Hi pals! IT'S OFFICIALLY SUMMER for me! Last exam written, followed by a couple of trips to visit some family, and first week of my internship completed. Now, it's time to finish off the Sustainable Wardrobe Makeover series (at least for now) with this last post about upgrading your outfits with some quick, easy tips!
You're going to quickly find that these tips are quite simple. That is, I know they're not revolutionary, but they're honestly not designed to be. In fact, that's the whole point: simple tricks that can take your outfits to brand new levels.
I'll be modelling a basic t-shirt and jeans combo here, and then upgrading it bit by bit to demonstrate the difference these tips make. Here's the no-frills look:
For reference, my tee is the United By Blue Women's Standard Pocket Tee and my jeans are thrifted vintage Levi's! With all of that set out, let's get into the tips!
tip #1: a good old-fashioned tuck
Tucking in a shirt to a pair of jeans, pants, or even a skirt makes ALL the difference in any outfit. It provides excellent shape, and instantly makes things more put-together. This tip is especially important in any outfit which incorporates more than one looser-fitting piece: so, for instance, a sweater and boyfriend jeans. However, it's also important in an outfit where you might have a tighter shirt and jeans, yet an oversized cardigan.
You may know, though, that there are a lot of different types of shirt tucks. A basic, all-around tuck and a french tuck aren't the only ones that exist! This is honestly not something worth getting overwhelmed about; however, if you are interested in taking things up a notch, I think this Guardian article does a great job of summing them up and providing different occasions for each.
Below, you can see how I've already leveled up my look by tucking my tee into my jeans. Why would I ever want to waste the high-waistedness of these lovely bottoms?
And here you can see me having some fun in my newly-advanced look...
tip #2: cuffs are key!
Something that I've learned about getting dressed is that it truly is all in the details. Any outfit, regardless of how simple it may be, can be made to look like you spent a lot of time putting it together. For instance, even a t-shirt and jeans combo, which is possibly as basic as you can get, is amped up by combining the previous shirt-tuck tip with this one, about cuffing the sleeves/ends of your various outfit elements.
If you take the t-shirt/jeans example, you have two spots to pursue that I'd usually cuff: the sleeves of the t-shirt, and the pant legs of the jeans. I find that taking the time to do both of these in your outfit - especially if paired with a shirt tuck, a nice pair of shoes, and some simple jewelry - really brings everything up to a whole new level. And, seriously, it hardly takes any extra time at all. So you may as well do yourself a favour and take that time.
However, cuffs are not always in order. You may have a pair of jeans that you bought with a raw hem, and that's an element of them that you want to show off. So go for it! No need to hide it. This is a tip that, like all others, works in some situations but not necessarily in every.
In my outfit below, these jeans can totally go without a cuff; I can definitely embrace the naturally-flared hem if I ever want to. However, they also look great with a cuff!
tip #3: adding cool accessories
Going off of the importance of details: accessories are yet another thing which make allll the difference. I've always been a huge fan of cool socks (I've got quite the collection of patterns, as well as a couple pairs with famous paintings on them), but I also love and recommend jewelry, hats, scarves, and bandanas. Just check out below to see what a difference bringing in these elements can make to tie together a look.
Any of these things (except socks, I suppose, and rightly so) can be easily and cheaply found at secondhand/thrift stores. All of my favourites have been purchased in these ways.
It's important not to go crazily overboard, and to instead ensure you only choose a couple. Less is definitely more.
In my outfit below, I've simply added a thrifted floppy bohemian hat, a necklace, and a belt.
conclusion
And there you have it! Three quick and easy tips that'll help you bring your outfits to completely new levels.
How do you tie together your looks? Let me know in the comments down below! Otherwise, wishing you a lovely start to the summer, and thanks so much for reading!
With love and sustainability,
ethigirl