I once told my friend that gray is a lifeless color and she will never catch me wearing it. Well, I’m here to rescind my statement. I did indeed believe that gray drained the color out of my face and generally looked boring. But that was four years ago, and I think I’ve finally unlearned the prejudice I’ve had over the hue.

Everybody (including myself) has been talking about mocha mouse, aka brown, as fall’s favorite color. And while it’s true that it’s technically the official color of the year, according to Pantone, I feel like we’re ignoring the fact that gray ensembles are just about everywhere nowadays.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, really. Fashion has an obsession with business attire at the moment—think suits, pencil skirts, and office siren glasses—and gray is the color to represent the look. If you think of stuffy ‘90s offices, you instantly think of gray. Take a look back at Calvin Klein’s Fall 2025 collection; Gray was one of its leading colors. In fact, plenty of notable shows, from Tibi to Brandon Maxwell, had gray as a recurring theme, and yet somehow it doesn’t get as much attention as the mocha mouses and burgundies in the fall.

It’s not just suits and office attire, though. I’m loving the cozy gray knits and oversized coats, too. I recently exchanged a black Frankie Shop coat for the charcoal version—something that feels almost criminal to my younger self. I’ve caught myself buying gray Acne Studios heels, gray half-zip sweaters, gray skirts, and even gray hats. It started small—by swapping my gold jewelry for silver ones. Now, it seems as though a third of my wardrobe has got this staticky effect, and I’m secretly loving it.

I feel like I’ve unlocked an entire color palette that was previously foreign to me. I’ve been styling my gray crewneck with baby blue button-downs and white trousers. Other times, I’m giving my all-black ensembles a bit of contrast by draping a gray cardigan over my shoulders. I never quite appreciated how versatile the muted neutral is, so I’m sharing a few pieces to shop below.