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A monochrome look is an outfit in which all elements of clothing as well as jewelry and accessories are chosen in the same color and in different shades. The unspoken rule states that the chosen color should occupy not less than 70% of the look, and the remaining 30% can be filled with something neutral.
The monochromatic outfit is a special case of the broader concept of the total look. What is a total look, we told separately.
Max Mara
There are 2 kinds of monochrome outfits:
The first option assumes that the selected items for the outfit will have 100% of the same tone, temperature, saturation. The second option allows the use of different saturation tones of the same color.
Pros of monochrome total looks:
Cons of monochrome looks:
It seems that it is easy to assemble stylish monochrome outfits - it is enough to combine clothes of the same or similar shades. But without knowing the basic rules, making the image really stylish and fashionable is quite difficult.
Let's consider 7 important rules for creating monochrome looks with successful stylish examples.
The very first rule of creating a monochrome look is to combine clothes of different textures. It is especially important to adhere to this advice for beginner fans of monochrome total looks. Combining textures is an effective way to make an outfit voluminous and avoid monolithic.
What textures can be combined? Literally any. You can add a light satin blouse and a leather skirt to a knitted cardigan. Or combine a tweed jacket with cotton pants and a knitted turtleneck.
Of course, it is possible to compose looks from the same fabrics, but in this case it is necessary to achieve the volume in other ways - with accents, accessories, prints.
Achromat are "colorless" colors, that is, they have only luminosity. The more a tone differs from black, the higher its luminosity is. Achromats include white, black and gray. In monochrome images achromats may account for up to 30%. They can be used for accessories, shoes, accent belts, gloves and scarves.
Achromats make a total look interesting, colorful and emphasize the elegance of the chosen main shade. There are no strict rules for using achromatic colors, but the most win-win option is to add light achromats to dark monochrome looks and dark achromats to light looks.
In addition to achromatic colors, it is acceptable to add to the above mentioned 30% shades of beige and brown, but keep in mind that they do not combine with all colors - you need to try and experiment.
Print, like textures, is a way to make the image more complex, deeper. The color of the print should echo the main color of the look or have an achromatic coloring. The presence of a drawing on clothing does not prohibit the use of fabrics of different textures. This is even better - there is no risk to get a flat and uninteresting outfit.
This rule applies to images that combine several shades of the same color. The rule is: the main color must be the central one, and additional colors must be lighter or darker.
The central color is the most expressive of the shades in the chosen palette. This color will become an accent in the outfit, making it three-dimensional and "convex".
Be sure to keep an eye on the color temperature of the tones you choose - they must be the same. You can't take warm and cool yellow, or combine warming green with cool green-blue, which means you can either use all warm colors or all cool colors.
Cold shades are tones with a touch of blue. Warm shades are tones dominated by yellow.
Cold colors
Warm colors
The conflict of temperatures makes the outfit ridiculous and deprives it of all its advantages.
Muted colors are pure colors with an addition of gray. In themselves they are not terrible, and sometimes even appropriate - in the fall, for example, the closet is often supplemented with muted shades. But in monochromatic outfits, where pure tones are used, grayish colors visually look dirty and spoil the impression of the look.
When choosing colors, textures and prints be sure to take into account the features of your appearance - your color type, type by Kibbee, body type.
Examples of monochromes for different women:
If you don't know what variant of monochrome you should use - describe your appearance in comments and we at DRESS Magazine together with the stylists will help you to choose the best options.
We have figured out how to correctly compose monochrome images, and now we'll try to warn ourselves against mistakes and consider the most common ones.
Zendaya
Celebrities often dress in colorful total looks to draw attention to themselves or visually correct their figure. We've gathered the best monochrome looks of stars to help train your eyesight and be a source of inspiration.
Streetstyle star Blair Eadie is called the color queen, and all because she regularly appears in public in crazy color combinations. She uses monochromes too, and she does it boldly and originally: she plays with shades, textures and styles.
@blaireadiebee
@blaireadiebee
@blaireadiebee
Model Gigi Hadid sometimes allows herself a little rebellion and wears bright monochrome outfits, such as orange. And when the mood is daring, she allows herself total black.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid
To catch fashion ideas of monochrome images, you can look up to another star of street style - Giovanna Battaglia. The woman does not often wear bright acid colors, but a muted palette is common.
Giovanna Battaglia
Caroline Daur - fashion blogger and model, shows the peculiarities of creating total white looks. The girl skillfully combines different shades of white and clothes of different textures, thanks to which she looks original and does not spoil the figure.
Caroline Daur
Actress Blake Lively is another fan of monochromatic looks. She experiments with complex shades - pastel lilacs, yellows, greens and always plays on the contrast of textures.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively
More monochromatic looks of celebrities:
Jessica Alba
Olivia Palermo
Victoria Beckham
Jennifer Lopez
Kim Kardashian
Zendaya
What colors to build a monochrome look from in 2023?
In the season 2023 red, green, sunny yellow, pink, orange and other shades are topical. You can see the trending colors in our Pantone fashion palette review.
What brands make clothing for monochromatic outfits?
There are probably no clothing brands that focus exclusively on monochrome items. But there are brands that often use monochrome color schemes, for example, Max Mara. In recent collections, the craving for monochrome outfits can be observed in Hermes.
You can also look in the catalogs of brands that specialize in basic clothing - stylish nude, white and black sets, as well as in muted shades.
How to assemble a monochrome look in different seasons - summer, winter, spring, fall?
The principles that are recommended to follow do not depend on the time of year. Only the density of clothes, styles and materials change. It is important to understand the basic rules of making a look, then the season will not play any role.
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