Several weeks ago, a blog post on The Cut deigned to suggest that not everyone looks good in black. Naturally, the commentators had a field day. Whether or not this argument has legs–I believe it had something to do with skin tone–matters very little. Wearing head-to-toe black is a fail-safe tactic. It’s sleek and sort of anonymous, despite it’s show-stopping potential (and conversely, its capacity to be cliche). That dichotomy is what makes it appealing. And with black as armor, you can blend in or…. you might just don a futuristic catsuit or perforated leather or fuzzy skirts. Anything goes.

Here are my favorite achromatic looks from NYFW.

From top: Cushnie et Ochs, Herve Leger, Diane Von Furstenburg