By now, you probably already know that I don’t like black clothing and rarely wear anything black, except for some accessories and occasionally shoes. Black is technically not a color, it’s the absence of visible light but in art and fashion we definitely treat it as one. I think dressing in all black is playing it safe and most of the time, very boring. It can quickly feel a bit plain so don't be afraid to show some personality! Experiment with color and you’ll discover new ways to wear shades you never thought you could pull off.

Black has its place in formal dressing, and that’s it. I don’t think a black suit is ever a great option, except for specific formal occasions with very traditional dress codes. Other than that, if you need to wear a suit, there are plenty of better options that let you show more character than black. I accept black knitwear or a black shirt under a suit in another color, but in general, leather jacket is the only piece of clothing that I think looks really cool in black. Or so I thought.

Poszetka Black Corduroy Western Shirt paired with Poszetka Black Selvedge Jeans

I have to admit that recently my perspective on black clothing has changed. Not completely, but enough that I feel it’s worth saying out loud. Last November I visited Poszetka and during my visit they showed me a black corduroy western shirt. I love western shirts, but something about this one in black corduroy felt completely different. I really liked it but couldn’t understand why. I kept thinking about it for the next couple of weeks, which led me to go through multiple lookbooks and campaigns, trying to understand what drew me to it.

After looking at too many black outfits and pieces of clothing, I realized that it’s the texture of the fabric that makes this black garment look and feel different. It’s the very plain, simple black clothing that I find boring, but specific fabrics and textures can add character to a piece of clothing, even if it’s black. For example plain black tees, trousers, or coats are boring to me, but a black corduroy suit is very cool. It’s a very specific style, but I think it’s really cool. Black behaves differently on corduroy. It’s stronger and absorbs all the light, creating a matte-like effect.

And then there’s also denim. Black denim, not the overdyed all-black one, but the one with an undyed weft which makes it look more charcoal than black, and it has a completely different, very unique appeal. It’s something totally different from all-black jeans. From a distance, it can be easily mistaken for dark indigo jeans, and that’s probably what makes it so versatile. You can find this type of denim at most Japanese denim brands, but I recently saw and tried it on during my visit to Poszetka when I was shooting my Early Spring capsule collection.

I want to share a few more thoughts about the Poszetka's Black Corduroy Western Shirt. It’s a bit heavier than a regular shirt, so it can easily be worn as an overshirt, but the weight is just right to also work as a shirt. It has a shaped yoke and snap buttons - the signature details of a western shirt, but it’s just a bit shorter with a straighter cut, which is perfect if you want to wear it untucked.

Since I got so many questions about this shirt after posting a photo of myself trying on the sample, I thought it would make sense to show you how I’d actually wear it. I was wearing washed blue jeans on the photo with a sample, which I don’t think is a good match even though many people disagreed.

One option is to pair it with Poszetka Black Selvedge Jeans, going for that all-black look, which isn’t really all black because the denim and corduroy fabrics are so different that there is a lot of contrast between the shades of black. I think it’s a very clean look, but specific enough that I would say it’s not something I would wear every day. You can see how it looks worn tucked in, out, or even half-tucked in.

The second option is to style it with white jeans. The combination of fabrics is the same as in the previous look, but white denim completely transforms it and makes it a lot more casual, in my opinion.

Another great way to style it is by pairing it with a grey suit. Unfortunately we ran out of time to shoot it, so hopefully I can show it next time. But I think this shirt could work really well with a suit for a more relaxed, western vibe, paired with black Chelsea boots or black penny loafers.

I wear size 41 in the Black Corduroy Western Shirt and size 32 in the Black Selvedge Jeans. And as usual, they were kind enough to offer my readers a 10% discount. Use code OUTFITNARRATIVE at checkout to get 10% off.

Let me know what you think about this shirt or if you have any specific opinions about any other color when it comes to dressing.