Graphic Black and White, Episode Two

So few things in life exist in a binary system; black and white, eponymous with the saying, rather trite, are actually quite unique, anamolous. So few things exist with those hard, sharp edges, so definitively and clearly and beautifully delineating one from other, one from opposite. Graphic black and white, my current trusted motif, is being touted as a in-the-moment trend, a label that seems, simply, unfair. Sun and moon rise and fall each day; black and white has never left.

The window pane pattern, that perfection of replicable and straight grid lock, is a classic, a classic that has somehow eluded my wardrobe until recently. This window pane pattern dress, a form-fitting shift with a flattering scoop neck, joins the ranks of my various recent black and white acquisitions. It has a Georgy Girl mod-vibe, an era and an aesthetic that I can always support and am always in the mood to rock. The other week, I paired my new dress with a bevy of black and white bangles; the oblong curved bangle, black and white lines imperfect and asymmetrical, offered a great contrast in texture to the stringent pattern of the dress.

Three neon red spheres suspended from golden rods, deconstructed cherries. These earrings added an unexpected and welcoming bit of color spark to the look.

Graphic Black and White, Episode One

A robust, elegant, and impressive history of style icons, from Coco Chanel to Emmanuelle Alt, have proven, time and again, with beautiful and visually illustrative arguments, that the black and white motif rarely falters. The past few weeks, my daily wear has been heavily reliant on bold, geometric black and white patterns, predominantly in straight lines and sharp right angles, with a sprinkling of black and gold accessories. Despite owning a preposterous volume of black clothing, and black jewelry for accompaniment, streamlining my outfits to this eternal light-dark dichotomy makes morning wardrobe decisions much easier.

Featuring uneven black grid lines, as though hand-drawn with a waning perfumed permanent marker, occasionally interrupted with a black square, this silken-like tunic dress has become a new favorite. Mod-inspired, the gritty imperfection of the pattern lends an updated, more contemporary look to the piece. Unfortunately, the cream backdrop has an ephemerally sheer quality to it, which, pairs fine with opaque black tights, but will not transition well into warmer spring weather wear. The earrings, also new, have a similar tension between polished and rugged, the golden outer detailing encasing the onyx innards as the talons of an owl crush some bewildered black rodent. They were a remarkable find in the rather haphazard bargain bin of a local consignment shop I frequent. A worthy prize, for one willing to hunt.