There used to be a time when wearing matching clothes made one look dated. However, it’s snowballed into a very interesting trend that looks effortless and editorial. This trend is commonly known as tonal or monochromatic dressing. This just means playing around with tones of the same colour family. To put it simply, you wear one colour but different shades of that one colour.
The trend flatters the body because it creates a continuous line of colour from head to toe, elongating the body. And the best part about this trend is that you can always use existing items in your closet to create a wearable and stylish look. Monochromatic dressing makes room to create a capsule wardrobe, which means you’ll be able to create more looks with fewer clothing pieces.
Here are a few tips on how you can nail the monochromatic trend:
1) Pick colours that you look and feel good in.
For beginners, neutrals are the best place to start and who doesn’t love black or white. Start with an all-black look, graduate to an all-white and then move on to tan. Once you have these basic colours down, it will seem less of a daunting task to dip your toes into the colour pool.
2) Play with textures.
If you want a nice evening look or going for that polished well-dressed vibe, try adding some textures to your outfit. For instance, if you have a chiffon pussy-bow blouse, pair it with silk, cashmere or even a tweed bottom in a similar shade as the blouse. Add neutral accessories or match them to your outfit for extra brownie points.
3) Pair pastel or light colours with jewel tones for high impact.
Imagine a lavender blouse paired with silk, purple trousers. How gorgeous is that combination already? You can add gold jewellery and a black patent pump for a classic unified look. If you’re comfortable with an all-bright coloured look then that’s a mad bold choice and props to you. But if you for instance choose neon orange you can offset it with a burnt sienna or rust colour.
4) Layer.
Another way to cheat the monochromatic trend is to opt for a matching co-ord set but add a break or pop with a layer. Choose a cardigan, a denim jacket or even a blazer. It’s an easy way to take your look from day to night and add a touch of formal to it too.
5) Play with graphic accessories to break the monotony.
Whatever bright colours you choose you can always add a graphic black and white accessory for an eye-catching contrast.
A tone-on-tone outfit takes a lot of time and know-how to put together. And plenty of questions will cross your mind. There’s no right way to approach any trend. So don’t overthink it. Your fabrics don’t have to match, you can play with similar colours, and you can add prints, especially animal prints as they act as some form of a neutral. Even your accessories can match or be different, the choice is yours. The monochromatic trend is ultimately about making it less uniform.
Do you have any tips on how to play the field in the monochromatic trend? Let me know in the comments below.
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