I didn’t like my life, so I created my life.
—Coco Chanel
‘Trends come and go, style lasts forever.’
Styling is more than putting together a cute outfit. Your style should showcase who you are and make you feel good about it. Clothes should accentuate your features, fit you well, and always be of nice quality. Investing in pieces that last is a good way to accomplish this because they won’t fall apart and the fabric is nice enough that it will lay right and feel good on your skin. You should always read the care labels when washing things.
When shopping, it’s okay to buy pieces that stand out. Don’t stray away just because everyone says you need to wear neutrals. Get those too, but then get one color that really pops. I like to get clothes that match my eye color so it draws attention to one of my favorite features about myself. Buying clothes that look good with your skin, hair, and eye color is a really great way to ensure your clothes aren’t wearing you!
If you really want something that’s not in your size, get it in a size up and take it to the tailor! Even just a hem goes a long way.
My style is me.
Your personal style can have more than one general style. There’s no need to stick to one when we have multiple sides of our personalities and are in different moods each day. However, finding a few aesthetics you like can help you find your personal style.
The basics of building a wardrobe start with the basics. A white tank , a black tank, a white tee, a black tee, a grey long sleeves, a navy dress, a nice pair of blue jeans, a nice pair of looser pants whatever your preference, a pair of everyday shoes, and a pair of black high heels. These are your neutrals. However, these can all be swapped out for garments that show a little more personality. That white tee could be a V-neck, or a light blue babydoll top. Those blue jeans could be a cute skirt. Maybe you’re thinking “duh, that’s how getting dressed works.” I am just trying to break it down simply. If you have a closet full of basics, when you go to buy something bold, it won’t be as hard to think of an outfit to put together with it. If you are going to buy a mini skirt, buy it in black. If you are going to buy a lacy long sleeved top, get it in red. This way you can soften your outfits. If you want to keep it basic in color, you can always get interesting with texture and silhouette.
Those basic blue jeans would look super cute with a belt. Don’t forget about accessories! If your neck is exposed, add a necklace or a scarf. Add a few bracelets OR a pair of earrings. Add a bold lip OR a smokey eye. Decide silver or gold based on your outfit and skin tone, or mix and match. Wear heels instead of tennis shoes. Take your athletic wear and wear ballet flats with it if you’re going to yoga anyway.
The other thing to note is if you are going with a tighter shirt, a looser pair of pants is most flattering and vice versa. If you are going for a super textured top, go simple on the bottom, and vice versa. Layering is also a great way to add some texture.
The sandwich method.
The sandwich method is simple. Match whatever you are wearing on your top half to your bottom half, and “sandwich” something different in between. So let’s say you’re wearing a red shirt. Wear red shoes and black leather pants. You can layer that with a black leather jacket or accessorize with silver hoops, but red becomes the overall color theme and creates cohesion. This is the easiest way to look put together when you start styling yourself. The same can also go for textures and fabrics. That’s why I suggested a leather coat instead of a denim one. If you wanted to wear a soft headscarf on top, I would suggest wearing flats to pair the outfit together. Then you could wear dark denim instead of leather. If you want to wear a bold red lip, wear black heels or complimentary brown boots and a brown purse, too much red can start to look overdone. 3 colors max.
If you don’t have or want to wear the same color, go with a complimentary color. For example, pink top, blue shorts, white shoes. These are all in the same color palette. Maybe the pink top has a little bit of white on it. A seasonal addition depends on the weather. If it’s a cool summer day, wearing a cami, jeans, and flip-flops, sandwiches the jeans between an otherwise beachy look. Wearing a plaid skirt with burgundy shoes, brings out the burgundy in the plaid, so wearing a white shirt and a tan jacket doesn’t take away from that. If you have a lot going on with your top, like a turtleneck sweater, wear your hair up. Even if you wear a mini skirt, wearing knee-high boots is still seasonal sandwiching. Black knee high boots are a staple to have actually because they go with almost anything and can be worn almost anytime. That navy dress is also a staple for an office job, friend’s birthday, or dinner date. It can be dressed up or down and paired with a light bag and nude shoes.
The only exception to this rule is a monochromatic look. This is my favorite way to look chic. Matching sets are so easy they require little to no thought when deciding what to wear. However, you can still sandwich with textures or even wear 3 different textures, as long as they are in the same category of clothing. These categories depend on activities and occasions. For example, a ribbed knit sweater looks good with ribbed knit pants or wool slacks. It wouldn’t look good with athletic leggings because this fabric is in a totally different ‘category’ of dress. A pair of cotton leggings pairs better. Shoes always dress a look up or down. If you are hanging out with a friend, a comfy pair of shoes with a sheer scarf and small bag is fine, but if you’re going to the office, wearing a pair of loafers with a gold buckle and gold earrings looks better. A bigger black bag looks professional. A neutral blazer is a great piece, as well and can be worn monochromatically, sandwiched, or not. These are not the only two methods of styling of course, there are more fun ways to express yourself but when you are shopping for a capsule wardrobe these methods help make multiple outfits.
Express yourself.
Your wardrobe can help you find yourself, and express yourself. Shopping to build your wardrobe is better than shopping when you need something to wear for a specific event. That way you can pick a beautiful dress you want to wear for multiple occasions. You can wear your 100% linen pants for multiple beach trips instead of buying a linen blend pair because they’re on sale. Red blush can be applied lightly or heavily based on the rest of your look. Don’t think too much about it, buy floral if you like floral, buy sparkles if you like sparkles.
Never let anyone dull your sparkle.