Street style photographer Tommy Ton's latest column made the case for personal style over trend-chasing, with a focus on the small details that give an outfit character. The quietest outfits usually rest on a few very good basics. A white Leset ribbed tee, Dolce & Gabbana's black wool trousers, a dark brown Saint Laurent belt with an oval gold buckle and Métier's black Tilt shoulder bag are a solid place to start.

Denim with room in it looks more relaxed and more deliberate than a skinny fit ever did. Agolde's dark pieced Luna barrel jeans pair with TWP's white poplin Boyfriend shirt, left untucked or half-tucked, and Gianvito Rossi's dark brown suede Georgie loafers keep it grown-up. Loewe's black Puzzle Fold XL tote holds a laptop without breaking the line.

One red piece against a neutral outfit is a very old trick that still works. Jacquemus's red croc-effect Le Petit Turismo bag is the accent here, set against Dôen's grey Darcy cardigan and Valentino's tan wool and silk straight trousers. The Row's crimson shearling-lined Stella ballet flats repeat the red at floor level, so the bag does not look like an accident.

When the skirt is good, everything else can be plain. Bernadette's navy satin Emily maxi skirt catches the light, and Khaite's black cropped short-sleeve Nora cardigan keeps the top half simple. Ann Demeulemeester's black Zoey ballet flats work for daytime, while Aeyde's black patent Almut knee boots take it into colder weather.

A neutral outfit only works if the fabrics are doing something. Róhe's beige double-breasted gabardine trench, Altuzarra's grey short-sleeve cashmere Otto sweater and MFPEN's dark grey wool New Taper trousers give three different textures in three close shades. Church's black Natalie loafers finish it with a bit of polish.

This is the most practical way to read street style, because none of it depends on the right invitation or the right weather. If you take one thing away, let it be that a quiet outfit still needs one point of interest, whether that is a red bag, a satin skirt or a good trench. We would skip the urge to buy an entire neutral wardrobe at once, since the appeal comes from pieces that have clearly been worn in. Start with the basics you reach for most and replace them one at a time as they wear out. Over a season or two, that adds up to a closet that looks considered without anyone quite knowing why.