1. Prepare your clothes.
I put this one as #1 because it is my most often neglected (hello, laziness), but can oftentimes make all the difference. Going the extra step before you even put on your clothes can clean up your entire outfit. Check for loose threads, loose buttons, and wrinkles.
Some things that help me to keep my clothes ready to go is making sure that they are put away in the best condition they can be, rather than waiting until I am ready to wear them. If clothes need mending, I put them in a separate pile out of my closet, so I can fix them before putting them on. I love wrinkle release spray and hanging my item in the bathroom while I am taking a hot shower as alternatives to whipping out the steamer or the iron.
Preparing your clothes also means choosing clothes that fit and getting rid of ones that don’t. Remember that your body is not supposed to change to fit your clothes, change the fit of your clothes or choose new pieces.
2. Play with proportions: fold, tuck, & scrunch
Remember the rule of thirds. Our eyes naturally gravitate to threes. Think about your outfit or your body being in 3 sections– head to waist, waist to knees, calves to feet. This will help you to divide your outfit into threes to be visually proportional. Tucking in shirts, whether that is a full-tuck, half-tuck, or french-tuck helps to balance out these proportions. It also works for individual pieces like long sleeve shirts. Sometimes scrunching up a sleeve or folding it up, can help to make a more relaxed feel as well as create more interest in the 3 sections that you would break your arms down to.
3. Consider textures
Are the materials of your clothing all the same texture or similar materials? If so, this often makes your look feel bland, and you need to switch out some textures or add some on. This can look like adding in metallic texture like jewelry, which can make your outfit more interesting. It can also be a great opportunity to layer; let’s say that you are wearing leggings and a simple tee. Instead of throwing a cardigan or a sweatshirt on, lean towards a different texture outer layer like a jean jacket or a leather jacket. Neither of these are knit materials and have different tactile and visual textures than the knit materials in the existing outfit.
4. Find a focal point
When people look at your outfit, what is the first thing they look at? If you can’t answer this question, you most likely don’t have a focal point. Let’s go back to our previous tee and legging example where your plain tee serves as a blank canvas to add layered necklaces, a bandana, or a fun pair of shoes. This also works for dressier outfits. Add a belt to a dress, or a pair of statement earrings, or a headband.
5. Do a head-to-toe check before heading out
If you don’t already have a full-length mirror, this is a great time to invest in one. It helps you to see your entire look. Before leaving, do a quick full body scan and use these questions to guide your process:
- Is your hair the way you want it? Sometimes if my look feels a bit too dressy, I toss my hair in a ponytail to make it more casual. Or if I’m trying to be a bit more professional, I put it in a half-up-half-down situation (cute clips also help to make this even more polished).
- Are these earrings adding or distracting from my outfit?
- Do I need a necklace?
- Do I need another layer, like a tissue turtleneck underneath, or a cardigan on?
- Is there enough happening on my hands and wrists? I wear my Apple Watch on most days and I like to wear a leather band with it as well as add some bracelets to make it blend better with my outfit. If you are going somewhere dressy, I highly recommend leaving your watch at home or in your purse. It can often make the look sportier than intended.
- Do I need rings?
- Do I need a belt?
- Are my shoes working?
This process also helps to remove anything that you think might be too much. Remember that these are some design tips to pull together looks, not rules, so go with what you like the best.
A polished look is made with the few extra steps and little details that help to pull everything together and they can vary for each person. These are just a few tricks to help you out and of course not the only ones to pull a look together.
Please share your favorite tips or any others you love!
