Save this story Save Story Save this story Tommy Ton has always had a unique point of view on what makes an outfit sing. One of fashion’s earliest street style photographers, his subjects—individuals with style and substance in equal measure—aren't following trends. They’re expressing something deeper, and that difference is what makes his shots so compelling. Sure, the clothes are always great, but his takes capture the true essence of the wearer. In monthly installments surrounding a fashion theme, he'll explore the outfits that caught his eye and why. Here’s Tommy’s Take.
Is more more, or is less more? For years, we’ve been told that good taste is knowing when to stop. Coco Chanel’s famous advice of looking in the mirror before leaving the house and removing one thing has become something of a fashion commandment for many. But I’ve always wondered what happens when we do the opposite. What if, instead of taking something away, you add another necklace, another ring, another earring, another bracelet? What if the most interesting thing about getting dressed is not knowing when to stop, but having the confidence not to?
After seasons of quiet luxury and wardrobes edited down to the essentials, I find myself drawn to a more expressive approach to accessorizing. Somewhere along the way, restraint became synonymous with sophistication, and the absence of adornment was elevated into a marker of taste. But minimalism, for all its elegance, can become its own uniform. When everyone is wearing the same monogram pendant or oversized belt buckle, how much individuality is left?
Jewelry is most interesting when it disrupts that uniformity. I love the woman with rings on nearly every finger, a wrist stacked with cuffs and bracelets, necklaces layered at different lengths and crowded with pendants, and earrings that seem to be having a conversation of their own. There is something wonderfully assured about a look that refuses to be fully resolved. It doesn’t ask whether every piece matches, whether the proportions are balanced, or whether one more accessory might be too much. It simply embraces the pleasure of wearing what you love.
What strikes me most about this more-is-more approach is that it rarely feels calculated. The best examples are always a little imperfect: a delicate chain mixed with a heavy pendant; a diamond ring beside an inexpensive silver band; a charm-laden brooch that clinks with every movement. Nothing needs to match, nor should it. The most compelling combinations look as if they came together over time, collected from different places, people, and phases of one’s life. The result feels lived-in rather than meticulously styled.
Perhaps this is why the current appetite for accessorizing feels so refreshing. Not everything needs to be versatile, timeless, or sensible. Some things are worth wearing simply because they make you happy.
So the next time you reach for just one necklace, consider adding another. Then perhaps a third. Put on the rings you usually save for evenings out, stack your bracelets, and let the earrings be a little outrageous. You can always take something off. But there is a certain joy in discovering that you don’t want to.
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In an industry as vast and layered as fashion, it’s worth asking: who inspires the tastemakers? Who shapes the eye of the people who decide what is photographed and published, what earns a place on the runway, and what ultimately finds its way onto the racks of the world’s most coveted department stores?
Designers long occupied the highest tier of fashion’s hierarchy of influence. Together with editors, journalists, stylists, and buyers, they defined what we desired before we had the language to desire it ourselves. Now that we live under the influence of algorithms and celebrity and influencer culture, genuine style has become increasingly difficult to distinguish from mere visibility. True originality is quieter—and infinitely more compelling.
Several times a year, the industry converges on the world’s fashion capitals. Equal parts work and reunion, Fashion Week carries the unmistakable energy of summer camp, bringing together friends and colleagues who have spent months apart. Between the action of the shows themselves, another spectacle quietly unfolds on the sidewalks and in the queues. Fashion Week remains one of the world’s greatest people-watching opportunities.
It is often here, unexpectedly, that the most memorable style reveals itself. Not on the runway, but on an unfamiliar face glimpsed again and again throughout the week. You begin to notice the subtle details: the effortless knot of a belt cinching a jacket, the unexpected layering of heirloom pendants, the confidence of someone dressing entirely for themselves rather than for the cameras. Before long, you’ve developed a style crush on someone whose name you may never learn.
This is an ode to those women: the ones who influence the influential. The insiders whose instinct, rather than their following, has earned the admiration of fashion’s most discerning insiders. They are, quite simply, your favorite fashion insider’s favorite fashion insider.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton The Bra Top Grows Up Gabriella Karefa-Johnson proves the bra top has graduated beyond the beach. Layered beneath an oversized cotton poplin shirt and paired with a lace-trim slip skirt, the look feels effortlessly city-ready, while Chanel’s cap-toe pumps add the perfect finishing touch.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton Wear White, Stay Cool There’s a reason white dominates every summer wardrobe: it reflects heat while always looking polished. Black accessories, including Prada’s pouch-shaped bag—the silhouette of the season—give the monochromatic look welcome definition.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton The New Way to Wear Sheer Go beyond bohemian styling. Marta Oldrini proves a sheer skirt can feel decidedly city-ready, pairing the airy silhouette with this summer’s trending butter yellow, minimalist flip-flops, and understated accessories for a look that feels perfectly at home on the streets of Paris—even in a heatwave.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton Denim Gets Room to Breathe Heatwaves demand a softer take on denim. Swap rigid silhouettes for a breezy chambray shirt and relaxed jeans—a combination that feels just as polished, but far more comfortable.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton The Not-So-Short Shorts The Row’s impeccably tailored shorts offer a polished alternative to the casual cutoffs of summers past. Finished with sleek loafers—a refreshing change from the season’s ubiquitous sandals—the result is effortlessly chic for city dressing.
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Photographed by Tommy Ton Let the Skirt Do the Talking The easiest way to style a statement skirt? Keep everything else understated. A simple tank creates the perfect backdrop, while snakeskin shoes—the exotics trend is maintaining its stronghold—add just the right amount of fashion polish.
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Tommy’s Take on the Joy of Accessorizing Fashion experts have always emphasized investing in a wardrobe of foundational essentials: the perfect white shirt, a tailored suit, a little black dress, and so on. But once you’ve found those building blocks, the next question becomes: how do you avoid getting caught up in the constant seasonal cycle of trends just to make your closet feel relevant again?
The answer is quite simple: focus on accessories. Small accents, whether it’s a bag in an interesting color, a brooch that has a deeper meaning, or a belt that invites a closer look, can instantly give your wardrobe more clarity and a fresh perspective. Clothes come and go, but a beautifully curated collection of accessories stays in rotation for longer than a single season when you invest wisely in the right pieces. After all, no one ever said you can have too many accessories.
The Red Knit Suzie Kondi Kadria cardigan Jump to review $775 SUZIE KONDI
The Silver Cuff Agmes Jean cuff Jump to review $1,550 SHOPBOP
The Wallet-as-Belt Savette Symmetry wallet Jump to review $690 SAVETTE
The Printed Scarf Celine printed silk scarf Jump to review $590 MR. PORTER
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If there has been one brand that has sparked a renewed interest in accessorizing, it’s without a doubt Celine under Michael Rider. From the very first look of his debut collection, what immediately caught your eye was that wrist full of charm bracelets, the hand stacked with rings, and the oversized gold medallion belt buckle slightly peeking out from beneath a blazer. It was a sign that all those never-ending discussions about quiet luxury were finally going to be put to rest.
It was a clever exercise in merchandising as well, as you couldn’t help but be drawn to all those delicious accessories that perfectly accented each look. It was like a fashion enthusiast’s version of walking into a candy store. Whether it was a silk foulard effortlessly tied around a model’s jacket or half-tucked beneath a lapel, it made you want to replicate the styling and adopt it into your wardrobe immediately. You could sense that this collection was going to influence fashion at the highest level before trickling down to the masses; the true mark of an impactful collection is when its imprint can be seen on fashion insiders the following season.
Fast-forward nine months later to Paris Fashion Week, outside a show at the Petit Palais, and all those chic gestural styling cues from the Celine runway had made their way to the street in an unexpected masterclass in styling. Caught in conversation, it was quite a sight to see how three fashion professionals (Sarah Park, Ramya Giangola, and Lisa Aiken) unintentionally complemented one another and somehow captured the mood of the moment.
Everything that felt timeless yet modern was there: glimpses of bold primary colors, subtle accents of gold and silver hardware, small leather wallets and pouchettes, and classic black frames. It was very much in the French way of dressing, where the individual nuances of each look made you curious and encouraged you to reconsider what you already own. After closely scanning each look from head to toe, it became clear that each of these women had adopted elements of the Celine preppy bourgeois aesthetic. Yet it wasn’t a head-to-toe runway look that made their outfits stand out. Rather, it was the fact that each woman carefully borrowed styling cues from Celine and made them distinctly her own. You could easily sense the playfulness and joy in the way they got dressed.
What’s crucial when reevaluating your wardrobe each season is looking for pieces that offer day-to-night versatility and can be effortlessly thrown together without too much thought. Practicality matters, but it’s also about allowing yourself to step slightly outside your comfort zone. Whether it’s buying the right jewelry or embracing color, you don’t want to feel intimidated by your accessories or uncertain about when it’s appropriate to wear them. You want these timeless investment pieces to feel like lifelong treasured friends that come out to play when the occasion is right. They are ultimately what truly bring an outfit together.
A Touch of Red With a nod to the Celine Spring 26 runway, Lisa Aiken nonchalantly drapes a bold printed Celine silk foulard off her shoulder in a way that feels modern and chic. The flashes of rouge red from her Khaite pouchette and scarf perfectly balance the gold accents.
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Something Old, Something New, Something Blue Ramya Giangola effortlessly remixes old Celine by Phoebe Philo with new Celine by Michael Rider in her own unique way that ticks all the boxes. From the large gold medallion belt to the silk foulard tied with small leather pouchettes, they instantly give her vintage Celine skirt from spring 2010 a playful update.
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Double Trouble Sarah Park’s monochromatic layers of red knits are a classic nod to the American Parisian preppy trend but with a more refined elevated take as she perfectly pairs the right amount of costume jewelry completed by her signature belted duo of mini wallets from The Row.
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Source: Lifestyle
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