From working women such as Donna Karan to rock bands like the Ramones, New Yorkers are known for their affinity for head-to-toe black.
But as the weather warms, spring’s hottest trends — zippy yellow, radiant rainbow — come calling.
The Post tapped five New York-based women who adhere to an inky uniform to explain their monochromatic modus operandi — and styled them in some of the most colorful looks of the season. Here are the results.
The beauty bigwig
Winky Lux cosmetics is known for glittery eye shadows and heart-shaped lipsticks. “It’s lots of unicorns and mermaids,” says 34-year-old CEO Natalie Mackey, whose streamlined personal style shows that you can run a bubbly beauty brand while dressing like a badass.
Her choice to wear primarily LBDs and suit separates to work is strategic. “I don’t feel the need to compete with my brand,” Mackey says. Her inspiration comes from great minds such as Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs, who maintained notoriously minimal wardrobes to prevent what she calls “decision fatigue.”
“I need all of my creative energy for the product,” says the Brooklyn Heights resident.
Mackey adored this sunny wrap dress, but says it’s more beach vacay than Manhattan boardroom: “I love it — for everywhere besides New York.”
The fashion influencer
Angela Mak showcases her love of noir style on her Instagram account, @mostlyblack_. “I literally have like 20 different pairs of black leggings,” says the Gramercy-based fashion consultant.
Her obsession is rooted in rebellion: When she was 11, her mom refused to buy her a black cardigan. “She said kids had to wear colors,” she recalls.
Mak, 33, claims it would take a “severe” occasion to get her in color. “Maybe if I’m in a plane crash and we land in water and I have to put on that orange life vest,” she says.
Though The Post’s stylist managed to convince her otherwise — no death-defying stunts required — Mak had a visceral reaction to this striped blouse and ladylike pastel skirt.
“It gave me heart palpitations,” she says of her new ensemble. Even if she won’t be changing her Instagram handle anytime soon, she admits, “I do think color looks good on me. “
The architect
When Amina Blacksher became an architectural designer, she adopted the unwritten dress code of so many others in her field: “It was a natural thing because the whole office wore black.”
For Blacksher, simplicity is chic. With all black, “everything looks more put-together,” she says.
Blacksher decided to ditch her colorful, “cluttered and fussy” closet when she began interning as an architect, opting for black stretchy knits and coated denim. She’s open to re-introducing some color to her wardrobe because she thinks it can send a message: “For special occasions, black might be missing the enthusiasm.”
And so she was drawn to her splashy one-shoulder dress, which ended up being a sartorial mood-booster. “I found I was instantly smiling just being in the dress,” she says.
The entrepreneur
Erika Szychowski, the Savannah, Ga.-bred Financial District resident, has been wearing primarily black since her teenage years. “In high school, my mom would ask me when I would get off my ‘death kick,’ ” says the 44-year-old, who runs Good Zebra, a high-protein, low-sugar snack brand.
She maintains a small, curated wardrobe, but says that the pieces she chooses feel anything but one-note. “Everything is so much more versatile [in black],” she says.
The floral, baby-blue off-the-shoulder dress she wore for the shoot was a big departure from her typical uniform of leggings, oversize sweatshirts and moto jackets.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” she says of the “welcoming” blue hue. “I bought a kimono in that same shade the following day!”
The graphic designer
While studying fine arts in college, Ruth Bauman, 64, felt bright and busy clothing disturbed her work.
“Wardrobe colors were a distraction from my palette,” says the graphic designer and brand consultant, who’s been drawn to muted colors most of her life: “I don’t remember wearing much else.”
The Noho resident has little time or need for an extensive wardrobe. It also complements her subtle socializing style. At industry events, “I prefer to stand back a little, whereas people wearing red, they’re the peacocks,” she says.
A lover of designer clothing, Ruth really took to this ruffled mini-dress, but admitted that she might not be able to incorporate the mustard yellow into her everyday look. “I guess if I was going down to Florida,” she says, “I could get used to the idea of it.”
Crew Credits: Photographer: Annie Wermiel; Stylist: Bree Bonagofsky; Hair and Makeup: T.Cooper