Look back at the past year in fashion and you’ll notice we’ve been served more trends than we can keep count of. Buy more, buy less, buy better – it’s a lot. Figuring out how to change up your everyday outfits, especially workwear, can sometimes feel like an endless quest.
If you’ve built a wardrobe housing some good core items, how do you then elevate your look and feel good about what you have, without following the same tired advice (or TikTok formulas) we see everywhere?
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If anyone is qualified to answer this question, it’s stylist and founder of the Australian Style Institute, Lauren Di Bartolo. According to Lauren, it’s all about subtle layers, tiny details, and retraining our eye to not always go for the proportions we deem ‘flattering’. Below, she shares the four styling tweaks she often uses to elevate a basic outfit.
1. When in doubt, add an item
Two pieces of clothing is still ‘clothes’, three or more is an ‘outfit’. These are words I’ve used more times as a stylist than I can count, but they change the way we dress for the better because they help us to get creative. Layering isn’t just about throwing more items on. Layering is where we introduce texture, change outfit lengths and change up colour combinations.
Think adding a mesh top, adding a vest or gilet, or come the cooler months, layering tights with cropped pants or skirts, and crew or almost knee-high socks with sandals. In summer, add a silk scarf – see what people wore to any Keinemusik event to understand how grandma style became chic, thanks to DJ &Me.
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2. Change the buttons
Whether you’re tired of a jacket or thrifted piece that has potential, but isn’t quite your style, change out the buttons.
We’ve seen the power a button can have over recent years thanks to Schiaparelli, where a classic jacket style has transformed into art. There’s no reason you can’t do the same in your own signature style. The buttons don’t need to match, but if you’re looking to achieve a polished look, then consider multiples of the same style, like two tortoiseshell and two gold.
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(@schiaparelli.archive)3. It’s not all about fit and flattery
Ever heard of a ‘visual weight shift’? It’s where we balance or manipulate the perceived weight of elements in an outfit to create a more interesting look, rather than focusing primarily on whether something fits us to flatter.
Clothes create a visual impact, so if you’re looking to elevate a basic outfit, play with volume with something soft and drapey or going oversize. Illusion is interesting.
4. Jewellery provides immediate impact
For some, jewellery tells a story – it’s curated and personal. But not everyone can or wants to be adorned in precious metals and stones. So when it comes to elevating in next to no time, and looking like your outfit is intentional, bold and considered, then costume or fashion jewellery can be the way to go.
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Whether it’s an oversized metal (think Heaven Mayhem or Anna Rossi) or a statement bangles (Dinosaur Designs continue to own this aesthetic and I’m pulling out all my resin and acrylic bangles), when pared back with a tonal or monochromatic outfit, the options are always endless.
Play with textures from matte to shiny and soft to rigid, and think beyond the body: metals via hair clips or on hats can be enough to tweak an outfit.
For more on styling tips, try this.
This article Four small tweaks from a Melbourne-based stylist to elevate any outfit appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-02-20 07:50:00
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