Tonal vs. Monochromatic Explained

Fashion

Sep 4

Tonal and Monochromatic are often used interchangeably in a fashion sense. And not for bad reasons - they are pretty similar! However, they aren’t the same. I’ll give a quick breakdown on tonal vs. monochromatic, and share some examples.

Tonal

First, tonal and monochromatic outfits are a great way to start incorporating color into your wardrobe, especially if you’re wanting to step away from black and be more intentional. Second, dressing tonally and monochromatically is extremely chic. It’s kind of a bold move, and one that is actually pretty easy to pull off!

Tonal dressing is when an outfit is the same color family, but not necessarily the same shade or tone. For example, maybe you’re wearing light wash blue denim, and you have on a navy top. Add a royal blue bag, and you’re wearing 3 different shades of blue. That’s tonal dressing.

Another example of tonal dressing is in the following photos. I’m wearing a copper colored skirt, a marigold tank top, brown leather blazer, and butterscotch shoes. These are all orange-brown colors, so a very tonal outfit.

Monochromatic

Monochromatic is when an outfit is not only the same color family, but the exact same tone and shade (or at least extremely similar). For example, you may wear an all cream outfit. Or in the photos below, I’m wearing a brown leather trench coat, a brown tank top, and brown pants. All of the pieces I chose are from different brands, but they’re all a rich espresso color, so it’s monochromatic.