Mono-chromatics’ in fashion

We’ve seen it done to hair, make-up, nails and quite memorable in the past with Gwen Stefanie’s multi-shaded pink wedding dress. It can be lively and funky, and sometimes very natural, soft and pretty. Versatile, in that it can be worn during any season, for many occasions, and by both men and women.

This mono-chromatic look in fashion that I would like to share with you is called Ombré, pronounced (om-bray). It is defined as “having color or tones that shade into each other, of which the color is graduated from light to dark.” In garments you will see it as a gradual progression of shades and tints derived from one single hue. It is fascinating because we often don’t realize how much style and depth there is to one colour alone. A true beauty of it is that with Ombré you can create a rainbow out of one solitary colour- who would have thought that was possible!

Look around us; we also see it in nature. It in the many creatures that roam our earth, including tropical fish, and in Peacock feathers for example. We can also see it in ourselves! Check out your eyes in the mirror (look really close), many of us have gradual shades of greens, blues, browns, oranges and so on which make up our iris. Such beauty we live among; and simply just another example of how nature inspires fashion.

One of my favourites is Ombré jeans and shorts. You can really wear them with any colour, and if done right, it adds the perfect amount of dimension to your plain jeans. It is a great way to take an everyday item and zest it up! The shorts can easily be paired with leggings or tights during the colder months, and if you want something even a little more unique, it looks great in other fabrics like lace and tassels.

Steal the scene with ombre tights or try a button up blouse. This can be worn to a casual outing, or you can pair it with your favourite fitted dress pants or a pencil skirt, slap on some heels, and suddenly you take it to the next level.

By Jenelle Silljer