Dolce & Gabbana striped brocade sandals, £525
After being briefly distracted by bright red, I’m black to monochrome for today’s shoe pick – and, indeed, for the outfit which accompanies it. I’m not the only one, though: black and white are everywhere right now (both worn together and on their own), and as regular readers will know, it’s a look I’ve loved for a long time now. Sure, during the grey days of February, I’d normally be advocating wearing brighter colours, to combat the gloom, but sometimes as winter drags to a conclusion, all you want to wear is something easy, that doesn’t require a lot of thought to throw together.
Black and white definitely fits the bill there. There’s something so effortless about either colour, and when you put them together, they become instantly more interesting, without being any less easy to style. These Dolce & Gabbana sandals, for instance, rely on a thick, black and white stripe to make them stand out: the shape itself is pretty (and would look lovely in a selection of pastels, too), but it’s the bold, monochrome print that’s doing all the work here, and that’s what made these leap out of the page as I scrolled through Net-a-Porter.
dress / earrings / sunglasses / watch / bangle / phone case
Although the shoes will work with most colours, I’ve stuck to my black and white theme here, with just a splash of red as an accent. This is basically a reversal of my usual “black/white outfit with red shoes” outfits – yes, it’s formulaic, but it’s a formula that works for me, and I’m a great believer in finding your “signature” style and enjoying it.
This dress is from Coast, and is starting to sell out in some sizes, so apologies if yours isn’t available. I only checked the Coast website itself, but I know the brand is also sold at department stores like Debenhams, so they could be worth a look, too!