Black and white. Fashion’s power couple.

A classic by all means, monochrome needs no introduction to style; especially when it has evangelists like Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfield! The timeless pairing made its mark on our wardrobes long before we knew it. Take for instance, the time before the advent of colour television; how did young teenage girls ooh-and-ah at Marilyn Monroe’s style? Well, they decoded it in black and white- the beauty lying in the silhouettes, the pleats, the necklines- the features that didn’t need colour to get noticed. Chic and simple- that’s what we plasma-TV girls call it now.

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With its glory days dating back to the time of Vidal Sassoon, Op art and Twiggy, the ‘60s was mod-crazy and monochrome loving. Frill-free, the looks were sharp, minimalist, and bold with shifts, A-line dresses, and power packed suits being a chance to break the boundaries from conventional feminine-fused dressing. For men, it was a time to bring checks, stripes and geometrics to their daily roster.

With the LBD no longer being reserved for funerals, and the white dress gracing Manhattan’s aisles, black and white has given a whole new definition to style. And our numero uno reason to go monochrome- it’s sure to give you failsafe impression, especially when your RGB colours just don’t make the cut. Also, you’re most likely never to go wrong with it, unless you’re pulling a Cruela De Vil on us.

With designers going-strong with their monochrome love affair, we’ve spotted a few looks from chic to athleisure that are easy to mimic. We’ve listed down a few pointers in black and white, just so you know exactly how to wear this look. And it’s got multiple reasons on why you should harvest a black and white wardrobe!

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Chock-A-Block

Smart and sharp (so sharp), when white and black colour-block, its sartorial excellence. With the stark contrasts and unique silhouettes, this look is bold. With men being foreplayers in the monochrome cult, women are steadily adopting the androgyny of this look. And boy, do we love it. Note of self- white blazer, black shirt, white pleated trousers and wingtip pumps- Gatsby can move aside.

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Jailhouse Stripes

Bold as ever, the jailhouse stripe is a sure shot way to give style a lockdown. For whoever said stripes are boring- please, think again. While Tom Ford keeps it casual with a striped T-shirt layered under a motorcycle jacket (can’t get easier than this), women have it a little fancier with Altruzarra mixing it up with small and large scale stripes and a hint of gold. So chic!

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Athleisure

Hooray! Sports shoes out, joggers on, we finally have a reason to wear gym clothes to work: Athleisure, how we thank you! And paired with monochrome, we love you even more! Limited to black and white, with sporty stripes, raglan sleeves and a tonne load of knit, this look’s all about comfort and style with an edge. Steal your boyfriend’s sweatshirts and we promise you’ll not regret it. This hybrid look has followers like Rihanna, Kanye and FKA Twigs.

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In Print

Take your black and white prints, give it a mix and you’ll most definitely-than-not get yourself this on-trend look. It’s all about clashing the prints! Just throw them on together (artistically of course!). And for the boys, this look is catching on pretty fast, you might not want to miss out. Zebra stripes, Op art, checks, stripes… just got for it. Optical illusions are the way to hypnotise fashion critics.

And you thought black and white was boring. razz

Image credits: Style.com, Mirror, Irenebrination, Confessionsofapassionista, Fashionfreax, Stylefrizz, Ghananation