5 Easy Ways To Nail Your Next Outfit
It’s not about what you wear, it’s about how you wear it.
When I initially go into client’s closets, they’re often sure they have nothing useful or worth styling in their wardrobe. But sure enough, within the first minutes of looking through the closet, there are always outfits to be styled in fresh ways my client never considered.
When you look creatively at your wardrobe (or at anyone’s), you don’t just want to think about what pieces are there. You want to think about one simple trick you can use to make different types of pieces combine into the perfect outfit: proportion.
The right proportion in an outfit creates balance among each piece by allowing your eye to dance from one item to another without getting stuck in a rough spot. It allows every piece to lead up to your face and enhance your personality. The right proportion is nothing magical though; surprisingly, it’s rooted in math, science, and nature.
And here are five ways to create the right proportion in what you wear.
JUST TUCK IT.
Tucking is trendy, which makes it seem like a useless part of putting together your outfit — why do one more thing when you can skip it? But the truth is tucking often plays a huge role in getting the correct proportion in an outfit.
You want one third to two thirds proportion, which means seeing less shirt to create the one third and more pant to create the two thirds. And how do you do that?! Tuck it! Front tuck or full tuck will give you the balance, and you’ll instantly notice a difference.
Bonus! Not only does tucking give you the right proportion, it also highlights your waist, which allows your outfit to follow the natural line of your beautiful and powerful body.
PAIR FITTED WITH FLOWY.
Creating the right proportion means balancing each type of piece in your outfit. You don’t want to be swallowed up with fabric, and you don’t want everything you wear to be skin tight. Balance a flowy piece like a button down with a fitted piece like a pencil pant or a fitted body suit with a flowy fit ‘n’ flare skirt. Tuck either top to create the perfect proportion and highlight your silhouette.
GO LONG WITH SHORT.
While you can still tuck your shirt into an above-the-knee pencil skirt, you can also use a shorter piece like a pencil skirt or shorts to pair a longer top and create the right proportion. Try a light-weight turtle neck over the pencil skirt for January and February or a baby doll blouse over denim shorts in the spring.
Want to wear a shirt long with an above-the-knee skirt, but still accentuate your waist? Add a waist belt over the shirt to highlight your curves, while still leaving the top untucked.
ADD YOUR DUSTER.
Stretch out your shape and create powerful proportion by adding height with a long jacket like a duster or kimono.
Every woman can rock a long jacket, even if you’re 4’11”. To create this look though, you’ll need to be mindful of what’s appropriate for your height. If you are petite (5’4” and under), you’ll want to make extra sure that what you’re wearing is bringing the focus upward towards your face, not towards your feet. Try your jacket with a tight silhouette underneath, like an above-the-knee sheath dress or super skinny jeans and a fitted tank.
Don’t fall into the petite category? Try a jumpsuit or flare jeans with a pullover blouse. Finish all these looks with a pointed-toe pump or open-toe stacked heel, because no matter your height, you should elevate your shape when wearing a long jacket. And don’t forget to tuck your top in! Having a long jacket means you’ll almost always need to tuck the top to create the perfect proportion.
HEELS MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER.
While you don’t have to wear heels (a lot of my clients actually can’t, and I don’t recommend pushing yourself to), heels are an easy addition to balance a lot of outfits. If you’ve ever looked into the mirrior and felt boxy, stumpy, or short in your outfit, often times, it’s the heels that are missing!
Now when I say heels, I don’t want to evoke an image of sky-high stilettos for you, because stilettos are not what I mean. There are lots of sensible, comfortable options that will boost your look without being a distraction all day long. Your options include stacked heels, block heels, wedges, espadrilles, and platform sneakers. When matching your heels to your look, focus on color (does the color of my shoe link to the rest of the outfit?), shape (do the shapes in my shoe link to the rest of my outfit), and style (does the style of my shoe fit with the rest of my outfit?).
The more questions you explore and ask yourself when styling, the easier it is to get on the right track and create more awesome outfits in the future.
Lots of love and joy!
Raquel
