Christian Dior rightly said, “You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion.” Arguably the most loved — and the most powerful — colour in fashion, black has a long history of being seen as a shade that conveys contradictions. From signifying oppression and submission to representing power and style, the shade may have multiple meanings, but it has always proven to be a muse, especially for designers like Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo and Coco Chanel. Always in fashion, you can never go wrong with this timeless colour. Take inspiration from Bollywood celebrities Alia Bhatt, Soha Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor and sister Khushi Kapoor, who show us how to wear black this season.
1. Break it up with an accessory in a contrasting colour
Spotted at the airport last night on her way to Bulgaria, Alia styled a black-grey denim shirt with a matching pair of straight-fit denims from Off-White, and a pair of non-fussy strappy heels. Her bright red backpack and phone cover perfectly contrasted her look and broke the outfit’s monotony.
Shop a red backpack similar to Alia’s here.
2. Play it up with statement sleeves
Soha Ali Khan gave us the perfect ensemble for a semi-formal event: a smart cape-style shirt with statement sleeves from Shahin Mannan teamed up with a basic pair of skinny denims, completed with black ballerinas. Soha accessorised her look with drop earrings and a statement ring.
Get a similar shirt with statement sleeves here.
3. Opt for metallics
One of the leading trends this season is metallics — seen everywhere from shoes and clothes to eye shadow and nail paint. Janhvi worked it in her favour with her silver heels that elegantly rounded off her sparkling LBD.
Get silver heels like Janhvi here.
4. Pick midriff-baring tops
If you don’t have one already, it’s high time you invested in a black crop top. Not only is it versatile — wear it as a blouse under your sari; wear it with a lehenga — but it’s also very easy to style. Khushi teamed her crop top with a pair of tapered pants, a sling bag and black heels with furry pink accents (again, a great way to contrast your all-black look). She went heavy on accessories with gold bracelets, a gold watch and layered chokers.
Buy a crop top similar to Khushi’s here.
