8 simple ways to tonal dressing
One of my favourite ways of styling my clothes and a very cool benefit of having a capsule wardrobe is tonal dressing.
It’s a styling trick that will never let you down. Whether you're wearing a suit, skirt or casual jeans with a jumper, it will always look much more chic and put together. And all you have to do is dress in one colour head to toe (ok, not exactly head to toe).
I’m a creature of habit and if something works for me once I repeat it again in different forms.
I usually go for either black, navy, grey, white or beige. If you love colour, you can do anything from red to green to yellow and I bet you, it will look amazing and you will feel like a million bucks :)
It will only work in a capsule wardrobe, where you have multiple tops and bottoms of the same colour and you can easily mix and match your clothes (or you just have a very large wardrobe).
How do I do that?
I start with a colour that I’m feeling particularly fond of and really want to wear that day. What’s next?
1. Check the weather. You don't want to wear an all white outfit on a rainy day, but you may get away with just adding some military boots to your look.
2. Don’t try and match your clothes in the exact same tone. First of all it’s impossible and second, different shades of the same hue look more interesting and 3 dimensional. Remember though, try not to mix cool and warm shades together. Same goes for accessories. Although it's not a rule so if you like that look, go for it!
3. It's ok to break the block look with a different colour element, like a white tee, belt, shoes, bag or even a beanie or socks. It will look more intentional and less “try too hard”.
4. Be generous with your jewellery. I tend to wear more and often chunky necklaces or earrings with a tonal look. I love pairing silver jewellery with all grey and gold with beige or brown outfit. This way they don’t compete but complement the look.
5. Combine different textures. Add some visual interest to classic and simple looks. Think smooth leather trousers and a fluffy jumper or silk skirt with cashmere top.
6. Add a third element. Simple pants and a top combo will look a 100 times better with an oversized blazer or maxi trench coat. Try a very popular and one of my favourite tricks right now: jumper in the same hue over your shoulders. It will not only make your outfit more intriguing but also provide you with extra layer for colder days.
7. Navy and black.
A very chic and sophisticated tonal look that for years was considered faux pas, now it’s bigger than ever. In my opinion it’s a more modern and contemporary than all black. You can go as safe as blue jeans and black jumper or as bold as 2 piece suit and stilettos.
8. When in doubt try tailoring. A plain or patterned suit or just matching trousers and a blazer. Add sneakers for a casual look and same colour coat for double effect.
If you’re still unsure how to do a tonal look, just pick a colour that you are most comfortable with, then apply one or few different points above and you’re good to go.
