Two tones for the price of one with these stylish sweaters.

While the overlords of Silicon Valley may eschew sartorial variety in favour of an identical daily uniform (see Mr Mark Zuckerberg’s grey T-shirt and the late Mr Steve Jobs’ black rollneck), there is much pleasure to be found in expressing the multi-faceted nature of our personalities through our clothing. It is of course possible to have too much variety – we’re not suggesting you take style tips from Mr Władziu Valentino Liberace (though in these days of Gucci, who knows) – but there are effective ways to add a touch of pizzazz to your look without going over the top. Case in point: the two-tone sweater, a foolproof way to bring some colour and contrast to any outfit, and one that happens to be spattered throughout this autumn’s collections. While wearing a two-tone sweater is really quite straightforward (because, when it comes to colour pairing, the designer has presumably done much of the work for you), that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to maximise its appeal – we’ve outlined a few tips below.

A blue sweater is a solid and versatile addition to any wardrobe, but this variegated one from John Smedley is double the fun. Keep a sartorial surprise up your sleeve by wearing it under this navy jacket from NN07, which will keep the brighter shade hidden so there aren’t too many blues vying for attention. Imagine the faces of dazzled surprise when you take your coat off… fantastic, eh?

While two-tone usually means colour, it doesn’t have to stop there – this waffle knit/cable knit hybrid from Italian brand Barena takes the idea of sartorial contrast to new levels, combining all the textural charm of two sweaters into one. Wear it with wool trousers, such as this pair from Club Monaco, for another textural dimension that will keep your legs warm, too.

A two-tone sweater doesn’t have to mean high-contrast; darker shades can work just as well together, too. A good example is this cosy pullover from Comme des Garçons SHIRT, with a jagged green hem reminiscent of a range of fir trees. Think of it as Ms Rei Kawakubo’s take on the jolly Christmas sweater. Of course, when wearing a two-tone piece, you can pick either of its colours to continue in the rest of this outfit – try this out here with a pair of deep green Stan Smiths from adidas Originals.