Striped Accents

Looking for a way to spice up your neutrals? Give B&W stripes a whirl. It's a bold way to accessorize for both men and women and it provides some graphic interest to an otherwise run-of-the-mill outfit. Look for scarves, belts, ties, cardigans or anything you can layer against a minimal color palette.

Notice that the guys' shirts have patterns as well, but they are small and similar enough in color that they function as relatively neutral, plain backdrops for the graphic stripe. Also, the other colors tend to be darker. You have to balance the weight of the black and white stripe against something strong enough to handle it. An all-pastels look would be overwhelmed.