Women over 70 showcasing style

Navy Instead of Black: Simplistic Blue and White Outfits That Will Work For You

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If you are addicted to wearing black, then I have an option that might work just as well. How about navy instead? With this idea in mind, both my friend, Cathie, and my mom, Charlotte are showing blue and white outfits that would be easy to incorporate from your closet.

Quote of the day: “There is an eloquence in true enthusiasm that is not to be doubted.” Washington Irving

I’m not saying you shouldn’t wear black if it’s your color of choice. But who doesn’t love a little variety with their looks? I’m of the opinion that it behooves us (I just love that word “behoove”) to change it up now and again. Otherwise, we always look the same.
Besides, haven’t you noticed that when you do try something new, you tend to get more compliments? And while life isn’t all about compliments, it sure feels wonderful to get them.

So I thought I would experiment with showcasing outfits wearing navy blue and see what strikes your fancy. I’m starting with blue and white outfits and am honored that my friend, Cathie (found on Instagram here) was game to join us.

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Navy blue and White Outfit Examples
Cathie–Navy blue dress with snakeskin booties
Charlotte–Navy blue skirt with the classic white blouse, but then add in a bright color
Navy and Black can be found here
Navy with 5 options styled here.

Navy blue instead of black

Dress: Old Navy-thrifted~~Boots: Target ~~ Necklace: Amazon

Simplistic Navy Dress Outfit

I always think that wearing a dress makes life a tad less complicated because you don’t have to figure out if the top goes with the bottoms. Granted, you can still add pieces to it, but as everyone says, “it’s one and done.”

So for those of you who don’t love the struggles with putting together outfits, I’m going to suggest that you try some casual dresses. I know life has gotten increasingly more casual over the years, but there are casual dresses you can find that will be perfect.

Cathie is wearing a navy tunic style dress with a small hi-low hem and buttons up the front. Since this day was still warm, she didn’t need any tights but added her snakeskin booties to give off a fall vibe.
These snakeskin booties add a wonderful print to the solid-colored dress and the white areas lighten up the look.

Insider tip: Just because you grew up thinking dresses were dressy and you had to wear heels with them, that isn’t the case anymore. Casual dresses should be thought of as a pair of jeans. Wear them with booties, sneakers, and even combat boots. Anything goes because it’s called personal style for a reason. It’s personal!

I also love that Cathie wore a necklace to peek out of the neckline of the dress. Too many times we think that if there are other decorations like buttons, that we shouldn’t add more accessories. Yet the metal necklace adds a wonderful shine that draws your focus to her beautiful smile. Don’t we all need that?

Navy blue and white outfits for fall

Skirt: New York Clothing Co. ~~Cardigan: Karen Scott ~~ Top: Worthington-thrifted ~~ Boots: Style & Co~~ Purse: Aldo

Navy Blue and White Outfits with an Extra Color

Charlotte took the theme of blue and white outfits literally by starting with a navy blue skirt and classic white button-down blouse as the base.
As someone who loves to match the colors in her clothes more often than naught, she also added in a pair of navy knee-high boots. The funny thing is my mom had a pair of navy boots in Denver, but she purged them when we moved to Arizona thinking it would be too hot for them.

Well, that’s a laugh, since we have learned that it does get cold in this neck of the woods!! Therefore she went and bought another pair of navy boots because they are so functional. More about her boots in the details below.

Now the blue skirt and white blouse could be the end result for the fall look. Yet I think it’s always lovely to add in a third color which my mom did with yellow for this example.
Even though you might consider yellow a “spring or summer” color, I think it can lighten up the darker outfits we see in the fall or winter too.

White button up blouse as a classic item

How Do You Add in a Third Color to your Blue and White Outfits?

So let’s talk about adding in a third color especially when you start with 2 solid-color pieces of clothing. The easiest way to do this is by grabbing a print “completer” piece. What is a completer piece?? It’s that extra item that really creates an outfit vs just putting on clothes.

Most stylists consider a cardigan, jacket, or vest as a completer piece. Yet you could do the same thing with a scarf or some statement jewelry too. I think of it as the extras to make the outfit look intentional instead of sloppy.

For Charlotte’s example with her navy blue and white outfit, a yellow floral cardigan was the completer piece of choice. But you can imagine how almost any color cardigan or jacket would work with the foundational base she started with.

What really makes the outfit shine is how the yellow from the cardigan is repeated with her purse and earrings. Therefore, it looks like it was planned (which it was) and is very stylish.

Yellow Accessories

Even though yellow is not your typical fall or winter accessory color, I feel like it can brighten up the darker looks we tend to see at this time of year.
Psychologically the darker days can be hard for many of us, so lighter colors seem like an easy way to try to make us feel good.

Charlotte has had these yellow earrings for years and years. I think it’s a great example of a “stud” earring that makes a statement. Many times the stud earrings are so small that they really get lost in the outfit.

Insider tip: If you take time to wear earrings, think about the fact of whether you can see them or not. If they are the same color as your hair, they won’t show at all. Remember, you can paint them as I did here, to make them a totally different color.

A purse is another fabulous way to incorporate color into your outfit. When I first started blogging, I didn’t understand how purses were part of the look. But they can be!! (In my defense, while I was working, my purse was always hidden under my desk, so I didn’t think about how it worked as part of my outfit, haha).

Yet a purse can not only add a different color, but it can also pull all of the elements together. Not that I’m saying that my mom’s navy blue and white outfit would be horrible without the yellow purse, but I just love how it’s the third yellow item.
If you don’t want the bright yellow, then a metallic gold would be fabulous too.

Knee high boots for older women

Navy Blue Skirt

I would consider a navy blue skirt just as versatile as a black skirt. Because navy blue is considered a neutral you could basically wear it to replace the black in your closet. There isn’t a color I can think of that doesn’t look great with it. And if you think that navy and black can’t be in the same outfit, we will prove you wrong about that soon.

Charlotte told me she just had to buy this skirt because of the godet inserts at the hem. These are the extra pieces of fabric that create more volume to the skirt and make it flow when you are walking. In fact, it reminds me of my navy blue skirt that I wore with emerald green (seen here).

Navy boots with navy blue skirt

Navy Knee High Boots

I realize that one reason we tend to wear pants and jeans more in the colder weather is for warmth. Yet the taller boots really can help in keeping us warm. If it was really cold, my mom would have worn tights with the outfit, yet, I’m such a fan of seeing a little bare leg between skirts and boots too if it’s weather appropriate.

Do you worry that you don’t have as long a leg line with some bare leg showing?? I call that hogwash. Who really cares if our legs look long anyways? Does that make us a better person? I think looking nice outweighs looking thin or tall any day.
In my opinion, we’ve been brainwashed for too long now with those silly fashion rules. Let’s start concentrating on having fun with our style instead of thinking there is a right or wrong way to dress.
Part of this is being more open to different styles on anyone and everyone. Less judgment equals more kindness.

Anyways, a pair of navy boots can be just as versatile as black boots. I mean just think how perfect they would look with all of your blue denim if you like to match things.

Insider tip: Charlotte’s first pair of navy boots were actually dyed. When she originally bought them, they were light grey, and so she took them to the shoe repair store and had them dyed navy. It’s a great tip for many boots. Even a darker color could be dyed in some cases.

And if you are looking to stay warmer with tall boots, make sure to wear a knee-high sock with them. Even if you are wearing tights, you can still layer a sock over the tights. This is why it’s sometimes nice to size up a half size with our winter boots.

Adding color to navy blue and white outifts

Different Shades for Your Navy Blue and White Outfits

Navy blue is just like any other color out there. You can find different shades of color ranging from a warmer hue to a cooler hue. I think it’s very evident in the close-up photo of the skirt with the boots. The skirt is a very warm and bright navy blue while the boots are more muted. They still work wonderfully together, yet if you are worried about the color near your face, you want to search for a shade that looks wonderful with your complexion.
I always say there is a shade of every color for every person. Don’t think you can’t wear a certain color.

How do you know what works with your complexion??
1-Ask a friend. It’s always best to have this checked in good lighting.
2-Have your color analyzed. Most women have had this done at one time or another. Granted the details can change over time if your hair changes color.

Insider tip: I’ve compared 2 different online color analyses in the past. While I believe in finding colors that look good on us, I don’t think we should become obsessed with the idea. In fact, I’ve blogged about ways to wear a “bad” color before.

Here are some other examples of blue and white outfits in previous posts.

Navy blue and white outfits

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

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