In Praise of a Single Saturated Colour

Monochrome dressing is the fastest route to looking considered, and the most terrifying. Committing to a single saturated colour from shoulder to shoe removes every hiding place — which is precisely why it works.

Start with a fabric that moves. Silk, chiffon and fine crepe let a strong colour breathe; stiff cotton in the same shade reads as costume. If you are nervous, keep the shoe and bag in nude or bone so the colour has a border.

Undertone matters more than shade. A blue-based fuchsia flatters cool complexions; a warmer coral-pink sits better against golden skin. Hold the fabric under daylight, never a shop's overhead light, before you decide.

One piece of advice from the shows: when the colour is this loud, the hair and makeup should whisper. Slicked-back hair, bare skin, a nude lip. Let the dress speak.