Wearing the grey trend: 11 Style Panel tips for adding some personality to fall’s favourite neutral
Grey hasn’t always been our favourite neutral. With a connotation that’s more “mid-winter sky” than “exciting wardrobe staple,” it has taken a back seat for the past few seasons. That all changed for Fall 2013, when designers from Paris to New York re-imagined the grey trend in various exciting ways.
On the runways, Alexander Wang made us re-discover grey by using its full spectrum in head to toe looks. Muted gunmetal coats were lined with cooler tones while cloudy cashmere snoods and fuzzy gloves accessorized misty furs fused with contrasting dark leathers. Stella McCartney showed tone on tone grey pinstripes on boxy sweaters, midi skirts and oversized coats. Dolce & Gabbana made grey sexy, by showing one reinvented power suit after the next in a warm version of the hue. Meanwhile on home soil, Mikhael D (formerly Pavoni) designer Mikael Derderian worked layers of tulle resembling an overcast sky into his decadent creations while Lucian Matis revealed structured pieces in a murky grey neoprene.
In kind, our Style Panel is going beyond oversized mens coat to collecting pieces that we’ve playfully mixed with textures, patterns and tones to punch up the colour. Showing us how to liven up muted grey palettes is Jillian Lansky of The August Diaries who takes a plunge to turtleneck territory and creates a flattering shape by tucking her oversized sweater into a leather pencil skirt. With a fitting cameo from her grey kitten named Monkey, Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog feeds her need for colour by adding a cobalt blue to contrast the greys in her fur coat and dress pants. Lyndsey Forest of Over My Styled Body proves how perfect the once overlooked hue is in letting all your favourite accessories shine.
Question 81: Tis the season of grey. From the sky to the runway, it’s everywhere. How do you punch it up? Read the answers now! »
ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER | BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | IVA GRBESIC, TORONTO | JILL LANSKY, VANCOUVER | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KIRA PARAN, EDMONTON | LYNDSEY FOREST, EDMONTON | MELANIE MORAIS, EDSON | SANDY JOE KARPETZ, EDMONTON | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON
Jillian Lansky, 26
Vancouver | The August Diaries
Grey is a staple in my wardrobe, especially as my style has matured. It compliments everything and can basically be worn with any other colour. A grey turtleneck, however, is a newer thing for me, as I’ve never actually taken the turtleneck plunge before now. A great way to modernize a classic turtleneck is with a leather pencil skirt. Create a new and flattering shape by tucking the oversized and cozy sweater into your waist.
Jillian’s wearing: Sweater, Zara. Skirt, vintage via Shoppalu. Boots, Steve Madden. Sunglasses, Ray Ban
Alex Grant, 25
Vancouver | To Vogue or Bust
While the most obvious way to punch up a heavy-on-the-grey ensemble is with a bright pop of colour, I love how a graphic black-and-white pairing can help break up the grey without detracting from its neutral quality. Stripes, a layered leather jacket and colour blocking add some modernity to an otherwise staid tweed blazer, and of course, some bling via this J.Crew necklace never hurts! The sparkle always livens up sombre grey.
Alex’s wearing: Vintage blazer, Shoppalu. Jeans, James Jeans. Top, H&M. Bag, Roots. Necklace, J.Crew. Coat, Loft 82. Leather Jacket, W118 by Walter Baker
Barbara Ann Solomon, 25
Toronto | Barbara Ann’s Style Blog
Even though, tonal grey is a huge colour trend for fall/winter 2013, I always feel the need to add some colour to an outfit. Dressed in grey—head-to-toe—a look can be effortless, styled easily by playing with contrasting textures and sizes. For my take on this popular colour, I’m wearing a oversized menswear-styled dress pant and faux fur vest over a finely knit colour-blocked turtleneck. Adding a strong cobalt blue and some colourful earrings to the outfit to keep the outfit playful and bold. My favourite grey accessory is clearly my kitten, Monkey, but a close second would be that amazing metallic cuff, that can easily add a lot of glam to any look.
Barabara Ann’s wearing: Vest, Kristen Blake. Turtleneck, Zara. Trouser, Gap. Cuff, ASOS. Yellow and Pearl bracelet, Nektar Destagni. Earrings, Erickson Beamon
Vickie Laliotis, 28
Edmonton | Adventures in Fashion
Grey is a powerful neutral that you can build an impactful, print-heavy look around or just wear on it’s own for a sophisticated, chic look. When it comes to punching up the hue for winter, I’m a fan of combining layers of grey with amped-up animal prints for visual interest. Here, a faux leopard coat from Zara gets toned down with the help of this Helmut Helmut Lang sweatshirt — another trend I can’t get enough of lately! — and knit beanie. The end result is casual yet put-together, and warm enough to brave the elements in.
Vickie’s wearing: Coat and Knit Beanie, Zara. Sweatshirt, Helmut Helmut Lang. Faux Leather Leggins, Wilfred. Booties, ShoeMint. Necklace, T&J Designs
Sandy Joe Karpetz, 25
Edmonton | The Pretty Secrets
I like to make the colour grey interesting by picking pieces that are unusual such as this jacket with bizarro triangular button plackets. In addition to weird design details, I love pairing grey with a pop of bright pink.
Sandy Joe’s wearing: Hat, Jacket and Sunglasses, Jeans, Tripp NYC. Gloves, Club Monaco. Boots, Sorel
Lyndsey Forest, 23
Edmonton | Over My Styled Body
Grey has gotten a bad rap over the years for being drab and boring. When in reality, it lends itself as the perfect palette for playful colours, textures, and prints! The best thing about grey is that you can really let your accessories do all the talking. And who doesn’t love some fun accessories!? One of my favourite combos for the holidays is mixing metallics, sequins, and a pop of colour for good measure!
Lyndsey’s wearing: Dress and Belt, J.Crew. Clutch, Urban Outfitters. Heels, Cavallini via Winners
Kayla Short, 26
Halifax | Short Presents
The intermediate between black and white, Gray (and not just its 50 Shades) is kind of having a moment right now. With everything from oversized menswear inspired coats to full on fur looks, and dresses this shade is super hot right now. Dull and nondescript, the soft hue is less aggressive than it’s rivals black and navy, and basically goes with anything. I love pairing this somewhat dismal shade with bright pops of color like this red and pink combo to create a refreshing twist on traditional winter wear.
Kayla’s wearing: Coat, Jacob. Trousers, c/o Zara. Jumper, Old Navy. Necklace, Sears. Ralph Lauren Gloves via Winners. Earrings, Short Presents Etsy Shoppe
Melanie Morais, 25
Edson, AB | BornLippy
I’ve always had a thing for grey. It’s one of those colours that has tons of shades (50 shades? ha-ha) to suit anyone. Since I don’t have a grey coat (rarity I swear) I decided to go with the colour pretty much everywhere else. I wanted to mix up the shades and textures to make one monochromatic look. I think the mix with the cranberry coloured coat gives the grey the much-needed life it needs! Mixing greys with more bolder colours is what I’d go with this season.
Melanie’s wearing: Blanket Coat, Old Navy. Sweater, Gap. Pants, Forever 21. Boots, Jeffrey Campbell. Hat, Urban Outfitters
Iva Grbesic, 37
Toronto | Falling In Style
Grey is my favourite neutral this season. While I love tonal dressing it can be a bit boring if there is nothing to break up all the grey. For this challenge I decided to pair grey knits in different weights and textures and style it for the office. With the holidays fast approaching you can have fun and break up all the grey with a great bejewelled white button down.
Iva’s wearing: Skirt, Joe Fresh. Blouse, Ann Taylor. Cardigan, Target. Necklace, Ann Taylor. Belt, Talbots. Shoes, Jimmy Choo. Handbag, Coach
Kira Paran, 29
Edmonton | Northern Style
I’m a grey girl, whenever I’m shopping if there’s a grey option I’m most likely going for it. This neutral trend is so easy to incorporate but can border on the lines of boring for some. To punch it up a notch, I love to add flashes of metallic and a print. By opting for this geometric infinity scarf I easily complimented the modern silhouette of my grey coat and added some visual interested to this monochromatic look. The metallic coated jeans and bag amplified the glam but stayed on the neutral theme. If you are feeling washed out in a neutral palette the shine of a metallic can come to the rescue! Why not try it next time you are feeling grey?
Kira’s wearing: Coat. Denis Gagnon. Scarf, Twill and Print. Metallic Denim, James Jeans. Bag, Foley and Corinna. Glasses, Super. Boot, J.Crew
