I purchased a buttload of navy items over the summer that I would love to transition into fall/winter. During the summer, I wore the skirts and blouses with a pair of navy high heeled Mary Janes and bare legs. For the fall/winter, I don’t know what to wear on the bottom. What color tights and shoes/boots should I wear?
I steered clear of navy for so many years because of this very reason. I didn’t want to buy navy shoes, my brown shoes looked too casual, black was deemed inappropriate and cognac was nearly impossible to find in stores. Well it’s 2014, navy is a hot color and there’s so many options to now wear with it!
The old rule no longer applies, you CAN wear navy with black! Pair a navy dress or skirt with black tights and shoes and the look is quite fresh and modern. With this look, I treated the navy skirt as if it were any other color, and had black tights and booties anchor it. This is a good example of transitioning summer and early fall pieces into the cooler months.
For this second look, I show that black shoes with navy is no longer passé. Again, treating navy as a color instead of a neutral, the shoes become the neutral with navy trousers and a colorful blouse.
Navy and brown have always been a popular pairing, but it doesn’t have to look old fashioned or conservative. In this look, I took a navy dress that would be worn in summer with sandals or a pair of canvas TOMS and made it more appropriate to this time of year. Choosing camel or cognac provides a bit more contrast and feels youthful; a change of belt and Western-inspired accessories gives a completely different feel to the shirt dress.
Brown and navy can look quite professional. To add some warmth on cool autumn days, consider a pair of sleek brown leather boots with your navy skirts and dresses. A bit of a heel and a slim profile best flatters a trim skirt and looks more professional than flat riding boots. No need to have your bag match your shoes, you can match the navy if you wish or incorporate a statement color like mustard, green, or red.
But black and brown are not your only options. Gray is a hot hue this fall and a wonderful pairing with navy. To give a clean modern look, I paired a simple navy sheath with gray tights and booties; a gray scarf pulls the look together and makes a sleeveless dress seasonally appropriate.
Neutrals don’t have to be the only pairing for navy. I love wearing navy with a burgundy or dark red color, the combination is classic and perfect for fall. This is a way to wear the navy Mary Janes you stated you already own; consider adding another small bit of burgundy to your look to make it cohesive; a skinny belt added to the dress pulls the look together without being too matchy-matchy.