It has been a particularly big season for color. Last year, at the Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear shows, color was everywhere. Aquamarine, chartreuse, electric blue, poppy red, and pale pink hues showed up time and time again, signaling that we could anticipate a very colorful summer ahead.

And indeed we’ve had one! Of late, my wardrobe has become stacked with aquamarine mini dresses, lime-green striped halter tops, and hot-pink sarongs. I was enjoying it all, dressing in the heat of summer like a starburst, which is not totally common for me or my style, until I was sat on a Greek ferry one morning with my chicest friend. She wore an all-black bamboo lounge suit, black leather ballet flats, and a Park Tote from The Row. I, on the other hand, was perched beside her wearing a bubblegum pink cotton pullover, a pair of orange cotton pants, a blue Balenciaga City Bag, and turquoise French tips that were a panicked holiday decision from the island nail salon. I felt like a toddler had dressed me. I felt entirely un-chic! 

Once back in New York City, I was compelled to cull my wardrobe (I haven’t actually done it yet, I haven’t had the energy). What was I doing with all of these ridiculous, trendy pieces cluttering my beautiful closet?

Auralee Men's SS27 / Launchmetrics
Chloé SS26 / Launchmetrics

This compulsion to become austere and mysterious through a tightly edited wardrobe hits me every few years. I start to become bored with the idea of being pared back and elegant and start to run through seasons of color and texture—all, I'll add, within the realm of the silhouettes I felt most “me” in; I don’t get down with micro trends often—until I run directly into the wall of dark-hued sophistication and want to throw it all out and start again. Some days, weeks, months, it’s The Row head-to-toe, others it’s Carrie Bradshaw circa season 3 (fabulous? Very much! Chic? Less so). 

There are plenty of designers who changed how we see and approach the color black in fashion. Chiefly Gabrielle Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin and her successor, Alber Elbaz, Ann Demeulemeester and more contemporary designers like Rick Owens. These names alone helped create a dialogue around the way the eternally versatile shade became synonymous with elegance and sophistication. Now, in the contemporary fashion landscape, dark hues are how plenty of fashion people get dressed in a way that is both practical and signals that they indeed take themselves seriously enough to get the job done. Who has time to clash prints when there are collections to design, shows and shoots to produce, reviews to write and editorials to style? The adage that industry insiders lean towards black as a wardrobe staple is one for a reason. 

Chanel Haute Couture SS27 / Launchmetrics
Chanel Haute Couture SS27 / Launchmetrics

But across Spring/Summer 2026/2027 runways for both men’s and womenswear, it’s clear that fashion is unfolding with an affinity for color and dare I say, colormaxxing. So where does that leave us when it comes to feeling chic? Is chic a series of carefully subdued colors, or is it just an attitude and a feeling? The most chic people would likely argue the latter. But when it comes to feeling chic while wearing color? Firstly, I may return to balance. Pairing bright colors back with dark hues is a good place to start. Secondly, I am willing to make peace with the fact that I may not come across as immediately chic when opting for color. As long as feeling fabulous is still on the table.

Dries Van Noten Men's SS26 / Launchmetrics
Versace SS26 / Launchmetrics