5 Spring Athleisure outfits, but Tone-on-Tone with Leggings

I wear a lot of athleisure. In fact, my personal style description includes that exact word. If your style personality is more relaxed or sporty (or you’re just looking for workout look inspiration!), this post may be for you.

But how to elevate an athleisure look–especially when wearing casual outfits with leggings? Going monochromatic (or monochromatic-ish), or tonally close. Of course, if one hue is too much, you can break up the look with off white, white or another neutral such as beige, black or grey.

You can also break a monochromatic look with a contrasting color jacket or sneaker or a patterned item. I did this in a couple of outfits below.

However, the trick to tonal outfits, athleisure or not, is to play around with various tones, ranging from dark to light. For instance, you could mix charcoal with light grey or taupe with beige. Going too matchy-matchy with the same color head to toe will make you look like crayon.

And I possibly looked like a green one in one of my sporty leggings outfit below, but I’ll let you be the judge 😉

Tone on Tone athleisure outfits I’m wearing this spring

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Beige, Taupe & Off White

If it’s raining or cold, I’m ready with my merino wool leggings and rain jacket. I bought this one from Rains a few months ago and it’s amazing. It acts like a mid-season trench, but completely waterproof.

I’ve gotten many compliments on it the few times I’ve bought it. It’s light, sleek well finished and easily packable.

I’ve mixed a few shades of beige/taupe/khaki and off white in this mix. Don’t worry if shades vary slightly, because when you have a few neutral shades in similar tones going on in the same outfit, things tend to balance themselves out.

Or you can base your styling on 1 item and work in everything else from there.

For instance, I used the leggings as a base and took inspiration from the beige/orange/off white colors. I then coordinated with the other pieces accordingly.

Of course, the pop of orange isn’t aligned, but it works!

Olive, Bright Green & Camo

I.’ve been obsessed with green and olive for some time now. Clearly enough to make head-to-toe green athleisure outfits!

I had fun with this one, experimenting which green pieces complemented others. I wasn’t too sure how the apple green pieces would combine with the khakier-toned ones, but they work!

The jacket was the inspiration here. It works as the monochromatic green piece that binds all others together. I love the pops of off-white from the shoes, socks and hoodie cord.

Taupe with Off-White

I didn’t realize I had more than 1 shade of purpley-taupe (brown?) in my closet to make an outfit, but here we are.

The sweatshirt and biker shorts are fairly close in color, and the lighter taupey-beige shade in the sneakers brings it all together. the socks weren’t quite the right shade, but I don’t think it matters too much with the leggings being short.

In this outfit, the off whites in the hoodie string and sneakers add a little pop and balance out nicely.

Grey Tonal

This outfit is a true greyscale, from white to light to charcoal shades. These are mostly older pieces that I unearthed in my wardrobe. As you can see, the jacket is a bit pilly, but it’s cozy and the perfect sweater coat for chiller days.

And of course, my favorite, most comfortable sneakers: my New Balance 990s. Best purchase ever. I’ve reviewed them over on my shoe blog!

Green & Khaki

Another sporty outfit with leggings; another all green outfit–including my hat! And yes, I have been wearing one because it’s cold in Toronto.

I’ve had the olive/black leggings that I scored from Lululemon on sale for 8+ years now and are still amazing!

Now that I look at this outfit, I think a black hat and backpack could have worked better, but I don’t have either, so bright green it was.

That’s why I recommend to my clients to photograph their outfits. You never know what ideas might pop up to improve the look. Or nix is altogether!

Plum & Beige

Another mauve outfit, but a darker plum shade. With pops of beige and off-white, it’s not fully tone-on-tone, but I love how the quilted jacket and sneaker/sock combo balance out the darker leggings/cardigan base.

This will be a great transitional casual outfit for going into Fall, as I grabbed my very warm cashmere cardi, which is one of the coziest sweaters from my closet!

Shop Featured Outfits

Here’s an Athleisure outfit challenge for you!

I hope you had fun looking/reading at my outfits and what went through my mind when I put them together.

I challenge you to put together some monochromatici-ish outfits this week! Whether it’s a casual, business casual or athleisure fits.

You may discover (like I did!) that you have much more of a color that you thought, while possibly pushing yourself into a different style territory.

Experimenting is the best way to find what you love most and get closer a true personal style 🙂

Have questions, or need some fashion feedback? Join my Free private Facebook Group and ask away!

Happy Styling!