How many times have you gotten dressed in the morning, looked in the mirror, and felt like something was just … flat?! I’m here to tell you that you aren’t alone. The truth of the matter is, getting dressed is an art. It’s a creative challenge, which is why it can be such a challenge for many women. On top of the potential of being left-brained, our creativity flows in different ways. Some people have musical creativity, some are creative in art, some are creative writers, and some are creative with design or creating content. Most people just want to be able to “throw on some clothes” and expect them to look like a pulled-together outfit. My friend, I am here to tell you, it’s not that easy! Now, that may make you feel better or worse, I’m not sure, but I am going to help you out here and share some simple tips and tweaks you can make to your outfits (a check the box situation, if you will) as you get dressed in the morning!
Styling Makes The Difference
When you see this list, the tips will seem simple. It’s because they are! That is the beauty. If you want to see the impact that these simple tips will have on your overall look, I recommend that you take mirror pictures along the way. If you don’t know what a mirror picture is, it is quite simply, standing in front of a mirror and taking a picture of your entire outfit, head to toe. As you add a cuff or a tuck , you will see your outfit go from “blah” to STYLED! Tip: you do not need to use all of these tips in one outfit. The ones you choose will be outfit-dependent. Use your eye as a guide!
Cuff Your Jeans: Whether you are tall or short, this is a great tip. There are many different ways to cuff your jeans and I linked a video below. Watch to the very end of the video for an important tip when wearing ankle booties!
Cuffing your Jackets & Long-Sleeved Blouses and Shirts: Whenever I show this one, it blows people’s MINDS. Not to oversell, but here’s the situation: your wrist is going to be the slimmest part of your body. Fabric on your forearm adds bulk to your frame, so by cuffing your sleeves, you are highlighting the slimmest part AND removing bulk, so you look like you have lost 10 pounds without even hitting the gym! YES, PLEASE!
Shirt Tucks for the Win!: I am a huge fan of this tip. It’s visually appealing, particularly some of the “half tucks” because it creates a reverse v-taper which tricks the eye into seeing your waist as slimmer. Note: This video does not mention the back tuck, which is essentially the same as the front tuck, but on the back of your shirt.
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Pop that Collar: All things in Fashion become fashion again. This tip fits that statement. Give your collar a pop. Full Stop.
Shorten Your Shirt Without Alterations: Proportion is a very important factor when it comes to styling an outfit. That is where this tip is GOLD. Many times where our blouses and shirts hit our body, it creates the appearance of cutting your body in half, which is not a flattering look. If you have a longer shirt, you can create the appearance of longer legs, by tucking the bottom hem of your shirt into your bra (all the way around). If that seems too complicated, 😜 there’s a product called Tucky that you can purchase! Here is a photo of me with my shirt tucked into my bra underneath a cropped jacket.
Scarves are for more than your neck: I love a lightweight scarf. They are a simple way to add a pop of something EXTRA to your outfits. Of course, wear them as a scarf, but I am encouraging you to “think outside the neck” with this tip. In this first video, I’m showing you how to style your scarf as a belt. Take a look:
This next one shows how to wear your scarf as a bracelet!
The Third Piece Rule: I am going to say it RIGHT NOW: Consider yourself as walking out your door in underwear if you don’t apply this rule!! ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS add a third piece to your look. And not just any ol’ third piece, it needs to be on the TOP of your body, so shoes don’t count, friends! If you are wearing a top and a bottom, yes you are actually dressed, but you are not well-dressed. Add a jacket, a scarf, a cardigan, a belt, a necklace, a statement earring, or a hat to your look and your outfit will look much more elevated. See the below pictures. The difference of adding a third piece cannot be underestimated.
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| Two Pieces is Dressed |
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| Three pieces is WELL-DRESSED! |
Add some bling: You will hear me say time and time again that accessories are the icing on your outfit cake. I mentioned them in the Third Piece Rule section above, but they are so important that I am mentioning them again in their own section! You can use accessories strategically to bring the eye to wear you want it to go. A short and bold necklace can draw the eye up toward your face and a long pendant necklace can visually slim your body because it creates a “V”. If you are “blessed in the chest”, it can cut into your chest depth if you are wearing a top that does NOT have a v-neck and again, visually slim.
So, there you have it! Some easy and quick tips to take your outfits up a notch!
Stylishly Yours,
PS – Would you like to work with a seasoned Stylist who knows all the tricks to creating beautiful outfits that are in YOUR Signature Style? Check out my website here and then go ahead and schedule a FREE Consultation call to see how I can help YOU elevate your everyday look!