Black and white leaves very little room to hide…and that’s exactly what makes it interesting.

For Marmalade’s pre-fall editorial shot entirely on film, we stripped away color and let the styling speak through contrast instead. Soft meets structured, sporty interrupts dressy, and pieces that seem to belong in entirely different outfits end up better together.

Better Together

A Nike sports bra sits beneath a textured black jacket and airy white skirt. An oversized, fluid blouse is paired with barely-there white shorts. Elsewhere, the simplest white tank meets a sweeping black skirt.

None of these looks depend on a single statement piece. Their personality comes from the space between them. The unexpected proportions and the decision to put two things together that weren’t necessarily designed to meet.

On Film

The contrasts continue beyond the clothes. Chain-link fences, brick walls, pavement, and industrial corners give the softer pieces something harder to sit against.

Shooting on film complicates it again. The grain and warmth soften the black-and-white palette, giving polished silhouettes an imperfection that feels much more interesting than making everything pristine.

Getting the Balance Wrong

There’s a temptation to make an outfit agree with itself. Sporty with sporty, feminine with feminine, polished with polished. Here, getting the balance slightly wrong is what makes it right.

A casual piece takes the seriousness out of something dressy, while an exaggerated silhouette makes an everyday basic feel considered.

Somewhere in the Middle

For Marmalade, pre-fall doesn’t have to mean suddenly dressing for a different season. It can simply be permission to disrupt what you were already wearing.

Pair the delicate thing with something tougher. Wear the sporty piece somewhere it doesn’t belong. Let something oversized interrupt something barely there. The point isn’t choosing between two sides. So stop trying to! Wear both pieces you're trying to pick between.

Shop the Story

Explore the pieces featured in this contrast full shoot and discover new arrivals you are sure to be obsessed with in store and online.

Styled by Kasey Widmyer
Shot by