How to Wear Camel

Some trends – like, say, the '50s dress revival – tend to look frumpy on us over 40 women. Some trends – like dressy short shorts – are too young to pull off for even the fittest among us. But the color camel? It's a trend that's just right for us.

This fall camel is the front runner of hot hues for the season, and I, for one, couldn't be happier. Because it's got a richer golden hue than basic tan it's always been one of my favorite neutrals.

Although in the past camel has been mixed with brights like red to jazz it up, this season camel looks freshest mixed with other neutrals like charcoal gray or black.

Here's how to make it look now:

• Mix a camel jacket or blazer with denim. One of my favorite ways to wear camel is to mix it with denim, like the Chloe look above. It gives camel that high-low look that is always chic.
• Wear camel with other neutrals like gray. Gray and camel was all over the fall runways, like at Carolina Herrera. Camel also goes great with with rich brown or a white shirt.
• Pair camel with gold. Here's a great way to add some sparkle to basic camel pieces or update the camel already in your wardrobe. Michael Kors showed some pretty variations of this on his Fall 2010 runway.
• Wear camel and black. This no-brainer combination always looks right, like at Stella McCartney. 
• Go head-to-toe camel. Tone-on-tone camel – including accessories – may seem like overkill but it's actually very sophisticated when done like at Chado Ralph Rucci.