Target Vest | Gap Tuxedo Ponte Pant | Frye Booties | Umgee Tunic | Kendra Scott Earrings | Essie Smokin' Hot Nail Polish | Michael Kors Watch | Karen Walker Sunglasses**

**Get these Karen Walkers +  any other pair of sunglasses you want from  Ditto! Try them for free with code SOUTHERNELLESTYLE. To learn more about the program, click here.

To say that I love wearing all black is an understatement.  It is  easy chic and always fitting of the occasion (unless attending a non-black tie wedding); however, I rarely wear "flat" color from head to toe. I like to spice it up here and there. So how do I do it?

Here are several rules of thumb to follow, when styling monochromatic looks, no matter the hue, be it black or blue! Okay, okay. I'll stop rhyming and just get to the down and dirty deets:

1) Add Texture. I listed this tip first, as it is my go to. In my look above, I incorporated texture by wearing a faux fur vest, as well as donning a pleather stripe on my leggings. Both of these, as well as any other added texture would, help break up the color. This ensures you don't look like you're just one big trash bag full of color (or lack there of). You don't just have to add texture via an accessory like a vest or a scarf - the top I wore in this post is the perfect example of that! Tonal texture is super easy to achieve and can found in anything from pants to pleated tops. 

2) Add in Shades or Tints. If you're wondering how the heck the words I just mentioned are different, let me give you a little fashion 101 lesson. A shade is a version of the said color that is darker. A tint is a version of the said color that is lighter. My ponte pants are a tint of black, as they are a charcoal grey. This creates a dimensional look, that you otherwise wouldn't have. One of my favorite ways to create this type of color action is by pairing a dark pair of jeans, with a chambray top. Light bulb go off? Yes -  It really is that easy! 

3) Add Coordinating Pattern Play. Tortoise is one of my favorite patterns to incorporate. Like leopard print, it's used these days as a neutral, so you may not have even noticed it in my outfit. But, even if you didn't flat out notice it, the print still added a little "oomph" to my look and it wouldn't have been the same without it. My tortoise sunglasses, watch, and earrings, were pretty much the icing on the cake.  You can have cake by itself, but the icing makes it better, ya know?  Leopard and tortoise are pretty effortless. If you want to try more advanced pops, look for a floral, stripe or even a funky pattern like a paisley,  in the same color family. 

Do you like monochromatic looks? Do you have any tips I left out?

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