Sick of having a closet full of clothes but feeling like you have nothing to wear? Here are my top 22 fashion styling tips that will make you love your outfit every day.
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“I have nothing to wear.”
I’m sure all of us have had this feeling at some point (despite the closet full of clothes right in front of us).
Some of us may feel like this when we get an invite to an event or make plans with our girlfriends, while others may experience this feeling every day while getting dressed.
These 22 tried and true styling tips will help you learn how to style clothes you already have so you can start dressing like your true self and feeling more comfortable and confident in your clothes.
22 fashion styling tips that will make you love your outfit every day
1. Start with a piece you genuinely love
When you think of your wardrobe, which pieces stand out as your favorites? Figure out what pieces make you feel your best and realistically work in your day-to-day life, then use those pieces as a starting point when you’re not sure what to wear. And don’t be afraid to re-wear your favorite items – styling them will become easier and easier and the pieces will become a staple of your personal style.
2. Play dress up with your closet
If you feel stuck with your wardrobe, my next fashion styling tips is to set aside some time to experiment with your closet. Pair together pieces you typically wouldn’t and try to reimagine old pieces as something new.
Challenging myself to actually wear the items in my wardrobe and style them in new ways each time has helped me learn how to style my wardrobe and wear outfits I love every day. So in the beginning, set aside some time to experiment, then challenge yourself to wear each piece in your wardrobe, multiple times, in different ways.
3. Identify the holes in your wardrobe
When styling your wardrobe, is there one missing piece that would make all your outfits come together? Write that piece down, and indicate every time it would solve a problem when styling your outfits, then, once you have decided it is worth it, invest in the item.
4. Make at least one part of your outfit a juxtaposition, or in other words, unexpected
When putting together an outfit, try to add an unexpected element. Adding an item of juxtaposition makes the outfit more aligned with your personal style and keeps the look from becoming one perfected aesthetic (which, in my opinion, is way less cool than personal style). This element should be personal to your style, but a few contrasting style examples include:
- Feminine and edgy
- Sporty and dressy
- Boho and moto
- Preppy and undone
Examples of juxtaposition in styling include:
- “Undone” pieces styled with “done” pieces (an oversized sweat suit with jewelry or a blazer)
- Hard pieces paired with soft pieces (like leather and lace)
- Sporty pieces paired with feminine pieces (a dress with sneakers)
This approach may sound intimidating, but a simplified way to look at is to add at least one surprising element.
5. Dress for yourself
This means wearing outfits you love even if you are just running errands, going to the coffee shop or working from home. Wearing what you want for dinner or drinks without needing to correspond with everyone else attending. Dressing for your own gaze, not the gaze of suitors. And wearing something you love even if you think you’re “too old” or that “it won’t look good on you.”
6. Do something to make yourself feel good
I don’t want to say that you have to wear makeup or do your hair to feel good in your outfits, but it is something that helps me personally. If you don’t wear makeup, maybe washing your face in the morning, applying a light layer of sunscreen or stacking up your daily jewelry makes you feel more put together. Another one for me is wearing my contacts instead of my glasses. Whatever makes you feel more you (outside of just your outfit) – try to do it every day.
7. Experiment with proportions, learn what you love and make a guide or formula that works for you
I don’t really believe in traditional proportions rules when it comes to styling, but I do believe that fit makes a huge difference in how an outfit looks.
I believe everyone should wear what makes them feel their best, and that your styling formula should be personal to you. So take the time to experiment with your closet and find the formulas that make you feel your best.
But if you are in need of some inspiration, here are a few of my personal proportion preferences. They don’t apply to every outfit (and sometimes I break my own rules), but they are at least a starting place:
- A size up is always better than a size too small
- Cropped, wide-leg pants need heels
- Mini skirts need heels or heeled boots
- Oversized sweaters need oversized jackets (some small jackets literally cannot take the volume)
8. Don’t be too matchy-matchy
My next fashion styling tips is to think about what goes (maybe even what contrasts) over what “matches.” I promise, your shoes, bag, jacket and belt don’t all need to be the same color. Choosing colors that go rather than exact matches will make your outfit look more interesting and less basic.
It may take some time to understand which colors in your closet pair well together (I’m still learning), but some of my favorite colors that tend to be easy to style with other colors include navy, burgundy, army green, olive, hunter green, dark brown and silver.
9. Only wear (& purchase) clothes that make you feel your best
… and get rid of clothes that don’t fit you properly… if they can’t be fixed by a tailor! In fact, that’s another great tip. Utilize your local tailor! They can be an amazing resource, and you may be surprised by how much they are able to do). Remember, clothes are meant to fit you, you’re not meant to fit them. And you don’t have to wear clothes that don’t make you feel your best.
10. Add jewelry, and mix metals
When I was younger, I wasn’t much of an accessories girl. I went through periods where the only jewelry I wore was a pair of stud earrings I hadn’t taken out in months. Honestly, it took me building a daily stack of pieces I never have to take off to really get into wearing jewelry on a daily basis.
Now, I love adding a pearl and a birthstone pendant necklace (similar) with my typical “Olivia” necklace (similar) and Heir Raleigh bracelets and have found that it makes me love my outfits more because it adds a personal detail that makes the outfit more interesting.
Pro Tip: If you want your outfit to look more elevated: Mix your metals! All of the old fashion styling “rules” (no white pants after Labor Day, your belt, bag and shoes must match, don’t mix black and navy, no pattern mixing, no denim on denim…) are honestly, outdated. Breaking the “fashion rules” makes your outfit more interesting.
Now, I am ready to slowly expand my jewelry collection with unique pieces that match my personal style. But, if you are not wearing jewelry yet, I recommend building a daily stack first.
11. Rewear your favorite clothing items
Learning how to style pieces in your wardrobe in multiple ways helps get the most out of your closet. Once you start re-wearing your favorite pieces on a regular basis, you’ll think of more and more ways to style the piece, and you’ll start questioning why you haven’t worn other items in your closet more.
Fashion styling tips for reinventing pieces you already have in your wardrobe:
- Do a front tuck, half tuck, full tuck, bra tuck… or wear the piece completely out!
- Flip a cardigan around and wear it backwards
- Cuff your pants or sleeve
- Add a layer
- Pin necklines on sweaters and blouses for a new look
- Add a belt
- Wear a silk scarf tied around your neck, as a twilly on your bag, as a tube top, as a hair scarf, as a belt (the list goes on and on for this one)
- Or pin an open sweater together, as I have done below
The pieces you have in your wardrobe that you continue to re-wear establish your personal style, so don’t be afraid to re-wear your favorite items…
12. … or an entire outfit
We’re not shaming outfit repeaters anymore. When you find an outfit you love and feel your best in, re-wear it.
13. Incorporate different textures into your outfits
Adding multiple (or contrasting) fabric types adds interest to your outfit, especially if it is a monochromatic look. For example, a knit sweater with leather, fur (or faux) with denim, metallics with knits, sheer fabrics with denim, lace and leather, satin and leather… you get the point!
14. Find a solid base layer, then play with additional layers and outerwear
This has been one of my favorite fashion styling tips for easy outfits recently, especially when traveling. Once you’ve found a base layer you love, it’s so easy to create new outfits.
For example, the base layer of an oversized white tee, baggy jeans (similar if you size up) and Golden Goose has been a staple for me recently. I can easily layer my leather jacket, a quilted jacket (similar) or a cardigan (similar) over this base layer to create multiple outfits.
15. Speaking of layers… Layer!
And no, I’m not referring to the 2000s layering technique that every Disney channel stylist used on their main character.
I’m talking about layering that adds a bit of interest to your look. And consider choosing only one per outfit:
- Light-weight jacket, cardigan or open button-up under a larger jacket
- Black bra peaking through a sheer white tee
- Lace long sleeve under a graphic tee or sleeveless dress
- Tee peaking out under a button-up, low-cut top, cardigan or sweater
- Cute socks sticking out of your sneakers, Birkenstocks or mini Uggs
- Hoodie under another jacket
- Long sweater over leather shorts over tights (perhaps multiple layers of tights)
- Tights under cropped jeans or a maxi skirt with a slit
- Layers of necklaces
- Chunky sweater over your favorite maxi dress
- Vest over a jacket
- Potentially even a sheer maxi dress over pants?? (Don’t let it get too Disney)
16. Plan your outfits in advance
I don’t know about you, but if I don’t know what I’m wearing before waking up, I don’t care enough in the moment to pick out an outfit I really love. I end up throwing on something easy and regretting it later.
Planning your outfits in advance makes getting ready in the morning easier and ensures you love your outfit every day. Especially when playing with new outfits, it may take a few tries to get it just right, and you want to make sure you have the time to do that.
17. Undergarments matter
When thinking of fashion styling tips, paying attention to undergarments may not be at the top of your mind, but it can be an important factor to building an outfit you feel confident in.
Some outfits, such as those with a lower neckline, may be better with a bralette (my all-time favorite everyday bra), or possibly, no bra, while other tops, such as a turtleneck, may look more flattering with a supportive bra, and an off-the-shoulder top may require a strapless bra, or again, no bra at all.
And texture also matters. A lacey bra may create a bumpy look on a tight-fitting top, in which case you may want to opt for a smooth or seamless bra instead.
Try on multiple tops in your wardrobe with different undergarments to determine which style of bra you prefer with which type of top. It may make a bigger difference than you think.
18. Stop trying to fit into one aesthetic
No one is one strict aesthetic, and trying to solely be “preppy,” “cottage-core” or “Y2k”, leads to feeling more like a character than yourself.
I feel like I’ve recently established my personal style now that I’m not trying to create an “aesthetic” Instagram feed anymore. When I started social media, I was a huge Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines girl, which led to me creating a really preppy Instagram page filled with southern tees, bright colors and JCrew puffer vests. I LOVED it, but when I wanted to branch out, I felt trapped. And it took so long to make my wardrobe feel like me again.
Once I decided I didn’t want to wear Lilly and southern girl tees anymore, I then rotated through a variety of aesthetics, trying to curate the perfect closet Instagram feed, and it never truly felt like me. It wasn’t until I stopped trying to stick to an aesthetic or live up to an image I’d seen online that I really started to feel like myself.
If you find yourself really attracted to a certain aesthetic, don’t be afraid to make the aesthetic more you by adding your own personal touch.
19. Trust your gut
If you style an outfit and don’t feel good in it – take it off. Don’t settle. You know when you don’t feel your best in an outfit, so don’t walk out that door until you are confident in what you are wearing.
“Trust your gut” also means, don’t be afraid to style pieces in your own way. If you are attracted to the way something looks, don’t question it. The worst thing that can happen is you realize throughout the day that you don’t feel your best in the outfit, and you learn from it.
20. Find your personal staples
Your staples should be personal to your style and consist of items you find yourself wearing the most, not a strict list of items someone decided you should be wearing the most.
For example, I would say my most worn items (or closet staples) are an oversized white tee, Golden Goose, silver sling-back heels (similar), white Western booties (newer version), mini Uggs, oversized denim (similar if you size up), black wide-leg denim, a classic moto leather jacket, a bright pink sweater (similar), cargo pants (similar), a navy sweater (similar) and my shearling moto jacket (similar).
Some of these do make the list of typically recommended closet staples, but others, such as the bright pink sweater and silver heels, are more personal to my style. Nine days out of ten you will find me wearing at least one of the pieces in the list above, and establishing your own staples provides a great starting point for styling an outfit and guarantees that you’ll love at least a portion of your outfit.
21. Learn to take care of your clothes
Well-kept clothing will take you far. Steaming and lint rolling your clothes before wearing them helps make your outfit look more polished and put together so when people are admiring the fit, they’re not distracted by wrinkles, lint or damage.
You can also increase the longevity of your clothing by air-drying delicate pieces, de-pilling your sweaters and taking items to your local tailor.
22. Stop trying to copy exact outfits you find online, instead, use your wardrobe to style new outfits
My last fashion styling tips is to stop trying to copy exact outfits you find online and start using the outfits you are attracted to simply as inspiration. Save the outfits to a Pinterest board, and identify the overlapping elements in the outfits you love, then examine your wardrobe to see what items you already own have those elements, and how you can implement the styling techniques you have identified. I promise the outfit will feel more “you” if you stop directly copying Pinterest photos and start adding your own personal touch!