36 Classy Nail Designs With Sophisticated Vibes

close up of gold, abstract manicure — @glosshouse / Instagram

So often, people assume that nail art must be inherently bold. On the contrary, we're here to shed a little light on elevated nail designs that are subtle enough for conservative work environments and sophisticated enough for black-tie affairs. The color palettes are largely more neutral and the designs more simple, but let us be clear: These nail art ideas are anything but boring.

Keep reading to discover dozens of subtle-yet-elevated, classy nail art ideas. Be sure to screenshot the ones you want to recreate so that you have an inspiration image on hand for your manicurist (or yourself).

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Two-Lined Gold Tips

pale nails with gold two lined tips — @thehangedit / Instagram

We love this simple and elegant mani that gets a dose of glam via the gold tips. Here, a shimmery gold fully outlines the tips, making the fingers look like pieces of jewelry.

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Pale Pink Marble

Pink Marble nails — @lolo.nailedit / Instagram

You can embrace one of the season's prettiest nail trends while still embracing an office-friendly nail look. Case in point: These pretty pale pink marble nails. Here's hoping they'll give you the power of rose quartz while you wear them.

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Matte Neutrals

Matte neutral beige nail manicure — @betina_goldstein /Instagram

We love a neutral nail, but adding a matte topcoat ensures the look is ultra-classy. If this look is too simple for your tastes, try adding a single patterned nail art to add some whimsy.

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Pearl Accent

French manicure with one pearl on each nail — @thehangedit / Instagram

A French manicure is as classy as it gets, but with the addition of one pearl on each nail, the look veers into special-occasion territory. Try using flat-back nail charms like these ($7) to replicate the look.

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Alternating Black and White Dots

simple nails with black and white dots — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

This Chanel-inspired manicure is elegant and still simple. Here, each nails gets a clear base, but over top are black and white dots (one on each nail, in alternating colors).

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Pale Base With Gold Hearts

Pale clear nails with small gold hearts on each — @themimid / Instagram

These clean and simple nails get a (tiny) dose of drama thanks to diminutive gold hearts painted on each. You could use a nail sticker to replicate the look, or try painting a heart using a toothpick.

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Peachy Nude

Nude nails with rounded tips — @glosshouse / Instagram

An elevated nail look can be as simple as picking a gorgeous subtle hue. Take one look at these peachy nails, and you'll know what we mean.

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Stacked Jewels

Gemstones go a long way when it comes to creating elegant nail looks. This one would be perfect for a bride (or anyone who loves a little bling).

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Abstract Champagne

Champagne manicure with abstract designs on top — @glosshouse/ Instagram

This manicure might be abstract, but thanks to the subtle, glimmering nail shade, it offers a sophisticated, artsy vibe. Best of all, since it's abstract, it's easy to recreate. Dip a toothpick or dotting tool into rose gold nail polish and twirl it along each nail. Finish with topcoat.

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Traced in White

White Border nails with french manicure — @amyytran/ Instagram

Achieving an elevated nail look doesn’t require covering all of your nails in full coats of color. Here, you can see how stunning white outlines and well-placed gems and dots can enhance your look in a minimalist way.

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Short Acrylics

square clear acrylic nails — @beautyof3_ / Instagram

Milky pink ombré nails? Talk about the most gorgeous subtle acrylics.

Byrdie Tip

One secret to a clean mani is to gently buff nails first, to help polish to stay in place. Use a high grit buffer, such as OPI Edge White 240 Grit File ($2) with a light touch, and focus on the cuticle area.

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Glitter Ombré

purple Glitter Ombre nails — @lolo.nailedit / Instagram

Pale purple glitter ombré? Yes, please! We love how the deeper color sits on the tips of the nails, moving into a lighter hue toward the cuticle.

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Rounded French Tips

Point blank: You can never go wrong with a classic French manicure. For a look like this, ask your manicurist to make the tips bright white, for contrast.

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Gold Glitter Chevron

Gold glitter chevron over dark berry creates an eye-catching contrast that’s sophisticated and fun.

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Moody French Mani

Jewel-toned tip nails with clear base — @amyytran/ Instagram

If you love a French mani's look but want to get creative with the colors, opting for a fall-and-winter-friendly palette maintains an elevated vibe.

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Black French Tips

Another option is to transform the classic French manicure into a black-tipped beauty. It’s a particularly fabulous option for black-tie affairs.

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Sparkly Mauve

Glittery pink nails can look sophisticated, too. Just opt for a mauve hue and trace the bottom with a solid metallic silver to balance the whimsical hue.

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Subtle Acrylics

Subtle Acrylic nails with French tip and square tip — @nailssbymk / Instagram

Acrylic nails don’t have to be incredibly long. These square-tipped nails prove it. They also show just how alluring an asymmetric take on French tips can look.

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Milky Brown Diagonal Tips

Milky Brown geometric Tip nails — @iramshelton/ Instagram

Minimalist brown-dipped tips? Absolutely. (P.S. Nail striping tape will make recreating this nail look a cinch.)

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Khaki and Gold

Khaki and gold can make for quite the pairing. Plus, negative space gives the manicure a clean grow-out.

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Nude Hearts

manicure with khaki nails and Nude Heart details — @amyytran/ Instagram

Even seasonal nails can look sophisticated with the right design elements. Just look at these heart nails. With nude backgrounds and ultra-fine white lining, they look positively demure.

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Geometric Negative Space

Looking for a sophisticated manicure worthy of a black-tie affair? Look no further than these geometric stunners.

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Gold Foil Speckles

Diagonal mauve tips with gold flakes throughout? It’s one abstract design that looks subtle and undoubtedly elevated.

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Velvet Nails

Velvet nails are a great option for elevated nails, as the polish alone creates an sophisticated end look.

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Mauve Diagonals

clear nails with Mauve Diagonal details — @amyytran/ Instagram

Of course, if you prefer to keep it as simple as possible, opting to keep gold flakes out of the picture makes for a pretty manicure, too.

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Cloud-Like Tips

Cloud Tipped nail manicure — @amyytran / Instagram

Whether you see hearts or clouds, these playful gold and white nails offer a fun yet sophisticated vibe.

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Berry Fade

Manicure with nails in alternating berry shades — @the_gelbottle_inc / Instagram

Want to get in on the rainbow nail trend without actually wearing a bold rainbow? This pink-to-berry ombré grasps the trend while looking office-friendly.

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Minimalist Art Deco

Prefer to make more of a statement with your nails? These subtle art deco nails will make you swoon.

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Neutral Acrylics

Acrylic nails are often automatically viewed as bold. However, if you opt for a neutral polish color, you can embrace the idea of subtle acrylics.

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Tortoiseshell Tips

Tortoiseshell tips are the perfect option for the person who wants to get in on the latest nail trends without rocking a fully bold manicure.

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Chocolate Drip

manicure with alternating neutral colors and one statement nail with marbled detail — @bysadiedaisy / Instagram

This water-marbled brown ombre manicure is giving us major milk chocolate-caramel vibes. It’s a sweet look.

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Lilac Stunners

Lilac nails with gold foil detail — @paintboxnails / Instagram

Carefully placed gold foil can go a long way. One look at these proves that they're magically elegant.

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Glitter Halfsies

half clear half glitter manicure — @iramshelton / Instagram

Opting for only half a nail’s worth of glitter makes for a fun-yet-elegant nail look. And good news: It’s easy to recreate. Start with a base coat, then apply a strip of nail tape down the middle of each nail, and paint glitter polish on the side of the tape. Remove the tape once fully dry and finish with a topcoat.

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Nude Fade

This is probably the subtlest rainbow mani we’ve ever seen. We love the mix of neutral tones.

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Tiny Evil Eyes

Teeny evil eyes make for almost undetectable nail art. In other words, très elevated.

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Nude Abstract

Nude and white always pair beautifully for a simple (but stunning) look. This one, in particular, is easy to DIY. All you need is a nude base with white squiggles and dots on top.

36 Classy Nail Designs With Sophisticated Vibes

36 Classy Nail Designs With Sophisticated Vibes

Two-Lined Gold Tips

Pale Pink Marble

Matte Neutrals

Pearl Accent

Alternating Black and White Dots

Pale Base With Gold Hearts

Peachy Nude

Stacked Jewels

Abstract Champagne

Traced in White

Short Acrylics

Glitter Ombré

Rounded French Tips

Gold Glitter Chevron

Moody French Mani

Black French Tips

Sparkly Mauve

Subtle Acrylics

Milky Brown Diagonal Tips

Khaki and Gold

Nude Hearts

Geometric Negative Space

Gold Foil Speckles

Velvet Nails

Mauve Diagonals

Cloud-Like Tips

Berry Fade

Minimalist Art Deco

Neutral Acrylics

Tortoiseshell Tips

Chocolate Drip

Lilac Stunners

Glitter Halfsies

Nude Fade

Tiny Evil Eyes

Nude Abstract

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