Grey is a neutral colour that comes in many shades, meaning it is infinitely versatile and can ease us away from wintry black as we look towards spring, writes DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN

“A SIGH OF RELIEF for the eye in January,” is how photographer Seán Jackson described this fashion take on grey styled by Gracie Moore.

Grey is a transitional, neutral colour that eases us away from wintry black, and its clean, graphic look means it is favoured by both fashion and interior designers. It is said that there are 80 variations on grey, and Elephant’s Breath and London Stone on Farrow Ball’s colour card are two of the most popular paint shades for modern interiors.

Grey was Christian Dior’s signature colour. Whether it’s called slate, flint, shark, battleship or oyster, it’s in harmony with our natural environment, being the shade of the sea and sky. Pale grey goes with dark shades, such as deep grey, claret and brown, while the darker shades of grey tend to look better with pale and bright colours. It can be both a winter and a spring colour; in his masterful spring collection for Jil Sander, designer Raf Simons uses grey and white print for dresses in a fresh and alluring way.

Carla Bruni’s much-vaunted penchant for grey was evident in her choice of clothes for the official state visit of her husband, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, to the UK in March 2008. On another presidential visit in June last year, Bruni opted for a grey and white “salt-and-pepper” tweed dress with a grey pashmina. Elsewhere, Kate Middleton’s fitted grey sheath worn in Canada looked cool and classy.

Grey highlights texture more than black, so it is infinitely versatile. It is a practical colour to add to, or it can be an alternative to an all-black wardrobe. Grey suede is far more hard-wearing than black, and Rick Owens’s dove-grey suede and leather jackets are some of fashion’s most covetable items. Less expensive lookalikes can often be found in All Saints and that mix of high and low is reflected in this low-key styling.