This Is the Chicest One-Color Outfit to Wear Instead of All-Black Ones This Summer

I think there’s some conflation between all-black outfits and chic being the same. While an all-black look can be quite chic, summer is the perfect time to experiment with and showcase the full extent of your personal style. While stepping out of a premiere in London, actress Jessica Alba reminded me of this sentiment by wearing a full chocolate-brown outfit. The contrasting textures of her strapless satin dress and leather bucket bag perfectly complemented each other. She added minimalist gold jewelry, gold decorative heels, and a fun bag charm, which showed me just how creative you can be, even with a monochromatic outfit.

As we've been saying all year, brown is the new black, and I’m here for it. I’ve never been one to wear all-black outfits, so this look is refreshing to see, especially for summer. You don’t see this color palette in the warmer seasons often, but I think chocolate monochromatic outfits for nights out will take over for the rest of summer. If you’re over all-black outfits, keep scrolling.

Jessica Alba wearing a chocolate brown satin dress, leather brown bucket bag, and gold heels

(Image credit: Backgrid)

On Jessica Alba: Emilia Wickstead Keeley Mudu Strapless Duchesse-Satin Midi Dress ($2030)

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Associate Fashion Editor

Kerane Marcellus is a New York-based writer. She joined the Who What Wear team in 2025 after writing for Essence Magazine and freelancing for a number of other arts and culture publications. Fashion is a form of expression that she encourages everyone to take part in. There is no right or wrong in getting dressed! When she's not writing, she's reading in the park or gallery hopping in the city.