Maybe it happened in the middle of the night. Sneaky and quiet. But somehow, brown is the unassuming color that has snuck into my closet. I mean, it’s not like it was ever uninvited. There was no “keep out, brown” sign. It just wasn’t a color I thought looked good on me: a pale blonde. And with so many bright and beautiful colors to compete with, anything in brown was never the top runner when I had saved enough money to buy a new item. So, if you asked me how much brown I owned, I would probably respond with “not much” or “you know, it’s just kind of a blah color on me.” It’s funny how our minds can convince us of something that isn’t a reality. What is a reality is that from tops to leather pants, to heels to crossbody bags – my closet is now close to 50% brown. I’m officially into brown! It’s time to start acknowledging and appreciating its worth in style. It’s time to start thinking of brown as the new black.

Brown can be used as a base to set the stage for other colors, but also a color that can stand on its own. Unlike its fellow neutral friends (black and white), it has so many different shades – chocolate, beige, tan, camel, nude, to name a few. At least one shade of brown complements almost every color in the rainbow. I love mixing camel with a bold orange or a jewel-tone. I love mixing dark brown with lighter shades, such as a soft yellow or pale pink. And while there could be an argument on whether nude is in the brown family or not, I see it as a member and would wear nude with bright red or cobalt blue.