Tonal dressing is a trend that will never really fade away, as it’s an easy way to achieve a sense of sophistication with an outfit.
Combining different tones or shades of the same colour within your looks naturally makes them feel cohesive and polished. This is a trick that the Princess of Wales in particular utilises a lot with her smart-casual outfits and she’s not the only one. Amanda Holden also loves a tonal outfit, but she’s just shown that you don’t have to stick to the same colour families to make an impact.
She was recently photographed leaving the Heart Breakfast Show studios wearing a head-to-toe pastel outfit that blended dusty blue and mint green hues. The stars of this style show were the Karen Millen jacket and matching mini skirt which are both currently 50% off in the sale.
Shop Amanda Holden's Outfit
Amanda's structural wool blend blazer has a fabulous, unique shape thanks to the rounded sleeves and darts. It also comes in a soft pink and comes with the matching skirt, but you could also throw it on with blue jeans to give a similar tonal outfit.
This affordable shirt is something that you can get so much wear out of in the warmer months. We'd wear it tucked into jeans and white linen trousers, as well as with tailored pieces and flowing skirts. The soft green tone is beautiful and would pair well with Amanda's dusky blue co-ord.
Made from the same textured wool blend material as the jacket, this mini skirt is a fun addition to a spring outfit, whether or not you style it with the blazer. It has a straight silhouette and darts giving it definition. Tuck in a T-shirt or add a shirt like Amanda's for a sensational blue/green look.
Shop More Dusty Blue And Mint Green
Feel confident in this A-line midi skirt with its elegant wrap design. It's one of those staples that you can rely on when you want to feel put-together and it'll work for a smart-casual daytime look or an evening out. Simply switch up your top and accessories to dress it up or down.
Add a pop of powder blue to your outfits with this simple but stunning fine-knit cardigan. The silver buttons bring a touch of extra glamour and the round neckline gives it a polished, modest edge. Wear over a classic midi dress or with your favourite jeans or trousers.
This practical and chic bag is made from a durable, water-resistant nylon material. It's thoughtfully designed with an adjustable strap and can be worn both as a shoulder bag and as a crossbody sling. The roomy interior makes it brilliant for occasions when you need to carry more with you.
This set also comes in a rose pink, but Amanda’s blue version is a stunning option for these sunny spring days. Switching up the traditional tailored blazer style, this jacket has darts and wide, curved sleeves that give it a lot of structure. This is accentuated by the large lapel collar and the closure at the front, which leaves an angular gap when fastened.
It’s made from a soft wool blend material and so is the high-waisted skirt that goes with it. Amanda’s skirt has a straight silhouette with darted detailing running down the front for extra shaping and you could easily wear this without the jacket too. However, there’s something about a full co-ord that feels elevated and together they are very striking.
The muted blue colour of the Karen Millen set helps to balance the more ‘out-there’ design elements and was gorgeous with her silky collared shirt. This was a fresh mint green with a blue undertone to it and Amanda Holden wore it buttoned almost up to the top and tucked loosely into the top of her skirt.
The relaxed feel of the shirt and the crisp, structured co-ord brought a lovely contrast to the radio star’s outfit and the pastel hues were a triumph. Reflecting upon Amanda’s different approach to tonal dressing, woman&home’s Digital Fashion Writer Molly Smith explains that despite many people thinking otherwise, you don’t necessarily need to stick to one colour family.
"If you’re looking for ways to nail tonal dressing, you don’t exclusively need to pair the same colours; just opt for similar tones or hues in differing shades," she says. "Here, the light green and dusty blue pair seamlessly as though they are made for each other, even though they technically are from separate colour families. We also love that she’s wearing exclusively pastel shades; this is certainly the way to go this spring!"
Pastels are, as you might expect, a big spring/summer fashion trend for 2025 and even though a pastel blue isn’t in the same overarching colour as pastel green, they have a similar tone to them. A pale purple would also work well with dusty blue and green, whilst warmer pastels like apricot, lemon and rose could be styled together too to create a different kind of tonal outfit.
Amanda Holden stuck to just pastel blue and green with her Heart Breakfast Show ensemble and accessorised with blue Gianvito Rossi Plexi Pumps and a Louis Vuitton monogrammed Houston bag. Mixing the designer pieces with more affordable ones gives her entire outfit a luxurious feel and she finished off her look with over-sized sunglasses and layered chain necklaces.
