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Home » Choosing an Accent Color for Brown

Choosing an Accent Color for Brown

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to look at the possibility of different accent colors for a few neutrals – today let’s think about dark chocolate brown!

 

First up, the core four garments upon which we will build these outfits. Having these 4 pieces can make your life so much easier….

Ryder pants – J.Crew; cashmere turtleneck – J. Crew;  jeans – Austin Reed; ribbed crewneck – Michael Kors Collection

 

I took the same approach, starting with two neutral colors that could serve as accents in a mainly brown wardrobe. If you were building a wardrobe with more than 1 neutral, you would have lots of options like this:

Olive vest – L.L.Bean; green earrings – GFG Jewellery; scarf – L.L.Bean; olive mittens – J. Crew; olive boots – Vince Camuto; navy earrings – Kendra

 

 Scott; navy vest – J. Crew; navy scarf – Tory Burch; navy  gloves – Halogen; navy boots – Lucky Brand

 

I loves these bright colors – you would certainly stand out in a sea of black winter coats if you wore one of these vests!  And for many people, these are much more flattering colors… 

Orange vest – Hunky Jackets; carnelian earrings – Ippolita; tie dyed scarf –  La Fiorentina; orange gloves – MRZ; orange loafers – Tod’s; green onyx earrings  – Latelita London; green vest – MICHAEL Michael Kors; green Bolduc au Carre  scarf – Hermes; green gloves – Barnum; green loafers – Patricia Green

 

I was so happy to see that the maroon items that I showed with black ALSO look great with brown. What a flattering color! And the blush – it’s an extravagance, but it makes a beautiful outfit – much dressier and more elegant than is expected when you say “a sweater and a down vest.”

Gold blush vest – Moncler; earrings – Kendra Scott; pearl-trimmed scarf – Perla; gloves – Lauren Ralph Lauren; penny loafers – Tod’s; cluster stone earrings – The Limited; dark berry vest – Eddie Bauer; square floral scarf – Faliero Sarti;  maroon mittens – Me to We; maroon boots – Toms

 

I certainly could have included the blush color as a pastel, don’t you think? But I really wanted to look at this off-white/sand/whatever they call it color. (although this could also be a neutral, I think…)

Both pair of earrings are amazing, by the way. They were made to go with the scarves, I swear. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m ever going to find what I have in my mind, but my persistence is always rewarded. Patience is essential when one is shopping, even if it’s only vicariously!

Sand vest – J. Crew; abalone earrings – Kate Spade; cream scarf – Diesel; ivory gloves – Portolano; chalk loafers – Coach; green earrings – Kate Spade;  green vest – L.L.Bean; green scarf – BP; green gloves – Hermes; spruce  loafers – Cole Haan

 

You can easily see how owning a couple of these little accessory families could give you a TON of mileage with a small, core wardrobe in brown.

Which makes me think I might be able to get some use out of a red vest, eh?

love,
Janice

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11.27.15 12 Comments

Tags: accessories, brights, brown, burgundy, casual, cool weather, green, orange
<<Choosing an Accent Color for BlackChoosing an Accent Color for Navy>>

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    November 27, 2015 at 9:53 am

    You should get a red vest. I wanted to get one this year for fall. I wanted to find one that didn't make me look like a marshmallow and I also couldn't decide on a color. I really like the LL Bean vest…not too poofy. I will use these posts to help me decide which color to buy. I love that green, I think it would go with Navy and Grey also. The Maroon is beautiful too, and Olive is always a favorite of mine. I think I will wait until you are done with all of your post in the series, I want to see which I like best with a Navy base, I wear dark denim jeans a lot in the winter. I will also have to see if I can find a scarf or matching gloves like you show here. What a difference that makes in pulling it all together. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Jazz says

    November 27, 2015 at 10:18 am

    Some gorgeous options here.

    Reply
  3. Chris says

    November 27, 2015 at 10:55 am

    Too enticing! Love the Sarti floral scarf. Great richness. Get the vest! X Chris

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    November 27, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Of course, I love the chocolate brown with all these combinations. The moncler vest is a beautiful thing but really would make a top heavy person like me look like a marshmallow on a stick waiting for the bonfire.
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
    • Janice Riggs says

      November 27, 2015 at 3:53 pm

      True, but she would look like a really elegant blush-colored marshmallow!
      hugs,
      Janice

      Reply
  5. Mary (mcm) says

    November 27, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Vests are a staple in my wardrobe – solids, prints, fleece, quilted, even velvet – but I've never used them as the basis for co-ordinating accessories. Obviously this necessitates some shopping.
    Thanks!

    Mary (mcm)

    Reply
  6. Joyce P says

    November 27, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    Except for the orange, shades of which can make me look…dead, I love these options. Thank you so much again!

    Reply
  7. blushandbarbells says

    November 27, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    Brown is definitely a staple in my wardrobe, and I appreciate the suggestion of these accent colors! I usually go with beige or peach, but I'm going to try olive green and green now. Thanks for the post!

    Reply
  8. Jennifer Connolly says

    November 27, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    I'm loving brown more and more these days. It seems to coordinate with every color!

    Reply
  9. lrlincks says

    November 28, 2015 at 4:08 am

    Very nice combinations!

    Reply
  10. Melissa Hebbard says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:39 am

    This gorgeous chocolate brown is the most amazing colour when paired with pastel pink, baby blue or mauve. It really makes these colours 'sing' better than navy or black does. Could you do a post with these 3 colours and chocolate brown?

    Reply
  11. App developers india says

    September 24, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    This is wonderful. I am not quite much with the internet, but I believe that what I just read is some good material. Thanks for writing such wonderful article. God bless.

    Reply

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The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...
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