Shades of Greige

I’m sure you’ve heard about greige by now.  The gray-beige color blend earned fashionista-in-the-know status when it popped up as the nail color du jour on runway models at Chanel and Marc Jacobs (among other prominent designers) this past spring/summer season.

Greige nails on the Chanel runway

Greige nails on a Marc Jacobs model

The “It” nail varnish is Chanel’s “Particuliere” ($23, Saks), but this little Magpie is a firm believer in Essie products and insists that you can get the look for less with the “Jazz” color ($8, Essie Shop):

And if you’re either not sold on the color as a nail polish option or would like more of the color elsewhere, look no further.  Take as inspiration the fact that the hue was literally all.over.the.place this past season on the runway (and not just on nails!):

(From left to right: Rachel Comey, Shipley & Helmos, VPL, and Thakoon)

Because I think the color is particularly demure and ladylike — a touch warmer than gray, a hair cooler than blush — I think it makes an ideal for-the-office palette.  Consider how chic you’d look wearing this sleeveless blouse (Phi, $264, TheOutnet) with this greige pencil skirt by Valentino ($297, also TheOutnet):

Pair with oversized studs — I am into big florals like these Kenneth Jay Lanes at the moment ($95, Pret-A-Beaute) — and some ladylike taupe heels ($250, Kurt Geiger):

Toss your belongings in a ladylike bag of a slightly lighter greige hue (blending multiple shades of the same color family will leave you looking pulled together but not over-conceptualized or too matchy-matchy) — I love this Furla chain-strap bag ($595, Nordstrom):

And, if you’re like me and tend to have  a heavy hand when it comes to laying on the jewelry, consider adding these gold bangles with a greigey colored stone (Rebecca Norman, $240, Max and Chloe):

Or for a uptown-gal-around-town look, pair this to die for Armand Basi coat ($294, The Outnet) with a simple white tee (“The Artisan,” $29.50, Madewell) and some skinny jeans in a dark wash (Joe’s Jeans “Cigarette” fit in “Kennedy,” $158, ChickDownTown):

Top it all off with these tie-dyed taupe flats (what a find! — $24.90, Alloy) and a big, roomy tote (Kooba, $575, Bloomingdale’s):

The slight contrast in shades is rich in an unstudied chic way — I love it.  I’d probably throw on a gold, layered chain necklace like this Chrissy L piece ($150, Hazel and Harlow) or these almost-too-costumey-but-just-too-cool-to-pass-up earrings (Kenneth Jay Lane, $48, Pret-A-Beaute):

If it’s just too darn hot for a jacket and jeans (my gosh, I have got to stop daydreaming about cooler weather — it’s unbearably steamy here in the District and all I can think about is chillier climes), opt for a breezy patterned blouse in a fresh putty-and-white combo (Armand Basi, $112, The Outnet) with a pair of crisp white shorts (Pucci, $154, TheOutnet):

Slip into these Fendi thongs (on sale for $250, Pret-A-Beaute) and grab a slouchy clay-colored bag (Marc by Marc Jacobs, $330, Net-A-Porter):

If the thought of long sleeves has you sweating (certainly possible given the record-breaking heat this summer), swap out the Armand Basi blouse for this loose-fitting Loeffler Randall ladder-back tank ($225, 25Park):

And spruce things up with this mixed-media “marble” necklace (so versatile! — love the color combination! — $38, Anthropologie):

Take greige out for date night by pairing a simple black tank ($18.50, Madewell) with a flirty little putty-and-black printed skirt (another find — only $17.81, Forever21) and some wear-with-everything greige suede pumps (Jimmy Choo, $645, MyTheresa):

If it gets cool (here I go again) in the movie theater, slip this shawl-collar boyfriend blazer over your shoulders ($135, TopShop):

For something a bit more conservative (dinner with the in-laws?), I like the idea of an innocent white dress (Loeffler Randall, $242, 25Park) paired with bow-toed greige pumps (on sale for $63, Nine West):

Accent with this taupe-hued tie-on necklace ($38, Nordstrom) and a cozy cashmere wrap (Denis Colomb, $425, Barney’s):

I also like the idea of swapping out the heels for a pair of eye-catching flats for a retro look — these Aldo peeptoes caught my eye ($55, Aldo):

But if you’re bananas over the patent pumps, snap ’em up and wear them (and re-wear them and re-wear them) in a million contexts: to work with a skirt suit, on a date with a brightly colored dress (orangey-red would look fab with them), or even to a formal event, paired with something like this silk mini by Rachel Gilbert($690, Net-A-Porter):

Are you as astounded (and fascinated?!) as I am with the endless versatility (and classiness!) of this new neutral?!  Who knew mushroom could be so fetching.

Apply the same color pairing principle exemplified above with the Loeffler Randall white dress to nearly anything in pristine white — some white jeans and a white blouse, or any LBW.  Just throw on some greige accents and voila: insta-chic.  A new way of remixing your wardrobe.  For daywear, I like the texture of both these Steve Madden snakeskin-styled flats ($139, Endless) and these Tory Burch Revas ($231, Shirise):

And this lightweight Alice & Olivia drapey cardigan could go with and over anything (on sale for $131, ChickDownTown):

As mentioned in a previous post, Anya Hindmarch has some gorgeous shades of greige out these days.  Both her “stone” and “light gray” colors are delightfully on point — and check out the luxe factor of this “Maeve” shoulder bag ($650, Anya Hindmarch):

C’est chic, ca!