Forever Chic

What better way to get dressed chicly, quickly, than by wearing black and white? In the words of Coco Chanel: "Women think of all colours, except the absence of colour. Black has it all. White, too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." 

As Karl Lagerfeld once said, "black and white always looks modern, whatever that word means." The perfection of a high contrast look is hard to put into words, but we know chic when we see it. Wearing black and white head-to-toe has become a style standard, as our PARAISO MIAMI BEACH editor's acknowledge it's the easiest formula for a put-together look. Whether it's a white dress with black accessories, or a white blouse paired with this season's must-have noir trouser or graphic stripes, it's hard to mess up this timeless color combination. You don't have to spend time worrying about what accessories will coordinate since black and white goes with everything from a crimson pout to a leopard-print sandal.

The best part about black and white is that it’s just so easy to put together as long as you resist that urge to add colour, then it can head off in a different direction entirely, one we can’t insure against. For those who like pattern, there’s plenty of zebra print, checks and stripes on the high street to play with if you fancy more of a challenge. With fast fashion under ever more scrutiny in these changing times, those black and white buys are sure to last the test of time. Maybe that’s one of the reasons it’s become the non-colour combo of the season.