Is brown is the new black? Why we might find ourselves reaching for earthy tones this season

More flattering than black, this warming spectrum has been embraced by a number of famous faces

Chloe layered burnt sienna over peach and cream for spring / summer 2021. Courtesy Chloe

A tortilla-toned suit at Louis Vuitton for spring / summer 2021. Courtesy Louis Vuitton

At Hermes spring / summer 2021, a dark chocolate leather coat was teamed with matching shoes. Courtesy Hermes

The spring / summer 2021 collection from Gucci offered soft tan against a caramel bag. Courtesy Gucci

At Burberry, cinnamon and gingerbread were mixed with sheer black and pops of blue for spring / summer 2021. Courtesy Burberry

As we settle into life in this new normal and, in some parts of the world, still under lockdown, it seems we are all craving nature.

Perhaps, with many cooped up inside apartments across the globe, we are collectively yearning to return outdoors and to get our hands dirty, metaphorically speaking, as we try and reconnect with that most earthy of tones – brown.

According to the resale site Depop, searches for the colour brown have hiked 350 per cent since July 2020, and a number of famous faces have been spotted wearing it recently.

But if that conjures images of turgid dullness, then think again. While black – traditionally fashion's go-to – can drain the face, leaving the wearer looking wan and pale, brown instead flatters, echoing the warm tones in the skin.

There are so many shades to choose from across the spectrum, from buttery caramels and gingerbread, to intense coffee and bitter chocolate. There are shades of mahogany, carob and walnut, and there is burnt umber, chestnut and amber, as well as those that veer towards rust, russet and cinnamon.

There is little coincidence that the names all evoke food – brown is the stuff of terra firma, of soil, of nourishment. It brings to mind a sense of permanence and solidity, such as tree roots, and having one's feet firmly on the ground.

Little surprise, then, that as the pandemic still hangs over us, we are instinctively moving to clothes that wrap, cocoon and comfort, in shades that warm and return us to nature.

Angelina Jolie wearing shades of brown on the cover of 'British Vogue', shot by Craig Dean. Courtesy Craig Dean for Vogue UK

For her latest cover shoot for British Vogue, Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie was captured by Craig Dean wearing soft and flattering shades of mocha, pecan, peanut, almond and tortilla.

Entrepreneur and founder of the blog The Blonde Salad, Chiara Ferragni, meanwhile, took to social media to show off her "looks of the week", two of which included a camel-coloured coat, and a soft beige teddy-bear coat.

The various members of the Jenner and Kardashian clan have been donning tones of walnut, brunette, hickory and umber, across soft jersey and even glossy leather, to – literally – offer a thicker skin against the world.

Model Imaan Hammam showed off images taken on holiday, wrapped in a toffee-coloured top and skirt, while fellow model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been snapped in an enveloping taupe coat.

Across the runways, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, Burberry and Louis Vuitton all offered shades of different browns and even Kim Kardashian unveiled her latest range from Skims featuring chocolate-brown silk pyjamas, as lensed by Ellen von Unwerth.

Which ever shade you opt for, be assured the colour will come fashion-approved.