Could the Fall Must-Have Color Be Your New Neutral?

Today we're hearing from my friend and fashion editor, Cathi Aycock. She did a little piece on me this fall, and I am thrilled to have her here with us for a great how-to-wear post! We're taking a step off the holiday train for a little break and Cathi is showing us some ways to wear a favorite neutral of ours, olive (which happens to be showing up in my holiday wardrobe.)

A new it color has landed in fashion and it can be a workhorse if you know how to pair it with what you already own.

Military green, sometimes called olive green, can sub in for gray or black with ease. It stands on it’s own when amped up with pops of color. And it feels fresh and modern for fall and into winter for 2016.

We start with a long, sleeveless vest in military green and show you how to make it work three different ways. From casual to edgy cool, olive green will be your new best friend in adding fashion points to your wardrobe.

The starting point for our military pairings? The versatile Gigi Vest by Sanctuary, $139, at Dillard’s at Cool Springs Galleria.

Navy + Olive+Camel

Olive green plays well with navy, camel and taupe. Here, we paired the vest with navy striped tee and denim. We added another color pop with deep wine colored sunnies. (Because wine and olive are best friends too.)

Olive works with camel, navy and other warm colors. We make this workhorse vest casual with a chic twist by pairing it with of-the-moment fringe edges jeans, striped tee and color blocked suede shooties.

Olive+Olive+Black

Monochromatic dressing, wearing the same color from head to toe, is a sure fire recipe to elongate and make you look lean. We give the military vest a jumpsuit vibe by pairing it with olive pants. A wide belt emphasizes the waist and adding strong black elements, a pony hair clutch, suede booties and sunglasses, add a edgy, sophisticated element to our new, favorite neutral.

Olive+Red+Animal Print

Olive is a perfect (unexpected) compliment to red. Unlike other green shades, which read Christmas when paired with red, olive adds a perfect foil. Add animal print in camel and black tones for another perfect olive pairing.

A double dose of animal print gives a wink and a nod to the more is better mantra. The military vest, inherently casual, plays against type with ladylike pumps and crisp red cropped trousers.

Convinced that military is a perfect neutral? Olive green and all things military might just be your newest fashion workhorse. And a great green for the holidays, maybe?

And I have to say what a huge fan I am of Tina's subscription shopping service. She has such an eye for the classic styles that you can mix with fun, trendy pieces. I love shopping her picks and seeing how she puts it together. I'm telling my readers to give all their girlfriends a membership this year. You get your own membership for free when you give one as a gift! And every girl who loves fashion needs it!