How to Break Away from Black

It's a tough world, baby. And just how do we New Yorkers deal with it? By embracing black. The color of our coffee -- and some of our hearts.

No seriously, black is without a doubt the color of defense. Slips, spills and certain subway drips are no match when we're clad in our armor of ebony. But are these monochromatic outfits a method of physical defense? Or emotional? Are we really just trying to blend in with our fellow smug Manhattanites?

Not to get too philosophical on this subject, but it has us thinking. Recently a good friend told me the thing she was best at was not wearing black. Could this be a new life project I adopt? As a designer, I'm obsessed with magentas and marigolds, but I'm not so sure that I could personally pull that off.

Now the question is: How do you brighten up your wardrobe without looking like Jessica Simpson at a barbeque? We've come to the conclusion that this 3.1 Phillip Lim sequined tuxedo cardigan is damn near perfect. It's dull shine and effortless movement allow us to break away from our drones of dark and emerge a somewhat brighter -- and much more interesting -- New Yorker.

                                                           courtesy of NeimanMarcus.com