Tonal Dressing...master the art!

As many of you know, especially if you've been following my posts, floral prints, patterns, brocades, mixing prints and bright colors have been very popular for quite some time.  I happen to love these trends and have no problem wearing floral pants or mixing prints and wearing lots of color!  However, these trends are not for everyone, so if you're not a fan of pattern overload, today I'm going to give you a few tips on a chic way to colorblock by dressing head to toe in varying shades of the same hue.  You can master the art of tonal dressing with these simple steps.

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.

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 hues matched with a metallic navy, or off-white shoes to add instant polish, picking one neutral will ensure a successful tone-on-tone style.

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.

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.

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.

So, now you've been given the tips on how to do tone-on-tone dressing, here are some examples and pictures of some different looks for you to become inspired.