Transitional Black & White

Black and white comes in many wonderful forms. Franz Kline paintings. Zebra print. Oreos. I've always loved black and white--and every season the color combination finds its way into my collection. It's seasonless, it's crisp and anyone can wear it. Many of the worlds chicest women have worn black and white to great effect. The legendarily well-dressed Lynn Wyatt wore so much she was nicknamed 'Lynn Black and Wyatt' by her friend Bill Blass. Or was it Oscar? Anyway you get the idea.
As we wave goodbye to Summer's bright palette and enter into this transitional season--too hot for your chunky cashmere but too cold for your open toe sandal--black and white is the perfect color combo to take you straight into fall. Here's how you can do it too!





Black and white doesn't have to be super graphic. Not everyone wants to look like a Marcel Marceau. This Fall look is actually a wool blend herringbone with black Chantilly lace bonded on top. A perfectly versatile coat that works with a matching skirt (as shown here) for the cooler months or with white slim pants and a kitten heel for right now!





Of course for evening there is nothing more chic than crystalline white with a dash of black. All you need for this dress is a metallic clutch and strappy black heels. Inspiration? Truman Capote's legendary Black and White Ball.





This Resort 12 look is one of my favorite ways to do black and white as a print. It's a bamboo print that's both delicate and graphic. It almost has a lace-like pattern--and the solid white and black areas of color give the eye a place to rest. Wear this with your black or white slim pants and a bright colored shoe!





This was my favorite dress from my Spring 12 collection -- white guipire lace with a black underlay and a black beaded neckline. You can wear this to a wedding without upstaging the bride or you can wear it to a cocktail party and work your best Holly Golightly moment. Wear it with a fun colored heel or take it into fall with black tights and black booties. Zip it up and go, how easy is that?

Now excuse me while I dig into my Oreos.....