BCBGMaxAzria Spring 2013, image: IMAXtree
Master Tonal Dressing by Following these 5 Simple Guidelines
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Choose Your Main
Start by choosing one bold color that you can easily build on, like a bright red blouse that you can pair with blush-toned shorts or turquoise pants that you can match up with a navy blue camisole. By starting with a bold color, it's fairly easy to add on a secondary lighter shade.
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Pick Your Neutral
Bright shades are all good and fun, but it takes a neutral piece to tie everything together. Whether it's a tan camisole that offsets a mix of bright blues matched with a metallic navy, or off-white shoes to add instant polish, picking one neutral will ensure a successful tone-on-tone style.
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Check Your Accessories
Yes tonal dressing is meant to look bold. That being said, there is a very fine line between looking fierce and appearing like a fashion victim—which is why it's best to keep your accessories in check. While a simple pair of gold earrings to match a mustard colored dress can be striking, going beyond that one item might prove to be too much.
Oscar de la Renta Hammered 24-Karat Gold Plated Clip Earrings $190
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Subtlety Is Key
Make sure to keep silhouettes sleek and modern in order to avoid the circus effect that results from too many billows, ruffles and pomp. Streamlined non-fuss pieces will also further the tonal effect by focusing on the contrasting, yet similar, shades rather than distracting with too many accents.
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Skip a Few Steps
Make tonal dressing a breeze by opting for a dress or blouse that already features built-in tone-on-tone shades. For spring, avoid dark moody pairings and instead opt for bright shades like peach with orange or yellow with gold.
