The Rich-Looking Color Trend That's Better Than Black (Yes, Really)

a collage of the navy color trend on the fall 2024 runway with various models all wearing blue clothing
(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Coach; Chloé; Aknvas; Dries Van Noten; Bottega Veneta; Alaïa; Michael Kors; Sandy Liang; Mame Kurogouchi; Khaite; Lovechild1979; Carven; Bevza; Tom Ford; Altuzarra; Baum Und Pferdgarten; Sportmax)

Like clockwork, a few colors emerge from the back of our closets once temperatures begin to drop. Black! Brown! Beige! They are all the fashion crowd's informal welcoming committee for fall. But beyond the more obvious shades, occasionally there will be a few other colors that manage to capture our attention. Recently, some of those hues that have taken the runways by storm include oxblood, dove gray, and even olive green—which all, ironically, can be considered fall neutrals. For the record, these color trends are far from groundbreaking. However, for some fashion people, the mere concept of opting for clothing that's not black, brown, or beige can be, well, earth-shattering. Considering that we've seen so many conversations crop up around alternatives to black, it's only a matter of time before one color comes back into the chat: navy.

Before you scream at your screen, hear me out. Embracing color can be challenging for the fashion crowd (no shade intended). But opting for an unexpected neutral like navy allows us to make our everyday staples feel a bit more elegant with little effort. But if that's not enough to sell you on this shade, keep scrolling. In an effort to prove that this color is actually, dare I say, the "new" black, I've pulled ample proof that this particular shade permeated F/W 24 collections. Ahead, you'll find a few styling examples of this color trend on the runway and a curation of the best navy clothing for fall from Nordstrom, H&M, Aritzia, J.Crew, and a few other retailers. Fair warning: This story may cause you to want to stop wearing all-black. Proceed with caution.

the navy color trend shown on Bottega Veneta's fall runway worn by a model wearing gold earrings, a white button-down, a navy trench coat, brown mules, and a navy handbag

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Bottega Veneta)

The navy color trend shown on Lovechild1979's runway worn by a model wearing a black turtleneck layered under a navy dress styled with a black belt and black shoes

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Lovechild1979)

navy color trend shown on Carven's fall runway worn by a model wearing a navy blazer with a black blouse, navy trousers, and white pointed heels

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Carven)

the navy color trend shown on Aknvas's fall runway worn by a model wearing a navy pinstripe blazer top with matching trousers and black shoes

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Aknvas)

The navy color trend shown on Bevza's fall runway worn by a model wearing a navy turtleneck dress with gold hardware styled with black heels

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Bevza)

the navy color trend shown on Michael Kors's fall runway worn by a model wearing a navy blue coat over a gray sweater with matching gray pants, a brown belt, and brown pointed heels

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Michael Kors)

the navy color trend shown on Tom Ford's fall runway showed on a model wearing a navy army jacket with matching pants and matching sandals

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Tom Ford)

This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

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Jasmine Fox-Suliaman
Editor

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a fashion editor living in New York City. What began as a hobby (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a career dedicated to storytelling through various forms of digital media. She started her career at the print publication 303 Magazine, where she wrote stories, helped produce photo shoots, and planned Denver Fashion Week. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked as MyDomaine's social media editor until she was promoted to work across all of Clique's publications (MyDomaine, Byrdie, and Who What Wear) as the community manager. Over the past few years, Jasmine has worked on Who What Wear's editorial team, using her extensive background to champion rising BIPOC designers, weigh in on viral trends, and profile stars such as Janet Mock and Victoria Monét. She is especially interested in exploring how art, fashion, and pop culture intersect online and IRL.