When I think about wearing yellow and black, my mind immediately wanders to bumblebees, Charlie Brown and taxi cabs. Because of its inherent loudness, the combination doesn’t sound like an everyday staple.
But the past week, I did some experimenting with a couple variations — and it turns out that yellow and black are a little more wearable than I had previously imagined.
As this first look proves, yellow and black can be fairly subtle. For my first foray, I started simple by pairing a lemon-printed tee with a black pleated skirt. PS: The shirt is from the Milly/Kohl’s collaboration, which I’ve talked about here and here. The skirt is another old favorite (last seen here), as are the shoes (last seen here).
Emboldened by this crisp combo, I surfed Pinterest for some other novel pairings.
For my next version, I wore a lemon sherbet Zara blazer from 2012. I bought said blazer during the saturated 2012 season, when colored denim became its own sartorial food group. (My turquoise Jessica Simpson jeans have long been ejected from my closet, making this blazer a true survivor.)
I paired the blazer with some of my favorite basics: a gauzy white blouse (every woman needs at least one) and my new favorite harem pants. (The pants were last seen here, although I’ve also rhapsodized about harem pants here and here).
The outfit included a couple of new items that added an extra special zip. One is this gold-plated choker from Trademark, which is eye-catching while remaining minimal and lightweight. The yellow faux-python sandals were from the clearance bin at a Gap in San Diego. (You can buy them for less than $30 here.)
If fashion is a drug, I am happy to prescribe a dosage of yellow-and-black — provided you read the warning labels and don’t over-do it. Because it’s easy for it to get a little theatrical — as evidenced by Zoltar’s get-up, which I spotted at the 5th Avenue FAO Schwartz location slated to close soon.
Would you wear yellow and black together? Sound off in the comments!