Black and White is Fine, But in London and Paris, Everyone With Taste Knows These Colors Look Better Together

By Swedan MargenNovember 20, 2025

Black-and-white outfits are always going to look elegant and well-crafted. The color combination didn't rise to the top of fashion's favor for no reason. Simply put, it works—period. But that by no means should hinder you from testing out other pairings. In fact, if you ask me, there are plenty of differing shade partners that look better together than black and white. This winter, in particular, two chiccolor combinations are popping up on chic women in Paris and London, and trust me, you're going to want to add them both to your cold-weather rotation immediately.

What makes these two mixtures feel so fresh in 2025 is the way they both break traditional fashion rules by leveraging clashing. Clashing used to be one of the industry's biggest styling no-nos, but the tides have turned in its favor, with everyone starting to realize that unexpected shade pairings can actually make for the most elegant of outfits. Don't believe me? Keep scrolling, I'm more than ready to prove it to you once and for all.

Navy and Black Outfits

Sylvie Mus wearing a V-neck black sweater, navy-blue silk slip skirt, and brown suede mules.

@nlmarilyn wearing a navy-blue cropped trench coat with black jeans, black loafers, and a black The Row Margaux bag.

The first and perhaps more easily introducible winter color combination for 2025 is navy and black. In the 2000s, for some reason, everyone had a problem with wearing navy and black together, but the two neutrals actually pair very well together. Though similar in some lights, when you get a closer look, they consistently add dimension to outfits, especially when you also incorporate different materials, like silk, suede, and leather. Born and bred Londoner, Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks, recently styled a navy-blue cropped trench with black jeans, a black The Row Margaux bag, and patent-leather black flats, with the mix of shine, soft leather, and denim adding interest and intention to her laid-back outfit. Paris-based Sylvie Mus used silk to do that, wearing a black oversized knit with a navy-blue slip skirt. She also wore brown suede mules, adding another layer of clashing to the elevated ensemble.

Shop the chic winter color combination:

Topshop

Boxy Faux Leather Bomber Jacket

COS

Corduroy Straight-Leg Pants

Nordstrom

V-Neck Cashmere Sweater

Bottega Veneta

Andiamo in Nocturnal

h&m

Harper High Rise Wide Leg Jeans

Madewell

The '90s V-Neck Baby Tee in Compact Cotton

J.Crew

Pencil Midi Skirt With Velvet Trim in Four-Season Stretch

MANOLO BLAHNIK

Maysale 50 Buckled Suede Mules

COS

Gallery Clutch Bag - Suede

ZARA

Wool Blend Coat Zw Collection

Nordstrom

Cashmere Lined Leather Touchscreen Gloves

Brown and Chestnut Outfits

@nlmarilyn wearing a brown V-neck sweater, chestnut brown pants, black loafers, and a brown Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag.

Sylvie Mus wearing a chestnut brown coat with a chocolate brown scarf and kisslock bag.

A lesser-known pairing arrives in the form of chocolate brown and chestnut brown, two shades I personally have never thought to put together. After seeing it done on Nwawulor-Kazemaks and Mus, though, consider me convinced to give it a try. The former chose to work the two colors together with a V-neck dark-brown sweater, a matching Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag (in the color Fondant), and ruched loafers. Chestnut's role was played solely by a pair of slouchy, pleated trousers. Mus, on the other hand, let chestnut be the star, donning a long, tailored wool coat in the color, while chocolate-brown was used for accessories, including a rib-knit scarf and vintage kisslock bag.

Shop the chic winter color combination: