Across TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, this overall earthy aesthetic seems to be the color palette of the year. Quarantine has seemingly brought about a 70s resurgence with a similar array of greens, oranges and browns becoming popular across creative outlets.
In home decor, many teenagers are decorating their rooms with faux leaves, wood accents and succulents. In beauty, many are trading black liquid liner for a smoked-out brown eyeshadow liner look. In fashion, chocolate corduroy pants, sweater vests and corsets have become the latest must-have items.
The most common neutrals of the fashion industry are black, white and navy. For years, designers have been using these neutral colors to ground their designs, transition between seasons and create timeless pieces. In 2020, a deep chocolate brown has wound its way into that same realm of neutrals that work with any season.
Part of what made brown so popular is the wide range of shades. From deep chocolate to tan to mahogany, all variations are neutral and easy to pair with any outfit. In recent years, mainstream fashion and beauty has seen a shift towards a more minimalist and natural look. The understated nature of the color is what allows it to work so well into the minimal aesthetic that many are trying to achieve.
Brown pieces have also popped up across a variety of silhouettes, which allows fashion lovers of all aesthetics to incorporate these looks into their wardrobe. For those who are more accustomed to street wear, monochrome brown sets with a matching puffer jacket make an easy everyday outfit. For an academia style, layering a tan hounds tooth sweater vest over a white turtleneck creates a trendy outfit.
With the demand for clothes of this color palette rapidly increasing over the last few months, fast fashion sites like Zara, Shien and Pretty Little Thing were quick to produce and sell tops, jackets, pants and even footwear. Beyoncé is even hopping on the color trend by filling her newest Adidas x Ivy Park collection with chocolate and caramel tones. Although the trend really peaked from late fall to early winter, some designers caught onto the trend early and incorporated it into their fashion week looks earlier in the year.
Tom Ford’s New York Fashion Week Fall 2020 Ready-to-wear collection featured a monochrome chocolate look made up of a turtleneck, fitted blazer and straight-leg pants. The Bevza Fall 2020 Ready-to-wear collection also featured several brown looks, including a tan overcoat, a purple-tinted brown trench coat and a chocolate ribbed dress.
From fast fashion to designer, there is no doubt that brown has asserted its place in the fashion world over the last year. The question is whether or not the color will remain a staple neutral in the fashion industry or fade away like countless other style trends have in the past.