Take our tonal tutorial in undertones, textures, and treatments
Tonal dressing—the art of wearing a particular color from head to toe—has become the style strategy du jour for influencers and it-girls. This season’s affinity for suiting and matching sets has made the trend fairly easy to tackle for anyone, but those especially in the know have found increasingly creative ways to mix different shades of one color in a single outfit.
Having ruled runways for 2018 and 2019, pink has emerged as a key color for tonal looks. No longer a saccharine-sweet symbol of girlish charm, pink is now associated with an expression of feminine sophistication and power. Marc Jacobs’s Summer 2019 ready-to-wear runway show was one of the best examples of this evolution, with pink-on-pink looks that expertly paired not only different blushy tones, but also various fabrics and textures. From frosty millennial pink and rose quartz to buzzy neon and deep shades of fuchsia, rosy hues are a big deal these days. If you’re looking to try the tonal pink trend but are worried that you’ll look more “Elle Woods” than “Ellie Delphine,” we have a few tips to get you started.
Match undertones
Most colors fall under one of two categories based on their undertones. Warm colors have yellowish undertones, and cool colors have blue. In terms of pinks, the former translates to peachy hues in the pastel family, and hot coral-like ones on the more vivid side. The latter skews more toward purple. That said, the safest bet when thinking of monochrome outfit ideas is to keep your pinks in the same undertone family. This way you can work with opposite ends of the light/dark spectrum and look perfectly pulled together. If you’re new to this trend, it also helps to wear lighter shades at the top and get darker as you work your way down to the shoes. Once you’re comfortable, you’ll find yourself fully mixing it up.
Mix textures and treatments
From feathers and ruffles to sequins and pleating, textures and embellishments are a big deal this season. Pair a light pink lace top, like those by Alberta Ferretti and Dolce & Gabbana, with a plisse pleated midi skirt in a complementing shade, like those from Balenciaga and Max Mara. Or, consider a silk cami in neon pink with a fringed fuchsia mini skirt. A shocking pink tee will also add casual balance to blush-hued sequined pants.
Don’t forget about dresses! There are so many intriguing options this season: Stella McCartney’s western-inspired fringe dress, Fendi’s beautifully draped blouse dress, and Lanvin’s asymmetrical-tier dress, to name a few. Complete your look with accessories like belts, bags, and shoes in complementing or contrasting shades of pink.
Add fun accessories
Speaking of accessories, you know that feeling when you’ve put together a great outfit but struggle to accessorize it? That’s a common quandary when dressing tonally. If the rest of your look is fairly tame, opt for over-the-top accessories. Think jeweled sandals, metallic booties, a feather-adorned bag or a sequined sash. When you’re wearing all muted tones of pink, shocking pink accessories will add a bright pop of color. Conversely, a full-on fuchsia ensemble may benefit from metallic rose-pink sandals. And Jimmy Choo’s intentionally mismatched cap-toe pumps will add whimsical charm to almost any tonal pink outfit.
When it comes down to it, the brilliance in tonal dressing is in finding the balance between the basic and the bombastic. So go out and play with this season’s power color: Pump up the pink with Italist’s collection of dresses, skirts, sandals, and accessories—all at amazing prices!
Shop italist.com for up to 30% off on over 150,000 up-to-the-minute luxury fashions for women, men, and kids from leading brands like Golden Goose, Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu, and many more—direct from Italy’s finest boutiques to your door.
By: Nafeesa Saboor
Nafeesa is the founder and editor of Shoes N Booze, a blog that pairs shoes with cocktails and provides shoe and cocktail-related tips, trend information and reviews. Her writing has also been published in The Source Magazine, xoJane, Sisters from AARP and other publications.