Last week, a thread broke out about leather jackets in my Facebook Group. In that thread, I shared a photo of me wearing a cognac leather coat I have from Number 35 London.
One of the members commented that wearing black and cognac was one of her favorite combinations, to which I replied that I was actually wearing navy (because I don’t wear black) but the result was essentially the same.
Taking to Pinterest, I also noticed a lot of styled looks of women wearing cognac and black and realized pairing these two colors is quite trendy at the moment.
I have been a longtime fan of wearing black and cognac together. It was one of the first steps I took when phasing black completely out of my wardrobe 15 years ago. One of my favorite looks was wearing a slim black turtleneck and black pants with a pair of heeled cognac leather boots.
Styling Black with Cognac: A Chic Way to Warm Up Black
Even if you aren’t looking to eliminate black from your wardrobe entirely, pairing cognac with black can be a fresh way to consider styling your black wardrobe pieces. To give you some inspiration, I have put together five looks for ideas.
Outfit #1
This cotton blazer from Akris Punto isn’t exactly cognac but it still captures the idea. You don’t have to box yourself in with just cognac, you can select from the entire range of tans from camel to deep cognac colors to achieve this look. I styled this blazer with a belted black dress from BOSS Hugo Boss and finished the look with a pair of cognac pumps from Marc Fisher, a woven Prada tote and tortoise necklace.
Outfit #2
When I saw this wool and mohair coat from Mackintosh I had to use it because, similarly to my outfit, a cognac coat popped over a monochromatic black look can be stunning. I styled the coat with a pair of slim pants from Rag & Bone, a black sweater from J. Crew that I layered over a white mock buttondown from BOSS Hugo Boss. I finished the outfit with leopard pumps from Charles David, a black tote from ALLSAINTS and a simple pair of reversible two-tone earrings from Argento Vivo.
Outfit #3
In this look, I paired a cognac chevron matching cardigan and tank from L’Agence with a pair of black pants from Lafayette 148. I finished the outfit with cognac booties from AGL, a cognac tote from Marc Jacobs and a layered necklace from Karine Sultan.
Outfit #4
In this look, I basically just flipped the last look upside down by styling these wide-leg cropped pants from Mango with a black short sleeve mock turtleneck from Theory. I finished the look with black flat mules from J. Crew, a black Tumi crossbody bag and square-shaped hoops.
Outfit #5
One thing I love to do is style black with beige or cognac shoes. It’s such a small update to a black look but it really changes things up. I styled this black dress from Charles Henry with peep-toe booties from Cole Haan. I further finished the outfit with a cognac faux leather bag from Sole Society and a large link collar necklace.
If you haven’t tried pairing cognac with black yet, I highly recommend you give it a try. Not only will you give your black and update, but you’ll also create chic looks.