Uniforms are a huge part of life. Whether they are the firmly established type of uniform worn by the likes of military, law enforcement, or first responders, or the more interpretive form of the uniform in the way of men’s dress codes, the latter of which can be seen as the business professional or the business casual uniforms. The concept of a uniform is to differentiate your group from those around you. It shows you’re part of a team, part of a group united in a mission or some common goal. However, if you are looking to find a way to stand apart, your uniform becomes a way to be quite the opposite, a uniform to combat uniformity.
A monochromatic outfit is a great way to set yourself apart from the surroundings and the sea of bright contrasts. Having said that, many uniforms utilize the monochromatic look, so there is an art to rocking monochrome without making it look like you’re simply headed to work.
Jack Victor is one of my favorite go-to brands when it comes to finding elegant and modern looks. I got a chance to sit down with their design team and get some ideas on how I (and you) could put together a monochromatic outfit this season.
Colors and textures
First things first, when putting together a monochromatic look, purge your mind of the thought that all the colors need to be exactly the same. Many times, one of these looks doesn’t work and looks like a uniform because there is one color, one shade, one texture, dominating every surface, making it look flat.
If you want to add a little depth to the look, add in some different shades of the same color. Whites can mix with creams and ivories to give the depth you’re looking for. Navy can mix with lighter blues for a more complete feel. And, textured sweaters under smooth overshirts feel more effortless and elegant.
“That’s the beauty of the approach when done right,” the Jack Victor team says. “Great monochrome is about what looks correct to the eye, and how color and textures work in harmony. A little variation in the color can add emotion to the look, such as injecting pale pink or desaturated lilac into an all-white wardrobing.”
Benefits of the monochromatic look
Let’s be honest about the way men dress. When we wake up in the morning, we want something easy and effortless. Something that doesn’t require a lot of thought, but looks like a lot of thought was put into it. This is where a monochromatic look comes in handy.
When you are dealing with a wide range of shades in the same color, you can stop thinking about matching and complementing. That doesn’t mean you don’t have any thought; it just means you can redirect it to a different part of the ensemble. When you don’t have to worry about the colors, you can start playing around with mixing textures and patterns, expanding your wardrobe to a whole new world of possibilities.
“Working within a monochromatic palette opens opportunities to texture and pattern. When color is harmonious, men have far more options to explore.”
Liven it up
We would be remiss if we didn’t teach you how to put together an outfit without ending the entire thing with a section on how to liven the whole thing up or shaking up the rules a little bit. At the end of the day, this is about having fun and exploring your style. Once you put together a monochromatic outfit, you can then shake everything up with something out of left field:
- Add a hat that adds a pop of color, wear jewelry that adds to the texture and the depth, or accessorize with a neckerchief or bright watch.
- If you are wearing all white, add some brown leather for elegance.
- If you are wearing all black, lean into the silver jewelry to add some depth.
- If you are looking to sport the earthtones this fall, you can liven up the look with a pop of red or orange in the neckerchief.
“Play with the matte and shine of fabrics based on the time of the day. Adding luster to monochromatic looks for evening can move a casual color into after-hours territory,” says the Jack Victor team.
The point is, don’t lock yourself into any set of rules. Instead, let yourself have fun and explore the idea of branching out. An easy way to approach advancing the monochrome journey is, once you have it down, to use it as a base to then build from and add colors, textures, and a lot of personality to your looks. Jack Victor’s team had a lot of insight and made us think about how we’re going to rock the holidays with some monochromatic looks.
