*Sponsored by Zappos

Wearing all black is something that I wasn’t comfortable with for a long time. It felt goth. It felt depressing. Then I started getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable and after awhile it became part of my normal routine. Now it’s something I do pretty regularly so I thought today would be a perfect time to discuss wearing all black.

For today’s look, I started with these new black sneakers from The Lab by Dr. Scholl’s from Zappos.

An all black sneaker can be a little bit intimidating. They give off a different vibe than an all white or even a black with a white sole does. In order to break up the blackness, I wore these white socks. It creates a bit more division so it doesn’t look like my pants flow all the way into my shoes. If you don’t want the stark contrast of black and white, you could do a dark grey sock too. The only other thing that you should worry about would be the girth of your feet according to which, you select the size of the shoes while buying. This is important because there are many Types of flat foot people who need to select their sizes carefully.  

I’ve said it before, but never forget about suit trousers as a viable option in your outfits. These black fitted trousers are part of a suit and I like that they contrast with the casual vibe of the rest of the outfit. It’s a perfect way to step up your look for a night out or anytime when you want to look a bit more put together than you can with jeans.

Also, since they’re tailored, which is how all of your trousers ought to be, they fit really well and add a lot of extra style too.

For the upper half of the outfit, I wanted to match the casualness of the sneaker. A burnout tee, black denim jacket and black and white flannel shirt belt is something you’d normally see in a grungier look so I like how it works against the trousers. Plus, during the fall if it gets a bit chillier at night, you can throw on the flannel and stay a bit warmer. Otherwise, I like it as a added accessory just as much. The shirt belt is also a perfect place to add in a pop of color if you don’t want your outfit to be completely desaturated.

And that’s how I like to put together an outfit starting with the shoes like these from Dr. Scholl’s and Zappos. Small contrasts. Combining things together that don’t normally pair but focusing on colors working together in a clean way. If you like the way that all black looks but you’re not exactly ready to start wearing it yourself…my recommendation would be to start making small moves. Get some all black shoes like these from Dr. Scholl’s, which are crazy comfortable too. Then work in other black pieces until you’re comfortable wearing them all together at the same time. It ends up being  a really nice vibe.

Check out the shoes here and get yourself a pair!

Questions? Comments? Find me on social media @parkeryorksmith or email me directly at parker@thelooksmith.com!