Our Fashion Editor Makes A Case For Chocolate Brown, This Season’s It Colour

Lately I've found myself wearing a lot of brown and feeling extra boujee because of it. I'm not talking about just any brown. From my cognac faux leather coat from Aritzia to my dark croc Topshop boots, I'm talking about the frothy, chocolatey, mocha brown that only the best baristas and espresso machines can make. It's the brown you associate with style and sophistication, not your nan's old basics or stiff, dowdy office wear. Chocolate brown is the colour of the season and I'm 100% here for it.

From Louis Vuitton opening its autumn/winter show earlier this week with a dark brown aviator jacket (modelled by Squid Game's HoYeon Jung) to Rihanna sporting a brown quilted coat over on the 'gram, the '70s-reminiscent hue is making its rounds everywhere I look. When I saw Dua Lipa wearing a chocolate-coloured trackie, I too wanted a chocolate-coloured trackie. And as Team R29's resident shopping enabler, it's become clear to me that my colleagues have the hue on their radars, too.

So consider dark brown your new neutral – softer than your go-to black and sexier than white, especially for spring. And if you're worried about what to wear it with, need I remind you that you CAN wear brown with black. Periodt.

Now behold, six chocolate brown pieces that I've got my eye on this season.

First things first: outerwear. House of Sunny usually gets jackets right and this varsity-style bomber is everything but wrong. I hate to bang on with coffee-related metaphors but this really is a cappuccino in jacket form. The brand even calls this colourway 'Chocolate Oat Milk'. Take that as a reminder to go on your coffee break while you're at it.

Dropping today (and I'm aware it might be sold out by the time you're reading this), Telfar is ready to break the internet with its brand-new chocolate circle bag. Having recently produced other chocolate-coloured accessories like the logo boot, loafer and cap, the designer's newest Milky Way treat is truly my dream bag.

Thinking back to pre-pandemic times when work clothes were a huge part of many of our lives, blazers were starting to feel a lil' dated. But now that we're outside outside, and (hopefully) not perpetually in the office, smart dressing feels more like a treat. There's something about a brown oversized suit top that will give us all BDE.

This sheer knit from London-based sustainable brand Ninety Percent is a great layering piece and when paired with its matching skirt is just chef's kiss. Sophisticated and sexy, this chocolate number is going to take you (and me) places. Note how this look is effortlessly styled with black shoes, too.

If you're looking to attempt a head-to-toe brown look, which I highly recommend, consider some high-waisted trousers like these from Mango. I would pair these with a brown knit jumper or maybe even a chocolatey dress because as I've stated before, dresses over trousers is back, baby.

Nothing says summer is coming like this just-dropped collection of sandals and flats from slow fashion brand Dear Frances. Just like dresses over trousers, I'm prepared to push old fashion no-nos off a cliff and wear these espresso-coloured sandals with bright socks and maybe some printed tights.