Ask the Stylist – Which Tights and Flats Go Best with Dark Brown Skirt

Question: Tights

I am 57. I have a dark brown skirt that I would like to wear tights and flat with. Do the tights and flats have to both be brown? I also have a pair of brown suede boots with fur on top. Can I wear that with the brown skirt and brown tights. The skirt comes to the knee and has some flair to it. The top I would wear is a burgundy gold soft print. ~ Barbara

Wearing a knee-length dark brown flared skirt paired with a burgundy with gold prints top is quite heavy. Dark brown is a very solid base color and when combined with burgundy, which looks like a deep rich wine, creates a too-much-darkness-in-it kind of look. You don´t want to put off others by being too matchy and too dull – adding brown tights and brown flats to the look – so you´d need to create balance by adding complementary bright colors. Fret not, vibrant colors aren´t bias and they know no age.

Orange and Green

Looking at my color wheel I found that shades of orange and green are the complementary colors to dark brown and burgundy. Since your burgundy top has gold prints in it, you can wear gold tights to match the print and slip into orange flats for a blend. A rich, lily grass-green mini bag is a great accent to the look. Alternatively, you can wear nude tights with gold or yellow-orange flats, accessorized with an absinthe green clutch.

Suede Boots with Fur

You can wear your suede boots with fur on top to go with your brown skirt too, but instead of brown tights, I suggest going for white tights. It will create a good contrast as the eye transition from your skirt to the boots. Depending on the size of gold prints on your burgundy top, you can add an orange scarf – small or long – to spice up the look. Again, carry a gorgeous green bag.

However, if you feel like pulling off vibrant colors is too much, you can opt for a monochromatic look instead. Darker and light shades of brown and burgundy, and combine them for a rich yet understated look. Pull them together with a gray suit.

I hope this helps.