5 Quiet Luxury Looks Inspired By 5 Pantone Colors
Monochrome is the new black.
by The Candidly Team
We have a secret to tell you:
Color is actually the cornerstone of quiet luxury.
But because it speaks to us on a level that’s more emotional than practical, it’s hard to always know how to wear it.
Which is where monochrome comes in.
Why? Because it’s just luxe without labels.
And the best part of dressing monochrome is that people can’t even put their finger on why you look so good. They just feel it.
And so, starting with Pantone’s color of the year (Mocha Mousse!) we whipped up 5 different looks, each one inspired by a different Pantone color. There’s 2 official COLOR colors on the list, but somehow they all feel neutral.
This isn’t sponsored by Pantone but maybe it should have been! Sort of a genius collab, no?
Ok, let’s get luxe:
1. MOCHA MOUSSE
The neutral we didn’t know we needed and yet, we couldn’t love more. This shade looks good on everyone, not too deep or too pale. This could very well be our favorite brown to wear.
The Bennie Slim Crew Neck Cotton-Slub Tee by Pilcro
Before we even speak of the color, we must tell you this is a very cozy tee. The soft, slouchy fit is extremely flattering, and it’s great for balancing with sleek, expensive-looking pieces to create a good mix of chic/ casj/ comfy, which are the three most critical things to looking luxury.
Price: $38
Maeve Pinstriped Elastic-Waist Tailored Trousers
Maeve is making the best-fitting trousers of all time. We raved all about them in black HERE. But this color and pinstripe is about as quiet luxury as it gets.
Price: $148
We The Free Good Good Stripe Turtleneck
Fine, you wouldn’t wear this top with the above pants, but we had to include it, because with any other pair in your closet, it’s perfection. For some reason, nothing is chicer than a stripe. With the exception of maybe … a turtleneck.
Price: $58
2. DOVE
A cool gray is a neutral that doesn’t get treated like a star as much as it should. When you layer it, the effect is lovely and warm and calming, especially on a wintery day when you want to feel like a slightly more approachable ice queen. This particular look also pairs extremely well with an enormous and chic ceramic mug.
Abercrombie Off-The-Shoulder Boucle Maxi Sweater Dress
We have a twofold trick for wearing fitted things we love because they make us look like 6-ft-tall-model versions of ourselves but also fear, because we’re not actually 6-ft tall-model versions of ourselves, and that is to choose fabrics that smooth over curves and conceal bumps and pair it with a long, cozy outer layer that leaves us feeling cocooned in softness. See below.
Price: $110
Anrabess Open Front Knit Lightweight Cardigans
Before you ask, yes this is a dupe for that sweater. And yes, it costs 10x less and still has the prettiest fit. But if you’re committed to real cashmere, we found another dupe that’s still 3x less than the designer one that’s been living on our Pinterest. And we can barely tell them apart.
Price: $37
UGG Women's Classic Ultra Mini
Our feet feel like heaven, and the rest of us looks luxe.
Price: $150
3. BLACK BEAUTY
We know what you’re going to say. It’s just black. And yes, it is. And that’s exactly the point. Black will never cease to inspire where clothes are concerned. As Nora Ephron famously put it, “Black makes your life so much simpler. Everything matches black, especially black.”
J. Crew Tissue turtleneck
Layering is key to any monochrome look. And this tissue-thin turtleneck might be the MVP layering piece of the year (decade?).
Price: $39.50
Tronjori High-Waist, Wide Leg Palazzo Pants
Once again, proof you don’t need to spend an unspeakable sum of money to look like you spent an unspeakable sum of money on your clothes. To be fair, our favorite, favorite, all-time favorite black pants are THESE. But we wear this pair from Amazon just as often, and they are wildly flattering, especially on curves.
Price: $34
6. Adidas Samba OG Shoes
Mixing casual with formal is another key to quiet luxury. We rely on these sneaks to “make” an outfit, especially when it’s subtle and monochrome.
Price: $100
5. WINTER WHITE
We hold a special space in our hearts for clothes that blend and layer whites and creams. You can even see a whole series of looks that inspired this love HERE. There are just few things as elegant and romantic at the same time.
Maeve The Colette Cropped Wide-Leg Jeans by Maeve
We’ve written about these pants from Anthropologie being among the most flattering pants we’ve ever worn. Yes, they come in a magical material and tons of colors, but the denim version in ivory is so flattering, it’s the first time we’ve felt comfortable wearing white jeans in our adult lives.
Price: $130
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Fisherman Crewneck Sweater
Nothing chicer. Nothing softer. And it costs 3x less than that other cashmere sweater that gets advertised to us 27x a day.
Price: $100
Dr. Scholl’s Women's Time Off Lace Up Sneaker
And to dress it down just a bit, we add this little white sneak, which is basically the new and improved version of a ballet flat. Also, the comfort is on another level.
Price: $70
6. PERFECT PEAR
We’ve never gotten the apple green skirt and blouse set Gwyneth Paltrow wore in Great Expectations out of our minds. Which explains why this “perfect pear” set from Reformation made us gasp. It felt like that outfit’s equally chic, even more wearable and flattering sister. In short, our dreams were realized some 25 (yes, 25) years later. And it was worth the wait.
Vince Pearl-Button Wool-Blend Cardigan
Two words: pearl buttons.
Price: $228
Miss Selfridge satin maxi skirt in olive
A pear skirt that’s stunning on pears. And apples. And all of us.
Price: $45
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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