What to Wear: Black and White – So Chic for Summer
There is nothing more chic and summery-cool looking than a great black and white combination. Just take a simple white blouse and pair it with a great black skirt (penci, a-line or any style is fine) add a pair of sandals (bone, black patent, silver or gold) and a bangle or two and you’ve got a great, comfortable look that goes from work to dinner and beyond.
I love mxing black and white prints like the Oscar de la Renta skirt and blouse above (the skirt is still available online at bergdorfgoodman.com or neimamarcus.com). The printed outfit on the top row is from shopbop.com by Brian Reyes.
Look for a great fitting white blouse (get rid of any older blouses that may be worn or stained). Gayla Bentley makes some great ones for between $100-$200 (see neimans).
Newportnews.com (a great site for just about anything and so low-priced) has this blouse for about $20!
The Newport News or the Gayla Bentley blouse will look great all year with black pants or a straight pencil skirt and certainly will add kick to a black pantsuit. A white blouse is very feminine.
I love this Kay Unger dress. It reminds me of an Oscar de la Renta that would sell for thousands but Kay’s dresses retail for about $300. This is great for a party or for work — top with a black cardigan or jacket to downplay the dressiness for daytime.
Black and white dresses are wonderful for really dressy, party looks. See my blog on what to wear to dress up for more party dress-up ideas.
Black and white is also fabulous for casual looks. I love this peasant blouse by Piazza Sempione. What keeps it from looking too peasanty is the modern black and white print. It’s on sale at neimans.
