Mustard and navy are the bright-and-dark pairing that makes a gray October day look better. These four looks pair a mustard cashmere sweater with dark jeans, a navy tee with a mustard wrap skirt, and a yellow shell jacket over a denim top and navy skirt. Start with one piece of each and build up from there.
Mustard and Navy Outfits to Try This Fall
Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in June 1889, in the asylum at Saint-Rémy, and it now hangs at MoMA in New York. It is a deep blue sky full of swirling yellow stars and a glowing moon, and it is still the best picture of why these two colors belong together. The blue makes the yellow glow, and the yellow keeps the blue from going cold.
Mustard and navy do the same on a person. Navy is the easy dark, softer than black, and mustard is the fall yellow, warmer and a little browner than lemon. Together they look bright without looking like a uniform.
A quick test: hold a mustard scarf or sweater against your navy coat. If the yellow looks golden rather than neon, you have the right shade.
Start With One Piece of Each
Mustard is easiest to try as a bag. Gabriela Hearst's Paola clutch is bright yellow suede with a small gold clasp, and Valentino Garavani's Spike shoulder bag is mustard quilted leather with tiny studs. For navy, Manolo Blahnik's Myconia 50 ankle boots are navy suede on a low heel, and Johnstons of Elgin's Doris gloves are navy cashmere blend. A navy coat with either bag is the whole pairing in one look.
A Mustard Sweater, Navy Jeans
Saint Laurent's cashmere sweater is a clean mustard crewneck, and Bottega Veneta's straight-leg jeans are a dark overdyed blue that reads navy. Simple, and very good. Christian Louboutin's Fannylove 85 pumps are navy suede, which dress the jeans up, and Julietta's Nera cuff is amber resin with a black onyx stone in the middle, which repeats the warm tone of the sweater.
How to wear it: tuck just the front of the sweater into the jeans so the waist shows and the cuff gets room at the wrist.
A Navy Tee, a Mustard Skirt
Flore Flore's Jill Baby T-shirt is fitted navy cotton jersey, and Eres' Julieta wrap midi skirt is mustard stretch jersey that falls in a soft drape. It is about as easy as a skirt outfit gets. Roger Vivier's Belle Vivier 60 ankle boots are camel suede with the buckle on the front, and Métier's Ease 22 clutch is midnight blue suede.
The Mustard Dress, a Navy Suede Jacket
Tove's Gio maxi dress is golden yellow silk cloqué with an open back, and it catches the light when you move. Nour Hammour's Grange jacket is navy suede with a leather collar and gathered waist, and it makes the dress feel right for fall. Gianvito Rossi's Vandée boat shoes in navy suede keep the look relaxed, and Rue de Verneuil's Traversée tote is denim with navy webbing.
What I would skip: heels. Boat shoes and a tote make a silk dress look like a weekend, which is the point here.
A Mustard Jacket Over Navy
Loewe's layered hooded shell jacket is bright yellow with a red lining inside the hood, the most playful piece here. Under it, Zimmermann's Aster denim top is cropped with full sleeves, and Alaïa's shell skirt is a navy midi with a drawstring waist. Denim and navy together make a dark base. Loeffler Randall's Danny ankle boots in camel suede sit on a chunky sole.
Let the Yellow Glow
Mustard and navy are a fall pairing that never looks dull. Choose mustards that lean golden and navies that are dark enough to act like black, and let navy cover most of the outfit while mustard does the shining. A bag or a sweater is plenty to start. If you only try one look, make it the mustard sweater with dark jeans. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Mustard and Plum Outfits to Try This Fall and Pink and Navy Outfits to Try This Fall.
