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By Hendrik Pohl

How do you stand out in a sea of black suits and black ties? You don”t have to wear white when you can simply wear even more black. Yes, you read that right. The all-black outfit is slowly making the transition from mortuaries to men’’s fashion runways, and it’’s seen as an up and coming trend. Here’’s how to navigate the all-noir path of black-on-black.

Color Challenge
As with any other case of wearing pieces in the same color, there’’s always that challenge of making each piece stand out from all the others that share its hue. This used to mean ”breaking up” the colors of the outfit with an odd piece in a starkly contrasting color. But the fashionable man should know another way to do it for black on black.

Textures can be just as effective as colors for making different pieces distinct. Although it’’s primarily a tactile aspect, texture can still be interpreted visually and so will still make for very interesting outfits. Going with different textures has been used for a few other colors in the past, but none of them have as dramatic an effect as with black.

Fun Fabrics
Getting into the whole texture discussion, though, involves stepping out of most people’’s comfort zones. Those cotton and polyester blends you usually see in stores won”t make the cut, and wearing more than one of those items will automatically make you look blah.

Start by looking into other fabrics. Linen, for example, has a natural texture to it that will look interesting regardless of color. A pair of linen pants of high enough quality can pass for semi-formal events without being too hippie. Corduroy is another fairly common item that holds an immediate visual appeal.

Fabrics and materials that have been specially treated also often have a textured effect that keeps them visually distinct. Brushed cotton, for example, can stand out even when you wear it with a tie of exactly the same color.

Same-Color Secrets
The key to making an all-black outfit work is to keep every piece distinct, which means that no two contiguous pieces on your body should be of the same shade and texture. For example, it’’s okay for your tie to look similar to your jacket lapel (or even the whole thing, in some cases), but it’’s a sin to have the jacket match the shirt.

You”ll likely end up wearing some pretty atypical items like knit ties and jersey pants, but rest assured that the look is well worth the effort. If you”re willing to take the risk and jump into the all-black pool, prepare to become the most fashionable guy on the block.

About The Author

Hendrik enjoys writing on fashion and style. He is also the founder of online neck and bowtie shop http://www.ties-necktie.com - a website that is much more than a retailer for fine mens fashion accessories.