How to: Monochrome Outfits
If you read my last blog post, you’re aware that I was impulsive and booked a ticket to California for the weekend. But how could I not? The wildflowers are blooming beside the coast, the air is crisp, everywhere you look is vibrant green, and the sun is finally coming out to play. Back in Boulder, not so much.
One reason I was excited to come home for the weekend was because I would be working on a photoshoot for Everlane for an Instagram collaboration. (YAY!) But I wanted to put together a blog post, too, to talk more about why I love Everlane, what they stand for, how to style a monochromatic outfit, and share all the photos I took!
Everlane has a store in San Francisco so I’m so happy to be supporting a local brand. But what I’m even more proud to talk about is that they are sustainable! They also partner with ethical factories around the world that provide fair wages, workable and safe environments, and sensible hours. We love a good sustainable and ethical brand, now don’t we?! Plus, they’re affordable too.
“Exceptional quality. Ethical factories. Radical Transparency”
I had a lot of fun planning out this photoshoot. My inspiration for it was the sand (it’s the little things, friends.) With the beach in mind, I wanted to pick out a monochromatic look that would match my environment. I knew there would be a little wind so I wanted to choose a thin, flowy silk top to see how it would interact with the sea breeze. With this top, I chose to pair it with these pants that are more structured yet still have a good amount of fabric. And with structured pants, come structured accessories. I chose these pointed flats and a structured bag big enough to carry all the flowers I will be buying in the spring and summer months ahead.
I loved putting this outfit together because it brought my fashion inspirations to reality. I’ve always been a big fan of monochromatic outfits, but I never really found myself making it happen in a way that left me feeling satisfied. I often felt like my past attempts looked lazy or boring but here’s the thing - if you can create the look with unique pieces, it won’t fail you.
Styling a Monochromatic Outfit
Tip 1:
One reason why I think this monochromatic outfit worked was because of the fabric of the top. It was a silk shirt - not an average everyday shirt material. And material is something that can be taken into consideration when thinking about how to elevate an outfit. Will you choose basic knit, or will you choose something a little unexpected?
Tip 2:
When it comes to bottoms, sometimes it’s the styles that we fear the most that can work wonders for us. It’s easy to play it safe with what we already own and love. However, something a little daring and bold like high-waisted, wide legged chino pants can add a little flavor to party, you know what I mean? (Personally, it’s also always more comfortable to take a risk when it comes to bottoms as opposed to tops. Maybe because it’s further away from the face? Not really sure! But I love experimenting here. Maybe you will too!)
Tip 3:
One way to ensure that color tones are the same when trying to do a monochromatic outfit is to buy from the same brand. This is because brands often come out with collections that generally have specific color tones throughout the entire collection. (Everlane makes this really easy! Or would it be hard because they have so many beautiful colors and I just couldn’t choose because I wanted them all?)
Tip 4:
At this point, you may be feeling a little bit dull still. This is where accessories come into play. While I did match the color of my shoes to my top and pants, I chose a different color for my bag because playing with color is okay when attempting this kind of outfit! A really successful way to make this work is by closing a color that’s in the same tone as the rest of the outfit but slightly darker or lighter.
Tip 5:
Jewelry. To add a little interest, I decided to wear all gold jewelry with pearl accents. The warmth of the gold complimented the warm toned bag while the pearls complimented the sandy white color of my outfit.
If you were to attempt a monochromatic outfit, what color would you choose?
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I hope you get a chance to check out Everlane. As most of you know, I am really pushing myself (and you!) to support and promote sustainable and ethical brands in hopes to veer from fast fashion and harmful companies. Some of the negative consequences that these harmful companies cause include poor working conditions, long hours and mistreatment of workers, chemical waste, gallons of water waste, harm to our environment…just to name a few.
Let’s work together to bring more awareness to our favorite sustainable brands. Cheers!
