The sea of black and white with the various shades in between also carries over to vehicles and inside houses. Currently looking for a smaller vehicle and am finding while there may be reds and blues even those shades are muted. Then there are the all white and all black kitchens.

I am currently wanting to get rid of the stuff I have been wearing and purchase other things but am finding even the colors have been what I call grayed. No pure tones of anything. Unless you want pink which is not something I wear even the clothing that should be on the racks for the Easter season are muted or prints mixed with black.

When it comes to vehicles...first choice white. LOVE black but would never buy a black car again. 2nd choice a dark gray. Red, blue, green car....never LOL

I've always struggled with this black and white clothing thing...but it really hit me when I was looking for a flannel for ax throwing...we do family game night once a month and ax throwing was this month...I was trying to find a flannel with color...and I wanted a red and black one but couldn't find my size...of course there was a black and white one and when I tried it on I realized it even matched my hair...I have dark hair with my grey mostly around my hair line...I sorta chuckled to myself shaking my head. I think I need to find a great red lipstick to stand out from all my black and white!!!

Like many women, I have a lot of black in my wardrobe, but I also love color and prints and wear both. You can incorporate color into your wardrobe while sticking to blacks by buying colorful tops, blazers or light jackets to wear with black pants, jeans or skirts. Accessories such as shoes, belts, scarves or jewelry can add a pop of color to a black outfit as well. My favorite colors to pair with black are red, pink, lime green, yellow, royal blue and teal.

Edit to add that today I am wearing black jeans, a black t-shirt and a teal green and black plaid flannel shirt worn open like a jacket. I have it tied at the waist because the shirt has long tails. The plaid shirt is giving me the pop of color I mentioned above.

Stop, just stop. You have found something that works for you. It's you! My youngest is very much like you, although hers would be gray and black. Friends actually give her gray birthday cards! It is her signature look.

Every now and again she will throw in a plaid, or a beige, but for the most part it is the grays and blacks.

I happen to have a colorful wardrobe, although my preference would be white, ivory and beige. You can't have too many white tops or sweaters is my motto.

If you really want to get out of your comfort zone than buy a few colors. I would try gray, lilac, dusty rose/pink for starters. Not everyone is a red, green, yellow person. But, maybe you are!

In that case start with reds, oranges etc.

I agree that certain colors fade into the background and aren't as noticed as a bright color, which as you say means that you need less clothing in your wardrobe.

I'm right there alongside you. I have lots of black in pants, skirts, jeans, jackets. My white though is off white, goes better with my skin ;0) I do have color for tops, very few prints these days. I worked for a long time in 'outfits'. A closet bulging with suits, pants suits, blouses that went with one or two things, accessories.

I simplified. Then, really simplified when I was no longer going out to the office every day. With black jeans, good fitting black pants, a black skirt in a couple of lengths, I'm good for just about anything but formal. Formal rarely comes up any more.

Where I didn't have the right clothes for a party recently was a birthday party where we were encouraged to wear camouflage. Sorry, had none at all (if I do happen to be in the woods during hunting season, I want to be highly visible and not shot at!) and didn't ask in time to borrow something. I wore black ;0)

I do want something pretty and striking for a wedding coming up in April and so far no luck. The wedding will be at a ranch type venue but not really western. I don't want ruffly or frilly, cold shoulder or a shark bite hem. I just want a pretty dress and would like to look like a stylish aunt.

I have absolutely refused to fall into the all black and white look. I don;t own a black coat, I don;t own a black purse nor do I own a black or a white top. I own one pair of black pants and one black skirt. I don't own a black dress. My running tights are either colourful or have a geometric design on them.

It doesn't take any effort or imagination to dress in black and white. JMO and I know many disagree.

Try buying a pair of fuschia loafers, red boots, that sort of thing. Get a bunch of nice scarves.

I tried to break out of my black and white rut last year. Most of those clothes are unworn. What does work are the camel/gold, navy and grey items I bought.

Also, baby blue looks fabulous with black. Think of a baby blue oxford shirt or chambray under a black merino wool sweater.

blfenton: OMG reading your post I laughed to myself because I'd be naked with no purse, phone and phone case, checkbook cover and cold...most my jackets are black. Only this year I broke out of my black wallet habit and bought myself a gold toned wallet. I did buy some tan color boots that were really cute but I will admit I went online looking to see if I could find them in black!!

I wrote a long comment with some photos, but somehow it did not show up. This time I will just include photos and try to edit it later:

I've noticed that people dress more colorfully in Los Angeles than they do in New York, and so it may have something to do with geography.

Lars, that's stunning. But I'm afraid I couldn't succeed with the hair at (ahem) my age.

I'm blissfully drowning in a sea of pink. It works on me. I do have a few crimson red Alabama shirts. (ROLL TIDE!)

Black and white is classic and elegant. Nothing wrong with that. You can add a small pop of color via a scarf or purse or shoes. But only if you want to.

Lars, you're the coolest EVER! Not many can pull it off but you do so easily. ;)

Ooops, got so caught up on Lars' coolness that I forgot to add my two cents to OP. Stay with what you feel comfortable in. Add some color with accessories and see how that works for you before moving on. Oh, and black+white+one other color, usually navy+colorful accessories are my go to for travel. Makes it SO easy!

Lars, in the one photo with the chiffon shirt, you could pass for Steve Martin’s twin. Well, in the last one too. Cool dude!

I tend to have a lot of black and gray plus some white or ivory in my wardrobe as well. It was really blah when I worked but it was easy for travel. I have tried to mix in a lot of blues, reds, pinks, pale lavender, and whatever else I can since retiring and it’s more fun.

Lars, you look so handsome!

I'm nearly 60 with blue and teal hair and it's staying that way for the foreseeable future :-)

Who cares if anyone notices that you're wearing the same clothes? Don't you think they think that anyway, since you're always in the same colour?

Most of my pants are black or navy, but almost all my tops are colourful. Black is so ageing IMO. My DD avoids colour for some reason which I think is a shame because there are some colours that would be stunning on her. I was invited to her hen party, which had a theme of black and white. I had to go out and buy something.

Wow, Lars, looking great! I don’t have much white in my wardrobe. My usual are Jeans and a dark blue, medium blue or teal shirt. Seems to work best with the light blonde hair and blue eyes. But I am not going out much. I got rid of the crazy prints, but still have a few fun ones. Like tiny penguins and such on a button down shirt.

Black and white are my colors! My closet is full of them...always is a classic and looks fresh and neat.

My winter closet is filled with black/brown/gray, with the occasional tan/taupe sweater. I add color with scarves. I own a lot of Hermes scarves. Yes, they are expensive, but can be picked up used on eBay for far less and they are usually in mint condition. Hermes collectors tend to go a bit overboard and suddenly realize that they own 100 scarves! That is how I add color.

I do wear lots of color in the summer, but I do not work, and have a tan all summer, so the color looks good. It's always white pants, colorful top for me in summer.

I do like orange and red shoes with my neutral winter clothes. A colorful handbag is nice, too.

For those with no black in their closet, I am assuming you have grays and navy's for wakes and funerals?

Yes, I have appropriate funeral attire. But more and more funeral notices these days request "please wear colourful attire".

I just think (apart from being ageing) black and white is more "waitstaff" or "uniform".

do u look better in cool/jewel tones or warm tones. figure that out and then go from there to add color. all colors don't look good on everyone.

start slow with a shirt and then add from there. as said above, accessories are your friend for color!!

For funerals I have one black skirt and the top that I choose to wear with it will be something that reminds me of the person who has passed away. What others think doesn't concern me. I;m there to pay my respects to my friend/relative.

I wish I could wear white and cream, but alas, my complexion doesn't allow it. Color for me, in the jewel tones.

I always felt that I looked best in solid blocks of color (not prints, and I like very few prints anyway) and black was a major block. But, I always liked to wear a solid color shirt under the black jacket or sweater or a colored necklace or scarf. Bright blue, sky blue, and cherry red are my go-to colors, because they look best with my complexion.

Lately I'm softening the black a little more towards black-navy or black-grey, as my complexion is fading also and the severe contrast doesn't quite work anymore (same with my hair -- my natural nearly black just isn't flattering anymore)

I look better in colors. My uniform is jeans and a colorful top. Once in a while I wear a Steve Jobs outfit--blue jeans and black turtleneck.

Wondering if those on here that do the monotone black and white are still working or if they are retired. Few or the retired people in this area do I ever see wearing black even to funerals.

"Yes, I have appropriate funeral attire. But more and more funeral notices these days request "please wear colourful attire".

I just think (apart from being ageing) black and white is more "waitstaff" or "uniform"."

I agree with Colleenoz 100% ! ! The last funeral I attended was for one of my best friends, who passed at age 98. There was little to no black or other somber colors in the congregation, her family and closest friends wore some shade of purple, because that was her favorite color. The only black or dark color at my husbands funeral were some of the men's suits.

"What others think doesn't concern me. I;m there to pay my respects to my friend/relative."

Again. I'm in 100% agreement!

Black and white, or just black, can be very dramatic, striking, neat, etc., if you can pull it off, have the right body, the right coloring, etc. I don't. Plus, I just plain don't like it!

Rusty

Interesting. So far all the funerals and wakes for us have been with somber attire. No notice to wear bright colors.

I wear a lot of black (navy if I can find it). I am one of those who does not fit into the warm/cool shades - the colour either suits me or it doesn't and most colours don't. Most of the white is from our double-coated white super-shedding dog...I can look quite the mess.

I do not go to funerals, as a rule. However, I broke that rule when my boss passed suddenly a couple years ago. I did feel obligated to go. Knowing her personality and her affinity for the ridiculous(similar to my own) I wore black pants, and a bright turquoise shirt with a monkey on it. Her favorite color was turquoise and she collected monkeys like a madwoman. When I walked into the funeral home and her daughter saw me, she burst into laughter, then tears, then came and gave me a hug and thanked me for wearing it. Sure I looked a little silly (like I care) But the funeral was for her and if she could see me (and maybe she could, who knows?) she would have laughed.