Wearing vs. Styling

exploring the One, Ton, or None principle

Oct 26, 2025

I call myself a Style Philosopher.
Styling, to me, is an act of personal power. It’s a way to understand and express who we are. I’m so passionate about the why behind it all: why an outfit works, why a piece feels right, why it earns its place in our wardrobe. In this publication, I share frameworks that help you decode your own style and trust your own taste — so you can see why something works, and when it doesn’t, how to make it right.

In today’s letter, we’ll explore the principle: One, Ton, None, as shared in The Creative Pragmatist (a practical philosophy for getting dressed, do get a copy of the book!)

ONE, TON, NONE

This principle is about where the eye lands — whether you’re looking at yourself in the mirror or standing in front of someone else. What we see influences how we feel, and the goal is to feel congruent, calm, and at ease. When I’m in front of you, I want to see you — the whole individual — not be distracted by what you’re wearing. Style, not stuff.

Here’s how it works:

ONE → Your eye lands on one standout element (a bold color, shape, or texture). “Your eye goes right to the one item on the body that is demanding, politely, the attention. One pop of color gives focus, where two pops can distract.”
TON → There’s a lot going on: a ton of color, pattern, volume, or print. The eye somehow takes it in as is, and you can see the individual. It works.
“When wearing full-blown colors and prints at once, your eye still lands in just one place. It is not drawn specifically here, or there, it just settles on the individual. A full flood of colors creates calm.”
NONE → Everything is quiet and tonal - none — think: monochromatic, minimal, harmonious.
“Dressing in tonal shades. There is no one particular focal point, as everything is playing at the same level, just in a range of shades.”

Why it matters

Applying the ONE, TON, NONE principle helps you (and your outfit) feel congruent. Because it’s a visual principle, allowing your style to be “an instant language” (Miuccia Prada). When your thoughts, feelings, and actions are in harmony with your words, actions, and visuals, there is congruence, and you feel great.

ONE, TON, NONE

“When your eye lands in just one place, it’s settling. Conversely, it’s a little jarring when your eye is darting from one spot to the next, and back again. You want to settle on the whole, but all you can see are the pieces.”

Amy Smilovic, The Creative Pragmatist (2nd ed., p. 163)

“WHERE IS MY EYE LANDING?”

I guess all I’m trying to say is: don’t be a Two. When the eye lands on two points of focus, it can’t relax. If you feel something is off, it’s probably because your outfit is a Two. That’s why, for example, matching your top to your shoes often feels off — it splits attention instead of creating unity.

I want to share a few outfits I currently feel good in — for inspiration and for training your eye. As you scroll, notice where your attention goes:

Does it land on One standout piece?
Or is there a Ton happening, your eye sees the full picture and it feels cohesive?
Or maybe it’s a None — neutral, minimal, everything blending, nothing is trying to be louder?

If your eye can rest, it means the look works. It means we feel calm, settled, and balanced. You’ll see, it’s all about balance.

Let me illustrate this in 14 points! If anything is unclear, please use the comments section to ask away!

14. A GREAT KNITTED VEST

This knitted vest is genius. I bought it the second it launched. It gives texture and warmth. If you’re always cold, don’t love bulky sleeves, or always need an extra layer, this is for you. On the left, I’m wearing my hair down, with black ballet flats and shorter black cotton trousers (more Skin). On the right, I’m wearing my hair up (more Skin) with floor-length black wool trousers and dark brown ballet flats. To your question, yes, I recommend the phone pouch: it can be worn in so many ways and it adds another layer of interest - visually - while being super pragmatic.

13. BLACK BASE, ONE FOCAL POINT

Where does your eye land? On the left, the suede greige belt is the focal point: interesting texture (suede) with metal (silver), while the rest is quiet. On the right, the metallic gold ballet flats are the one element catching your eye (most comfortable flats I own, by the way). The black bag goes with the black sweater (size up, I’m in a Medium!) and the barely there tortoise pendant.

12. THIS LEOPARD JACKET

This lights me up. So much. This is a fantastic way to create visual impact. This jacket (size up, I’m in a EU38) is making an from None to One. I love it over a full black base. Over a cream cashmere sweater, it works because it’s just echoing the jacket.

11. SEQUIN MAXI DRESS

With this dress, I’m ready for the festive invitations. It’s Arket (2022) (I’m in a 36) (in case you’re looking for it preloved). Some people would turn this outfit into a ton (adding a statement earring, a colorful sock/bag/shoe, more is more), but this is enough for me! Highly recommend wearing your sequin over black trousers (short trousers with open hair on the left, longer trousers with hair up on the right, for the right amount of skin). Love the phone pouch as an evening bag.

10. HIGH CONTRAST

I love the crisp white vintage 501. With a black sweater, it’s a high contrast outfit. And because nothing is ever black or white in life, I love to bridge this with a soft neutral, the olive green maxi leather tote bag (such a gem! under 300€!), and the metallic gold flats that I treat like a neutral.

9. TEXTURE / EVENING OUTFIT

Every woman needs an evening bra, you know, to wear under a blazer worn as a top. I recently found mine, black mesh leopard, so good — and it feels good. I love the gold necklace with the navy sporty nylon blazer. And the blazer can also go over a chunky 100% cotton sweater. A great tool to take your outfit from day to night.

8. A POP OF RED

Same outfit left and right, but adding this red scarf changes everything (it’s from an independent brand from Germany, great quality, made in Italy). Because it’s a bright red, it brings energy, an extra layer of interest + warmth. I can’t recommend this hack enough. When feeling low, add a pop of red. The grey (ring 2) bridges the black (ring 1) and red (ring 4). With this grey t-shirt (I sized up to a size L), just rolling up the sleeves a little bit is enough. The gold buckle on the bag is just enough, iykyk.

7. FROM SPRING/SUMMER TO FALL/WINTER

If you love the Vernon trousers (left, very flowy, very light) (I’m in a 34) but need something oh so warm and oh so cozy for winter, buy these trousers (right) (I’m in a XXS) (trust the size guide for waist measurements). It’s basically sweatpants cut like Tibi Sid jeans. Both trousers are a -ish, hard-to-define color, making everything feel calm and interesting (I wrote about those tones here). Amazing tip, trust me.

6. VINTAGE 501

I wrote about my 501 collection here. It’s my security blanket, classic and chill. If I’m showing the gold necklace, then I’d rather wear the brown ballet flats (but I’d NOT wear black ballet flats with the black sweater, that would make a sandwich). But if I’m wearing the metallic gold ballet flats, then I’d keep the rest quiet. It’s just me.

5. SOFT NEUTRALS

I put those two pictures side-by-side to show you how the rosewood blazer (Tibi, 2024, color is called cinnamon) is waking up my natural lip color (love!), and because it’s a soft neutral, I can pair it with the olive green big tote bag, and this makes a One outfit, over a black base. On the left, I love the gold and the olive green bag and green-ish grey-ish trousers. It feels congruent.

4. A GRAPHIC TEE

I designed this graphic tee (you can pre-order it now, worldwide shipping available) with a lot of bright colors to bring energy to any minimal outfit. Clearly, your eye lands on the design, creating a good One, and the rich color story creates a buffer to a rather high contrast outfit (white top vs. black bottoms). The tee is one size fits most, and an amazing conversation starter!

3. TRAVEL OUTFIT

I’m flying to Dubai tomorrow, and this is what I want to wear (left). Another pair of amazingly warm and cozy sweatpants with a sculptural shape (I’m wearing XXS). I’m planning to change to lighter trousers just before landing (right). The olive green bag (perfect personal item size, by the way) makes it a One, and without it, it would just be a None. Not bad, just seamlessly quiet.

2. GOLD OR RED, NOT BOTH

Do you see what I did here? I want to avoid wearing the gold ballet flats and the red scarf within the same outfit (unless it’s December 25th, maybe?). I love the bigness of this outfit - big chunky sweater + big grey-ish trousers + a great everyday bag. I just want your eye to settle either on the gold or on the red, and that’s when you know you have pieces in your wardrobe that function as tools, not just stuff. I’m telling you, keep shopping with me!

1. TEXTURE! SUEDE JACKET AND KNITTED VEST

I had to include this one because the knitted vest made me wear my suede jacket even more. Because it’s sleeveless, it adds warmth in the front and back without adding bulk in the sleeves, and as you know, a suede jacket is quite heavy and not so warm! I love the different textures here (the silver hardware, the suede, the smooth leather collar, the pattern on the knit vest…), while keep the color story tonal and neutral. Love!

INVITATION

I invite you to start documenting what you wear — no matter who you are, what you do, or where you’re going. Styling is a muscle, and I’m here to help you understand why something works (and why it doesn’t).
Take a mirror picture or a full-body picture, and create a “Bank of Outfits” folder on your phone. Not sure what to wear tomorrow? Choose one of my outfits above and recreate it using pieces from your own wardrobe. When you feel great in an outfit, pause and ask yourself why it worked (hint: it’s probably because the outfit is a One, or a Ton, or a None, and not a Two!). With pictures as evidence, you can reflect and train your eye. This way, you will refine your style and learn to trust your taste. Of course, you can also do it with other people’s outfits, by the way! You will never scroll the same way ever again, I know!! Have fun!

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