to show off the shoes without going overboard with patterns!

    Reply
  9. Katherine says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    This would be so easy for me! I hardly ever wear any colour, apart from a red scarf, a purple blouse, and one lonely deep magenta shirt, I hardly ever wear colours other than black, white, tan, and grey.
    It’s not boring, though, and I can throw stuff together and be out the door in minutes.
    Besides, I have more fun with makeup with my neutral clothes.

    Reply
  10. nika says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    A nice article indeed. Neutrals are much more sophisticated and classier, in my oppinion, than bright pop colours. For me, it is always about looking polished and elegant, and I think neutrals are the best for it, maybe with asseccorize like a small clutch in bright colour… but only if it is a must 😉
    Thank you, greetings from Europe.

    Reply
  11. Stephanie says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:04 am

    As much as I love my colors, I am getting into neutrals now more lately. Chocolate brown is one of my favorite colors, although I love pairing it with colors as well such as turquoise, gold, etc.

    Reply
  12. Annie says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    As shocking as it sounds, I actually don’t own that many neutrals! A week wearing only neutrals would be really difficult for me! All your looks are nice though, makes me want to bring out some stripes!

    Reply
  13. Michelle says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Ahh! I have the dress from the first picture and I am in LOVE with it. I picked it up from Jc Penney for $13!

    Reply
  14. Shelby says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Very nice! I actually think neutrals are easier to mix than colors. I’ve got this lovely purple shirt that I’m just struggling to find something to match with right now!

    Reply
  15. Paula* says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Most of my closet is neutrals, so this is very inspirational to me!

    Reply

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