If you’re stuck in a fashion slump, you may need some advice on how to turn your style up. Our team has you covered. Here are 9 tips on how to dress better.
At $3 trillion, the global fashion industry represents 2% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product.
Your clothes say a lot about who you are. But some people struggle with finding their personal style.
If you find yourself in the category of people always wondering how to dress better, there are simple tips to up your fashion game. In this 9-step guide, we’ll help you take your daily look from average joe to fashionista.
Keep reading to learn more about how to elevate your style.
Master the Art of Layering
Layering is as easy as adding pieces to your outfit. Instead of a t-shirt and jeans or a skirt and blouse, you add extra pieces like a jacket, cardigan, or scarf.
When you wear 2 or 3 articles of clothing, there’s nothing about your outfit that’s worth looking at. But by adding visual complexity through layers, you give your outfit more depth. By extension, people’s eyes will be more drawn to what you’re wearing.
Layering is also practical. For those days that start out cold and warm up in the afternoon, you have multiple-layer of clothes to add or remove accordingly.
Use Accents
An accent is any item of clothing or accessory that doesn’t cover your whole body. Other than pants, shirts, and jackets, almost anything can be considered an accent. This includes scarves, shoes, accessories, and a whole lot more.
By using accents, you can take a drab outfit to something unique. Wearing accents properly adds visual complexity to your outfit and makes you stand out. An accent usually comes in the form of some color or added detail.
For example, instead of wearing plain brown dress show, try wearing loafers with an eye-catching buckle. It can even be as simple as exchanging a plain leather belt for something with engraving or different colors.
Purchase the Right Fit
Purchasing clothes that don’t fit is a big mistake. Sometimes, we buy clothes hoping that we’ll eventually fit into them. This only takes up space in your wardrobe that could be filled with newer, nicer, well-fitting clothes.
The same can be said for holding onto items that we hope to fit into again one day. Replace these old garments with something updated and fitted.
Tailor Your Clothes
It’s very rare to buy something off the rack that fits you perfectly. And when your clothes don’t fit right, it throws off the proportions of your body. The visual effect can make you look sloppy, heavy, and short, instead of looking your best.
Most clothes require a bit of tailoring to fit you correctly – and that goes for casual clothes as well as business clothes. For $5 to $20, a tailor can make a nice piece even better by making it fit your body the way it should.
Buy Items That Suit You
Whether you’ve purchased an item because it’s trendy or because it looked great on someone else, not all articles of clothing suit us and our body type.
Be honest with yourself. If something doesn’t make you feel confident and comfortable, then don’t purchase. If it’s sitting in your closet, get rid of it and replace it with something better suited for you.
Don’t Be a Bargain Shopper
Buying items of clothing simply because they’re on sale is a surefire way to fill your wardrobe with clothing that doesn’t fit, doesn’t suit you, and may not be high quality. Unless you’re bargain shopping at designer places where you know you’re getting high quality for a great price, forget considering the price tag too much when you’re trying to build your style.
It costs money to make quality clothing. They use better materials and better design. They’re also constructed to last.
Think about your purchases in terms of cost per wear. If you have a choice between a $20 pair of jeans that’ll last 1 year versus a $50 pair that’ll last you 5 years, the latter actually cost you less in the long-term.
Try New Brands
If you don’t feel very stylish, maybe your connection and attachment to certain brands and shops is the problem. If you consistently buy your clothes from the same places and you still lack confidence in your style, it’s time to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.
There are a lot of great clothing brands out there and new ones are popping up all the time. Go explore some new shops and brands and diversify your style.
Use the Swap Trick
Speaking of trying new brands and shops, you may be wondering how to introduce these into your wardrobe? How do you get comfortable with brands and trends that you’re not used to? You use the swap tricks, that’s how.
The Swap Trick can help you bring new items into your wardrobe slowly so you can get comfortable with it. Instead of swapping your black leather jacket for a furry neon coat, you take baby steps to get there.
Start by swapping the black for a brighter shade or pattern, and then slowly step it up piece by piece. This will help you get more comfortable with trends, colors, and patterns.
How To Dress Better 101: Find Your Style
The most important step in how to dress better is finding your own style. For this, there’s no mathematical formula but you don’t need to create a unique and personal style from scratch. You can build on classics as well as copy the style of fashionista’s you admire.
Begin with classic styles. Cuffed denim, nice sneakers, and print tshirts are a great start. As you get more comfortable, you can add your accents, layers, and trends.
There’s also nothing wrong with copying the style of people you admire. As long as it suits you, copy outfits from someone you admire, celebrities, or even fictional characters.
You’re All Set
With these 9 steps on how to dress better, you can take your casual and even your business style to new levels.
The first step is to find your style by basing it on outfits that never get old. Once you’ve mastered that, you can add accents and layers that add visual complexity and a personal touch. Just be sure to avoid clothes that don’t fit, bargain shopping, and items that don’t suit you.
For more lifestyle tips and other advice, check out our blog.
