25 chocolate brown pieces to add to your repertoire, because the shade is having a moment this spring

When it comes to wearing dark colours, the mind doesn’t immediately think of brown. Black, grey and navy are the shades people reach for most, leaving mocha and coffee tones to take a bit of a back seat. That is, until recently.

The chocolate brown trend first sunk its teeth into the AW21 catwalks, with Bottega Veneta, Chloé and Max Mara favouring numerous variables of the hue, and has since taken over the high street and our wardrobes.

Given everyone’s penchant for minimalism and the drive to attain a capsule wardrobe, plus the fact every influencer and celebrity under the sun seems to be wearing the colour this spring, it makes sense that chocolate brown’s neutrality has been embraced by so many. It goes with everything from other earthy pigments to the fashion crowd’s other favourite shade at the moment: lilac.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that brown is solely reserved for the colder months of the year, especially as it was crowned the unofficial tone of winter just gone, but swimwear brand ERES would beg to differ. Its various beach-bound offerings have all been cast in the rich colour this season, complementing sun-kissed skin even more.

If you’re not entirely on board with going top-to-toe tonal, though, like the influencers do, you can always start small with pops of chocolate brown instead. Whether you opt for a brown leather bag instead of your usual black go-to, some brown loafers or a pair of sunglasses, you can dip into the trend as much as you want.