I don’t know about you, friends, but taupe is not a color I typically default to when it comes to clothing. I think in my head it feels too much like the chinos I used to sport in high school (why, yes, I will take two layered Polo shirts up top, thankyouverymuch) or too…early ’00s Gap ad? Whatever it was, I haven’t owned much clothing in the taupe/tan/khaki category in…years. Maybe an oatmeal sweater here or there, yeah — but even when I bought my fave trench last year (pictured below), I chose a khaki that trended more sage than camel.

Then, when I was putting together that post on sweaters last month, I threw this leather skirt into my cart sheerly for giggles — I was curious what the quality would be like on a leather skirt priced (on sale) for under $30 — and started styling it up with very — and I cannot emphasize this enough — VERY low expectations.

Clearly, I was pleasantly surprised.

But wait. Maybe I should I clarify. Was I surprised by the skirt? In short: yes. The quality surpassed what I was expecting for a genuine leather piece at that price point. Even at the full price of $80, it seems a worthy investment — relatively timeless in style, something I would have in my closet for a good, long while.

The longer story is that buying MANGO pieces through Macy’s…could be a little more seamless. I mean, it’s not terrible, not by a long shot. The prices are SUPERB (they’re almost always on sale) and so many of the styles continue to catch my eye, but every piece ships straight from the vendor, which means you can’t choose from Macy’s usual menu of expedited shipping options. (A solution would perhaps be to shop MANGO pieces directly from MANGO. Just for kicks, I perused their site, too, and made sure to add a few of my favorite picks to the shoppers, below. For what it’s worth, they offer free shipping for orders over $49, and free returns via the USPS, too.)

Taupe Outfit Aesthetic — 2 Ways To Wear This Light Neutral Color

THAT SAID. As much as I love the skirt (and styled it up two ways here, accordingly) — I think I actually love the idea of reintroducing this neutral hue to my wardrobe just as much. And I think there are two key elements that keep taupe from feeling too…school uniform-y:

1. The fabric. Choose something in a luxe or more texturally interesting fabric (leather, lace, silk, velvet, knit, etc.,) AND/OR
2. The details. Something with dramatic volume, a slinky silhouette, an interesting hemline, or — like this skirt — maybe a bit of hardware. You get the gist.

Shop Interesting Neutral Skirts

Beyond that, there are plenty of modern ways to style pieces in this hue, but using the skirt as my example, here are my two favorites.

Skirt (more sizes here — TTS) // Sweater (TTS)
Leather Jacket (runs small — Order 1 to 2 sizes up)
Booties (TTS — SO comfortable) // Clutch // Earrings (still one of the best deals ever)

1) Monochromatic Taupe + Edgy Black Accents

An easy-to-wear combo that makes the most of closet essentials, all of which offer something a little above and beyond your basic black — a tough(ish) leather jacket (really getting my monies’ worth outta this ALLSAINTS Bales style, which makes it onto my body at least three times a week), western booties, and a little clutch with subtle zippered hardware. Which, by the way, I’m really loving — it’s slightly oversized, so actually large enough to hold a small wallet, phone, keys, lipgloss and sunnies.

Shop (Somewhat) Edgy Black Accents

Skirt (on sale! more sizes here — TTS) // Chambray Shirt (similar here, here or here)
Trench (TTS, meant to fit oversized) // Backpack (similar)
Booties (TTS — on sale!) // Earrings (still one of the best deals ever)

2) Taupe + Chambray & Complementing Neutrals

This is admittedly still leaning a little bit toward Camp Monochrome, but what I love most about it is how the chambray shirt grounds the whole thing, making it feel both effortless and breezy, and structured and chic. If this looks familiar, it’s because I styled up almost the exact same outfit with a black pencil skirt in my last post. (Clearly having a moment with this shirt/trench combo, because I’m itching to put them together with a pair of dark denim high-rise flares, too.) And I think this combo would work just as well with the tops/bottoms reversed: picture a pair of easy, cropped chambray trousers with a silky taupe blouse (<– that one is spendy, but SO gorgeous). If that’s not chic, I don’t know what is.

Shop My Fave Chambray Tops, Pants & Dresses

Shop More Fave Light-Colored Neutrals

I’m packing for Vegas as we speak, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be bringing both this skirt and the black skirt from my last post, just because, if not Vegas, when, right? Although, now that I’ve played with them both a considerable amount, I have a feeling I’ll be finding excuses to wear both all spring.

Cheers, friends!
Em

Guys! Follow me on Instagram for more peeks into our life on the Northern California coast. And if you feel so inclined, pop over to my personal food + lifestyle blog, The Pig & Quill, where I share salty scribblings from my kitchen and home life. Byeeeeee!

Photos by Carolyn Stockman.