What do you wear with black trousers?

[PetiteMum]

I have bought a pair for work which I adore, but all my tops look cheap with them! Probably because they are colourful and I normally go for beige or brown trousers.... Hmmmmmmm. I am stuck!

[thenightsky]

black trousers go with everything! I am in serious danger of wearing them every day for work in winter.

[Hevian]

Wear anything but white with them (unless you want the "waitress" look)

[Catslikehats]

No black trousers go with very little unless you want to look a) cheap or b) like a waitress.

Normally I'd say avoid like the plague but since you've bought them and love them the I would follow the monochrome look and acessorise heavily.

[PetiteMum]

Queenofdenial, thanks! U see this is exactly how I feel- waitressy or cheap! Hmmmm maybe monochrome is the way forward, but so depressing! Darn it, why do they fit so well!

[ameliagrey]

The only thing that goes with black trousers is black, grey or possibly camel shades.Iif you wear pastels or brights it looks cheap.

A nice cashmere cardi in grey or camel would look classy, or a V neck jumper with a white shirt underneath.

[Gillybobs]

I'd say silver grey or camel colours work best for me with black trousers. Go for luxe fabrics and you'll be fine

[PetiteMum]

Ah, never thought of camel! Thx!

[TrillianAstra]

Why would black make colours look cheap?

Is this just one of those strange myths?

Things not to wear with black:
anything off-black (v dark grey or navy or washed-out black)
plain white tops (waitress)

[ameliagrey]

no it's not a myth- you either "get it" or you don't.

Black "kills" colours- you get a stark contrast but it's not really a good colour combination.

For instance, if you wear bright turquoise or pink tops with black, the colours really don't do anything- whereas if you wear soft turquoise with pale grey trousers it looks softer and more classy. or pink goes with cocoa brown quite nicely sometimes.

[HoneyPablo]

But I like that contrast between the black and the colour. I don't like 'soft' colours.

[ameliagrey]

well it's a personal choice!

IMO a contrast looks cheap.

[ameliagrey]

oh- and unimaginative- like "These are black and anything will go with them".
Wrong!

[TrillianAstra]

Why is wearing black trousers any more unimaginative than wearing grey trousers?

[HoneyPablo]

I don't like grey, it's boring, as is brown.

[Catslikehats]

Black ruins colours.

It is also very hard to avoid the "I work in admin and shop in next" look in black trousers, which in my opinion is marginally worse than the waitress look.

Part of the problem is the vast majority of black tousers worn by woman in the UK look (and probably are) cheap. Black, machine washable bootlegs with a little streeeetch don't so anyone any favours.

If you start with a decent wool mix, fitted pair then you are one step ahead.

White tops don't have to look waitressy - a number of fashion eds swear by the black trouser white top combo. So a thick white tight t with lots of beads would work; or a white silk blouse with a pussy bow neck and killer heals; a white shirt with a fitted black cashmere cardi belted at the waist; a good quality white vest and lots of bracelets when teamed with pumps, would all be good looks.

I will also concede that shades of grey/silver and camel/tan can also work.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

What about something nice a chiffon? Or a funky pattern? I think a contrast of fabric would be a good idea. Shiny top probably wouldn't work.

[ameliagrey]

Polyester black trousers simply say you don't care and gran whatever comes to hand in the shop.

I don't go along with everything Trinny and Susan. say but in one of their books there is a big section on colour and they show very well why black and colours don't mix ( and I believed it long befoe I read it).

Admittedly I spent much of my 20s-30s in black trousers with pastel ( pink often) tops then one day I had a Eureka moment.

Grey is much more sophisticated- again, you either "see this" or you don't.

[TrillianAstra]

Ahhhh, so you are assuming a polyester item from the "workwear" section of Asda when you think of black trousers.

I am thinking of trousers-that-are-black.

[HoneyPablo]

I was thinking more of my black skinny jeans, which I do tend to wear a lot of the time.

[Catslikehats]

Not necessarily from Asda

But ill fitting, slightly shiney, definitely boot legged, (probably worn with mum boots and certainly with the "tailored" crease in the front long since washed out), worn in the belief that they make the wearer look thin ner (they don't)

Skinny jeans are a different prospect altogether.

[peeriebear]

I wear black trousers with my stripy black and white v-neck skinny jumper. I feel very Hepburn (despite size 14 arse and G cup boobs!)

[HoneyPablo]

I have to wear those £5 shiny polyester trousers for work, as they are part of the uniform. I wouldn't be seen dead wearing them out of work.

[MrsSeanBean]

I find trousers (of any colour actually, but admit black is tricky) difficult. My tip is to think <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=wjxu.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/coco1.jpg&imgrefurl=wjxu.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/words-from-coco-chanel/&usg=__7oaDusa4Tu0QDZjKEo9o8qcERgI=&h=400&w=294&sz=60&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Weykl9HX8MPdbM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=104&ei=jAEjTovIAoqx8QPAls2bAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcoco%2Bchanel%2Btrousers%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26biw%3D1062%26bih%3D587%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=671&vpy=61&dur=615&hovh=262&hovw=192&tx=124&ty=117&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Coco Chanel (wear with incousiance - and a Breton :) - rather than to look 'professional') to avoid any 'workwear at Next' worries.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

What fabric are they? Do they have a pinstripe or anything?