You think dressing in just one colour looks kinda boring? Think again!

When executed well, dressing monochromatically can be a real head turner.

A common misconception is that monochrome dressing means wearing black and white (and sometimes grey). But it actually just means wearing separates of one colour. Any colour.

Mono = one and chrome = colour, so, therefore, you can wear different shades of a single colour to create an overall tonal look.

You can also choose to wear one shade of one colour from head to toe, which is a statement in itself. Mixing in different textures and fabrications can add interest and features to your outfit.

I recently wrote a post titled ‘22 ways to wear black & white for the races’, so in today’s post I’m going to stick with talking about colour monochrome.

Why you Should Give Monochrome Dressing a Go

It’s On Trend

Dressing monochromatically has many benefits. For starters, it stands out.

An outfit made up of complementing shades of the one colour is eye catching. I love seeing it in pretty pastel colours like red and pinks or blue and baby blue.

Monochromatic looks are very popular on this year’s runways.

It’s Easy to Experiment with

Dressing monochromatically is also a safe way to experiment with fashion.

Wearing bright, bold colours and even prints together is adventurous- but dressing in the same hues and shades of one colour is a little less so, but still provides a chic and stylish effect.

No matter what colour you choose, if you mix shades and tints of that colour, it will work together.

It Forces you to Think about Fabrics and Textures

Experimenting with different fabrications and textures works amazingly with monochrome dressing, adding interest and features to your outfit.

When you can’t rely on colour to give your outfit contrast, if forces you to think of creating it in other ways. I like the look of mesh mixed in, as well as embroidered fabrics and laces.

It Makes you Look Slimmer

Dressing head to toe in one colour means that the line from your head to your toes is uninterrupted, elongating your silhouette. This means that you will appear taller and slimmer (without dieting, hooray for that!)

4 Tips for Dressing Monochromatically

So you’re ready to give monochrome dressing a go? It’s simple and you can experiment with lots of different techniques. Here are a few ways to get you started…

Tip 1 – Choose a Colour that Suits You

There’s no point dressing head to toe in a shade that doesn’t suit you. Choose your favourite colours and play around with them.

Select your base colour such as one of the 12 tertiary colours

Choose a tertiary colour to begin with. From this colour, you will create your overall colour palette.

Select shades, tones and tints of your base colour

With your chosen colour, think about what shades (your colour with black added), tones (your colour with grey added) and tints (your colour with white added) you can make with it. There are so many options here.

If you want to get really technical…

You can use an online tool like Paletton or Adobe colour wheel to generate your colour palette. Print it out and take it with you when you go shopping and hold up different garments to see if they match.

Tip 2 – Add Interest

Incorporate textures and different fabrications into your outfit to create depth and add interest. You can do this with laces, leather, fur, feathers, embroidery, patterns, embellishments, sheer panels etc.

Here, Elizabeth has used fur and pearls to add different textures, creating an overall appealing look. Much better than a plain white dress in all the same fabric. Elizabeth was the winner of our Monochromatic Challenge in the Field Fashion Community Facebook Group!!

Tip 3 – Dress to Enhance your Body

Wear darker shades on areas you want to hide, pants or skirts for example, and lighter colours on areas you wish to accentuate.

Tip 4 – Add a Print for Fun

Incorporate a print in the same shade you are working with. Make sure the base of that print or the overall look of the print is in your chosen colour.

Here Kerrie wears a pink base dress with contrasting hem and sleeves in a pink printed fabric creating a beautiful overall monochrome look with interest.

Arriell has chosen blue as her base colour and has opted for a print in her skirt in varying shades of blue and two shades of blue in her boater too. A stunning ensemble.

Race Goers who Wore Monochrome Outfits

Fashionable ladies have been rocking monochrome all across the country and nabbing some sashes along the way. Here are a few favourites from recent events…

How amazing do these two look in their monochrome outfits! Chloe opted for a lavender purple dress with a boater in a shade darker purple. Meanwhile Amanda is wearing a dark sea green skirt and has a lighter tint for her top and millinery.

Peta looks lovely in her Milva Carucci dress. Her choice of mesh fabric with the darker colour underlay works beautifully in creating a fresh and chic finish.

Field Fashion Community Monochrome Themed Competition

Recently in the Field Fashion Community Facebook Group we held a monochrome competition. The ladies blew me away with their creativity and interpretation of the challenge.

Here are a few examples of how they did it…

Shades of a Colour

I love Angela’s peach tone outfit; my eyes were immediately drawn to it. The colours look so beautiful together.

Sally has worked in a number of shades of purple which really suits the outfit and gives it contrast and balance.

Pink and red will never get old!! It’s stunning together. Bethy has incorporated lace and sheer panels to create depth and interest to her ensemble.

Aren’t the darker shades of blush millinery and shoes a nice pop in Jacquie’s outfit rather than adding in another separate colour. It works beautifully.

A very classy ensemble put together by Kristy. The subtlety of the colours lets the styling take the spotlight.

Tie it in with a Print

Ali chose yellow as her base colour and mixed it in with a skirt featuring a lighter tint of yellow as the base colour with a print throughout it.

Melissa did a fabulous job of tying in a number of blue shades. I love the dark navy accents and the contrast in blue fabrics for the top.

Head to Toe One Colour

Head to toe one colour is always a stand out. It creates a clean line from head to toe and is very eye catching. Tatiana looks stunning in all red with a slightly darker red in her shoes and bag.

Anna looks beautiful in purple. The lace overlay creates a lighter purple tone and works well on the sleeves where there is no underlay creating a new effect.

Kristen has added in some different textures for her all white ensemble. The mesh has a good structure to it while the top is soft and flow-y. For an all white look, I think it’s important to add different textures and depth like Kristen has here.

Different Textures in Fabrics

Demi has used lace over a white top to create a shade that looks like pink in her outfit. The lace is the wow factor in the ensemble.

How beautiful is Kate’s dress?! The 3D embellished flowers really take it to a whole new level.

Metallic Accessories

Wearing a metallic piece in your outfit is a sure way to make a statement. Aimee looks pretty in tones of pink!

Adding in a touch of metallic in your accessories can really glam up your outfit and not take away from your monochromatic masterpiece. Lauren has opted for some gold in her crown.

 

Hopefully I’ve inspired you to try dressing monochromatically. Grab a friend and have fun trying it together.

Wearing one colour from head to toe is one of this year’s trends that I talk about in my 2017 Spring Racing Fashion Trends Report. Download this comprehensive, 41 page report to see what other trends we’ll be seeing at this year’s Spring Carnival!

 

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