Following up on SarahDB's recent thread, and less directly, on Sal's, about influence (because even if I don't follow any influencers, I can't help but have noticed all the neutral tonal outfits out there on the internet....) I've decided to try to experiment a bit with tonal dressing to see whether or how it might work for me. So I'll be making some posts like this periodically.

I think I'm a natural contrast dresser. I mean that's my fall back. Maybe because "a pop of colour" was in the air (or on my mother's lips) when I was a kid. Who knows?

Anyway, I was interested in Brooklyn's comment: "To me tonal dressing is more soft and moody. While contrast dressing is more fresh and punchy." That makes a lot of sense and explains why tonal outfits can read as effortlessly elegant or sophisticated, especially in soft or dark neutrals.

On the other hand, fresh and a bit crisp or punchy are pretty good descriptors for my style (and gamine style, more generally) so maybe it's understandable that I would reach for some contrast as a rule, even though my own personal colouring is fair and quite low contrast.

But then I got thinking about Angie's experiments with bright tonal looks over the past few years -- hot pinks with reds and/ or oranges, or burgundies with brighter reds, various greens together....that kind of thing. Those definitely don't read as soft and moody to me -- they are very playful or punchy. Yet at the same time, they feel very "pulled together" and modern.

Where does that leave the Laid-back Luminous Garçonne?

I can make tonal outfits pretty easily with my key neutrals -- blue, grey, and white. All grey (without white) depresses me too much to wear very often. Tonal blue outfits are fine, even good...but I usually feel like something is missing -- I may lack the textural variety in my blues unless I include denim -- I'm not sure. (Experiments to come!) Up until now, my most successful neutral tonal outfits have been versions of white-out. I really like wearing whites and ivories together and it works well on me. Is that because white is bright? Hmmmm? Maybe.

In the past, I've lacked the bottoms to make tonal outfits in a colour vs. a neutral. But now I have red, burgundy, and lilac bottoms to try. And I plan to do just that! Today's experiment is with red.

1. Starting with the Everlane sweater, Collette crops in velvet, and my black Eccos. I'm also wearing a burgundy watch band and garnet earrings. I have some variation in colour and texture, but it does not feel like a complete "outfit" to me.

2. Taking a cue from Brooklyn's comment that you can use prints and dress tonally if the background of the print is in the dominant family, I added a scarf and now it feels like an outfit. I wore this to a friend's book launch the other night and got tons of compliments, especially considering she was also wearing red and her book cover was black and white with red accents.

3. Another option -- a tonal strap for the bag.

4. Scarf and bag strap -- does that make it less sophisticated? Too much going on?

5. Ah, the pop of colour sneaks in via a bag.... this is very "me" but is it tonal? Maybe if I had mustard boots to go with...but alas, I do not....

6.Cranberry coat.

7. Add a red cloche and gloves....

8. Casualize with puffer and red plaid boots.

9. Add a burgundy hobo.

Overall, I felt like "me" in a red tonal outfit and -- oddly, perhaps, but perhaps also proving Brooklyn's point -- wearing all red felt less "in your face" than wearing red with my white jeans, for example (two brights). (Photo 10) For me, the latter is just a bit much -- I mean, I wore it and liked it, but it was for a very casual day at home. And it felt more casual and less sophisticated.

I'd love your thoughts or impressions. Have you tried tonal dressing in brights? Have you tried it at all? Do you think you will?