5 All-Black Winter Outfits That Are the Antithesis of Basic

When I first moved to London from winterless L.A., I quickly realized that—however nice each piece was—my gray coats were never going to work with my blue scarf, brown boots, and cream hat. My solution? Purchase and wear exclusively black outerwear so everything always goes with everything.

This isn’t a bad idea per se, but obviously, all black all the time can get a little repetitive. That said, all-black looks need not be boring, as I’ve happily found out via some very cool fashion people. In fact, I’m low-key shocked by how inventive these five looks manage to be while only working with one color.

Pillbox hats are everything this season, and it turns out a faux-fur black one may be the key to turning up the interest factor on an all-black winter outfit.

It’s actually kind of obvious now that I think about it. If you’re going to wear all black but don’t want to look boring, the way to do it is to play with texture, like pairing a military-style jacket with leather gloves.

Here’s another perfect demonstration of how leather clothes add much-needed dimension to an otherwise plain outfit. A little blonde bob doesn’t hurt either.

Okay, I cheated a little here. Yes, I do realize she’s wearing a white shirt. Still, this outfit with sharp tailoring would work just as well if you swapped that for a black top, so I’m giving myself a pass.

Honestly, matching outerwear aside, all-black outfits were pretty much made for dressy soirées. For all your work drinks and New Year’s party needs, you just can’t go wrong with a black gown and sheer black opera gloves.