Our Fashion Friday Series on Neutrals has already featured timeless classics: Navy Blue and Brown. By now, we’ve persuaded you not to confuse neutral with dull! This week we focus on Gray. The color gray is often thought of as dull, drab, and dreary. But this fall, the formerly downplayed hue made its comeback on this season’s runways.

Gray is the perfect neutral canvas; it pairs well with other neutrals as well as brights and pastels. It is more sophisticated and less severe than black, making it more versatile. There is a shade of gray for everyone. The spectrum of gray ending at black or white is endless: inky, steely, oyster, platinum, pearl, mercurial, or heathered with accents of blues, greens, rust, etc.

To do gray without looking dour, layer it in different tones and textures. Try pairing Tory Burch’s rosemary dress in gray/navy tweed and black leather with Kenneth Cole’s marled gray knitted gloves. Michael Kors’s Miranda pebble tote complements the shades of gray in the dress. Bring out the arch-revealing Celeste d’Orsay Vince pumps from last week.  Continue to build your wardrobe and wear with opaque dark tights to complete  this look. Add a pop of color to contrast the gray hues with a red cape jacket like this one from Courrèges.

For a classic casual look, try a simple black merino turtleneck sweater from Uniqlo with a great pair of gray wool wide-leg Stella McCartney trousers that will carry you through many seasons. Pair with a comfortable Acne almond-toe ankle bootie in matte black leather. You can carry the same Michael Kors gray tote bag from the previous look to round off the gray spectrum of this look. To top it off, wear a classic pearl necklace like these Chanel vintage pearls.

Like all things on trend, you can expect a wealth of choices for this season’s “it” hue. Give gray a chance and you may discover you have a new neutral go-to.