Black Doesn't Have To Be Boring

Newsflash lovelies…black does not have to be boring!

Welcome back to another blog post, hope you are all fabulous and feeling on top of the world today – I’m bloody knackered! I went to the gym earlier after three days of eating everything in sight so I thought I should try to burn some of it off and jump on the treadmill. I did forty minutes; ok I wasn’t running the whole time – not even jogging but it’s better than doing absolutely nothing at all! Well, that’s what I like to tell myself anyway. Just putting on a sports bra is exercise enough! Bloody Nora those things are evil – like scaffolding! Once you’ve miraculously got it on, good luck ever trying to get it off! I hear there’s women buried with them still on… Trying to explain a sports bra to a man is like trying to explain making jelly to a dog – you can decide which noun men are in that analogy – they just can’t see how they’re different from normal bras. In one way they’re not because men struggle to take both off! Sports bras are like a very, very tight sock for your boobs. Nope, that doesn’t quite convey it properly… let me have a think. You go pop for a cup of tea whilst I have a think for a better comparison…

Ah ha!

Sports bras aren’t just like any socks…they’re the verruca socks of the bra world…! Tight. Pinching. Ugly. And only come in horrible colours. Now, new readers to the Tamara Harvey blog may be wondering what on earth I’m on about now but, don’t panic, I’m coming to the point of this week’s post. So, there I was, ‘jogging’ on the treadmill and whilst shuffling between French pop music (don’t ask) I overheard a conversation between two women. Both women wanted to lose weight and were discussing clothes which help to make you appear slimmer. One proposed black however the other shook their head, convinced that ‘black is always boring’ and she didn’t want to appear morose.

Well, I thought to myself, that is a common misconception because black doesn’t have to be boring! Sometimes, black is the chicest colour of them all as these celebrity street style pics will show…

First up is Gwennie P.

Now, ok, if everybody looked like Gwyneth Paltrow then we could all wear a black bin bag and look fabulous, I get it but putting her envious, natural beauty aside we can all take notes from her outfit. A properly tailored black suit will never go out of style and should be a staple of every woman’s wardrobe. The trousers elongate her legs and the blazer has been darted to follow the line of her waist. She’s rolled the cuffs up to give it a casual, youthful feel and I couldn’t be more envious! I love this look!

This look by Natalie Portman, I kid you not, I will be ripping off at home this week. I’m going to find a pattern and make my own version because I know it will be a go-to dress. Ladies, if you’re going to buy expensive – and by that, I mean designer – then my advice is to buy black. I love colour but if I’m going to be spending £500 plus on a dress, I want it to be universal and black will always be. You can wear it at every occasion…well, apart from a wedding but you know what I mean. You will get your wear out of a black dress just like Coco Chanel said. I love her heels and hair here too…really, I want to morph into Natalie Portman…if anyone knows how I can do this then write the answer on the back of a post card!

I’m going to be honest I never really thought of Katie Holmes as a style queen but actually, having done some internet stalking, she does have great style. I think she’s been overlooked by some and her style is wholly underrated. What I love about this look is its simplicity, she’s paired a black dress with some polka dot tights but it so works. The dress is asymmetric which makes it stand out and the tights are so youthful that it prevents the look from ever being fuddy duddy. Her hair is styled in loose waves which gives that characteristically French effortless glamour. I think her make-up is perfect here too; the red lip draws the eye to her face and, again, gives her a youthful energy. Well done Katie Holmes!

If you’re going to wear a black ensemble outfit then the key to looking chic instead of humdrum is to mix fabrics. A black leather skirt with a black crepe top, like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s here, is an indomitable combination. It’s the golden rule if you’re going to wear one colour head to toe; mix up your fabrics! I have a pair of black skin-tight trousers and I love to wear them with a sheer black, viscose shirt – don’t panic I wear a bra underneath – but it’s the different textures which make the outfit interesting. Think suede and leather, think satin with knit and leather and jersey. The combination is really endless ladies. Besides, if you invest in a good, black leather skirt and a black crepe top you can interchange them with everything else in your wardrobe.

Right lovelies, that’s going to have to be it from me this week. I hope you enjoyed it, if you did then please don’t forget to share on social media! I’m off to go rustle up some dinner…probably beans on toast!

TTFN

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