Neutral tones. It’s a term you hear thrown about by savvy fashionistas, but what are neutral tones and how do you wear them? I know that a lot of you aren’t sure, so in response to all of the people who get in touch asking, I thought I’d put together a handy guide. Don’t worry, it’s much easier than you might think!
WHAT ARE NEUTRAL TONES?
Your most obvious neutral colours are black, white, grey, brown, and varying shades of these colours (beige, taupe, ivory, chocolate etc). I also consider navy and khaki to be neutrals, and I know a number of people who would say that leopard print is as well (shout out to all my Westie girls!). Neutrals go with anything and everything, and they are a great place to start with integrating colours and prints into your wardrobe.
Neutrals act as a base for everything else in your outfit. They can be worn by themselves (or in combination with one another), but they are also perfect for tying an outfit together so that you look sleek and polished rather than looking like you got dressed in the dark (very important when you’re mixing and matching prints). You probably already wear them without even thinking about it!
HOW DO YOU WEAR NEUTRAL TONES?
Depending on the look you’re going for, you can wear head to toe neutrals like I am here (stick with one or two – think black and white, monochrome looks fab and is always in season); you can have a neutral base with a pop of colour, or you can use neutrals to tie together an outfit that has colourful prints. My go to neutral is always black, because it seems to go with almost everything, but you might have a different favourite depending on your hair colour and skin tone.
Black top and skirt, brown belt and shoes. Who said black and brown don’t go together?
Wearing one or two neutral shades is the easiest way to look stylish and sophisticated. It’s a great way to mix and match prints or combine textures, and it’s pretty … black and white (especially if you’re going for a monochrome look, hehe). Choose one statement piece that is the focus of your outfit and build the rest of the outfit around that – a pair of printed pants with a black or white tee and a black cardi, or a black and white striped dress with a killer pair of black heels … keep it simple!
HOW DO YOU WEAR NEUTRAL TONES WITH PRINTS?
Neutral colours are the basis of getting prints right, and this is something that I get asked about every week. Unless you’re a pattern clashing pro, you’re probably going to want to stick to one statement print, so let’s focus on that for now. Find the neutral base colour of your print and build the rest of your outfit around that – for example, a top with a black background and a bright floral print could easily be paired with black trousers for a well styled look.
Do you have a go to neutral? Let me know what it is!
Meagan wears:
Garage Longline Scoop Neck Tee from The Warehouse (18)
Yourself Luxe Ponti Panelled Skirt from Farmers (4XL)
Stretch Waist Belt from Crossroads (L/XL)
Mizz Soraya Scrunch Ankle Boots from Number One Shoes (9)
Scala Fedora from Hatworx
Michael Kors Rose Gold Bracelet Watch
Do you have a burning question about fashion, self love or plus size life? Submit it to Ask Meagan and the answer to your question could be featured here!
I vacillate from black and blue, black and grey, dark blue and light gray, pale blue and dark blue and brown and beige with the occasional pink, peach, white, purple and green thrown in… I’ve pared to about two to three tops per colour, bottoms are neutrals but still struggle what colours to leave out. So far bright fluorescent colours are out. I’m thinking about giving away my dark pink reddish pink and a lot of red clothes I don’t wear much as well some greens.
It sounds like you’re doing a great job of sorting through your wardrobe Caroline!
First time commenter. I am finding your blog an invaluable fashion resource. I had no idea there were so many great designers out there with clothes that actually suit us curvy people – thank you Meagan. The budget is being perilously stretched now as my choices have expanded. I have purchased a winter dress from hope and harvest, and a sale ‘summer capsule’ wardrobe from 17 Sunday’s for my tropical escape this week. I’d never have known without your blog!
My go-to neutrals atm are black-and-white and black-and-beige striped tops worn with either black or ink denim jeans. The label is Maggie T, which frustratingly you can’t buy in NZ (I’m based in Melbourne). It can be a bit ‘old’ and their stuff is very pricey – sales only! But I can put the tops through the dryer as nauseum and they retain shape, valuable for me as I have a 22 month old.
Keep up the good work and I shall look out for you around Mt Eden when I visit in two weeks.
Thanks Vicki, that’s awesome (although, my apologies to your wallet). Make sure you bring your warm clothes over as it’s decidedly chilly (currently wearing not one but TWO pairs of socks) xo
!!!!!! That dress and that belt look GORGEOUS on you!
I am a huge fan of browns, much to my mothers disgust LOL. I especially loved browns in high school, when I was into Op Shopping in a BIG way. Brown belts, brown leather gloves, brown waistcoats, and my great grandmother left me her brown leather coat with a possum fur collar that I wore everywhere. And I am still partial to a good brown boot!
Thanks Mahina! Brown leather is a symbol of long-lastingness for me. The well-worn, well-treasured pieces that have stood the test of time and seen you through so many memories. I love the idea of passing clothes down through the generations, I bet that coat is gorgeous! xo
I tend to wear alot of dark tshirts, though they have pictures or statements on them – most are black. I wear alot of solid dark coloured jeans and have a few grey hoodies/sweatshirts. For example today’s outfit was black boots with a yellow batman logo on the side, dark burgundy pants , a black and white tshirt with Gryffindor logo and a grey James and August Hoodie.
Your site Meagan is one of my favourites as I love your confidence and pieces 🙂
Wait, you have BATMAN BOOTS?! Batman is the best!!!!!
I wear a lot of black and white and today I’ve also added grey to the mix. I’m not a fan of beige and brown personally, but I used to wear them a lot when I wore old man’s pants and sweaters.
Tofu the bunny wears ivory and taupe. Very neutral!
I love grey! I’m not usually a brown/beige/tan gal but I’ve got a few pieces that work really well with florals (the earthiness maybe?)
Tofu is always so stylish hehe