For women who rarely have the need to wear suit to work, sticking with the basic colors is fine. However, for those who need to wear suits on a regular basis, a sea of neutral suits can begin to look a bit like M arch of the Penguins.
Spring is the perfect opportunity to venture into some more colorful suits, and this season I have been noticing more of them in the stores. Breaking out of the neutral suit does not mean dressing like a clown. Sure, you could pick up a flaming pink suit or a jewel-tone green one, but there are some perfectly understated alternatives that can liven up your professional wardrobe.
Non-Black Suits for Work
Check out these outfits using non-black suits below along with additional styles at the end of this post.
Outfit #1
When breaking free from non-black suits, a color to consider is in the plum/burgundy family. These shades aren't loud and come across as professional despite them being colorful. Plus, being darker, these tones are usually flattering across the backside. When styling suits in these colors, consider accessorizing with them neutrals, like I did above. I styled this deep purple suit from J. Crew (link to jacket, link to pants) with a pair of suede pumps from Cole Haan, a blouse from Reiss, and grey bag from Vince Camuto. I finished the outfit with a silver necklace from Ippolita and hoops from David Yurman.
Outift #2
Venturing into the camels and tans can be another direction to consider. While not colorful, these shades can be a breath of fresh air in a closet full of dark suits. If your concern in embracing these colors has to do with how pants in these shades look on your thighs, try a skirt or dress suit which are typically more figure flattering in these colors. Remember, too, these tan shades can also be styled colorfully, just like your black and navy neutral suits can.
In the suit above, I styled this Reiss dress suit (link to jacket/link to dress) with a pair of tan d'orsay pumps from Sam Edelman and finished the outfit with a beaded necklace from Simon Sebbag and a minty blue handbag from Marc Jacobs.
Outfit #3
I chose this navy polka dot cotton suit from Banana Republic (link to jacket, link to pants) for the fact that, while different, it can be treated like a solid navy blue suit. This gives it tremendous versatility. If you want a change without having to upheave your entire wardrobe, you can try something like this.
I styled the suit with a white Elie Tahari tank, a Kate Spade necklace, navy handbag and, for a pop, orange flats by Franco Sarto.
Shop for non-black suits
Inspired to shop for some non-black suits, check out these additional styles