Knowing where to start when it comes to sophisticating your style can be difficult. Influencers on the internet posting GRWMs and OOTDs can get intimidating if you’re used to a sweatpants and hoodie every day. When everywhere you look, it’s layering and using clothing pieces in ways you never would have thought of, it’s understandable to give up altogether. The truth of the matter is that the tutorial level of elevating your style isn’t too difficult when you’re not lost in a boss fight with 4 belts.
Now there’s nothing wrong with dressing comfy. Plenty of people are just fine dressing comfy and that completely okay. However, I’ve met plenty that wish they were more fashionable but simply don’t want to go through the awkward in between stage where they’re still finding their look. Especially once you’re already an adult, that’s an incredibly valid thing to fear. So for those that aren’t ready quite yet for fur coats and the Prada wearing devil, here’s your beginner’s guide to style.
Basic Isn’t Bad
A lot of people seem to give the impression that high fashion should be the standard. You don’t need a ton of accessories and add ons to make a nice outfit. If it’s the summertime, in some places, it’s almost dangerous to add too many layers. Something I like to live by is the “sandwich method” All you need is a pair of shoes that match your shirt. Literally, that’s it. You can wear whatever pants you like and your next step is simple. Match your shoes to your top. This doesn’t necessarily mean in color either. Most people don’t have a rainbow of shoes in their closet. But in style and vibe, the gates are wide open.
Keeping with the theme of color, something I find really helpful is this rule: every bold clothing piece needs a buddy somewhere else. If you’ve got on a red jacket, a red hair piece or purse ties it in. If you’re somebody that isn’t averse to bold makeup, that can also be a way to tie in a colorful accessory. A statement piece on its own is great, but sometimes it’s easier to balance it out across the look.
Visual interest
Just a little bit of visual interest can really make a difference. A really common strategy for fashion is that if an outfit isn’t interesting by color, then it should be interesting by texture. If it’s not interesting by texture, it should be interesting by shape. If not shape, then back to color. This is a really easy way to step up from a black hoodie and black pants. (Which, again, is completely fine if that’s what you prefer.) “interesting” doesn’t necessarily mean wild or bold either. “Interesting” can be a nicely colored t-shirt with blue jeans. It might be a cable knit sweater that draws attention to the lines going up and down. It might mean a pair of jeans that flare at the knees to create a silhouette that catches the eye. Doing something simple to stand out a little from a crowd of people is a really easy way to step up your style game. “Interesting by color” might even be monochrome in a bright color that pops against an increasingly drab world.
Accessories: Starting small
Sophisticating your style doesn’t have to mean adding so many accessories that you feel like you’re walking in a swimming pool all day. However, having an all or nothing mentality about it is not needed either. A daily necklace or bracelet is a nice way to add some shine to a look. Alternatively, belts are great for more than just their functional purpose! Adding a belt to a pair of jeans and a t-shirt is a really amazing and simple way to immediately enhance a look. It speaks to an effort put into the outfit that wouldn’t be as clear without it. Hats or other hair pieces are another great way to add a touch of extra effort to an outfit without doing too much work. (Those are a great way to use that sandwich method from before by the way.) Basically, finding ways to make people think that you took longer to get ready than you did is the goal with this tip.
Confidence is key
Pardon the cliché but it really is true! I am a very firm believer in the idea that if you hate the way you look in whatever you’re wearing people can tell, but if your clothes make you feel good about yourself, people can really tell. I also firmly believe that I’ve never seen somebody that is not good-looking unless their personality is nasty. Confidence means nothing if you’re a bully. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter if you’re following any of the “rules” of fashion if you can’t express yourself. There are so many fashion styles and subcultures to look into when finding ways to elevate your look. One of them, multiple of them, or even a mismatch of everything you see is going to make you feel good about the way you look and the way people in the world are perceiving you. That’s what matters in all of this, curating a wardrobe that gives a snapshot into the person that you see in the mirror and recognize as someone that uplifts everything you are and want to be.
Fashion is not a luxury for the rich with tailors and stylists. Neither is it something to be locked behind perceived walls of natural talent. Sure there might be some growing pains as you find a look that suits you and makes you happy, but in the end it pays off. I leave you with what I believe is a basic fact of life: When you look good, you feel good, and it’s really not that hard to look good.