Is brown the new black?

Less depressing than black yet just as chic, this shade is emerging as the new wardrobe staple. As if symbolizing a vital need for comfort in gloomy times.

Black may no longer be the ultimate classic. Recently, it has faced a new competitor determined to establish itself as winter’s go-to base color: brown. Proof came with the latest Ralph Lauren show. On the runway of the American label known for its preppy aesthetic, sixty silhouettes paraded among the guests, each celebrating the full spectrum of brown—from wood-toned blazers to café au lait knits, chocolate velvet dresses, and long skirts with bronze reflections.

At the show’s front row, the same story unfolded. While Anne Hathaway stood out in a long semi-sheer black gown, most guests embraced brown and its variations. Singer Lana Del Rey made an impression in a hazelnut leather jacket beside her husband, Jeremy Dufrene, wrapped in a dark brown leather coat. Actress Lili Reinhart opted for a taupe wool blazer cinched at the waist with a leather belt. It almost seemed as though a color code had been shared with celebrities ahead of the event.

Comfort and a Sense of Security

“I see it in my sessions—brown is frequently mentioned and widely present in women’s wardrobes today,” explains Julie Labelle, color consultant and founder of her eponymous brand. The expert, who spent ten years working in color innovation for major luxury makeup houses, had already noticed that black was no longer the focus for specialists, unlike brown and its variations.

“Post-Covid, we’ve felt a need to reconnect and ground ourselves. Brown, as a natural color linked to nature, offers that stability. It brings comfort and softness.” Pantone even named it its star shade of 2025. Think of “Mocha Mousse,” described by the American company as “a soft and evocative brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and indulgence it inspires.”

More broadly, Julie Labelle notes a renewed interest in soft hues—those, like certain shades of brown, muted with gray pigments. It marks the return of khaki green, sage green, pastel blue and pink, as well as butter yellow, the breakout shade of summer 2024.

From Rejection to Desire

We are living in a moment when brown and its derivatives hold all the cards to become new wardrobe basics. Historically, however, nothing was guaranteed. “In the Middle Ages, brown was not associated with nobility. It was a rejected color, linked to mud and dust, to undyed fabrics. It represented humility rather than power,” Julie Labelle explains.

Although revived in the 1970s, particularly in interior design, it was rejected again in the 1990s and 2000s—a colorful pop era that dismissed brown as dated and kitschy, reminiscent of grandparents’ interiors.

And yet in 2026, brown is everywhere.

“Hailey Bieber wears a lot of brown—in clothing and makeup,” adds Julie Labelle. “She’s an extremely influential personality who played a major role in spreading the brown phenomenon across social media and among other influencers.”

Far from the sadness of black or the dullness of gray, brown conveys security, soothes, protects, and softens thoughts too often overwhelmed by screens. Especially in fall and winter, it colors our coziest pieces: cashmere sweaters, velvet dresses, suede jackets, wool knits.

So, is brown here to stay—perhaps even replacing the untouchable black in winter? Or is it simply passing through, like navy blue did in the 2010s? “Trends move so quickly today that I can’t guarantee brown will last,” the color consultant concludes.

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