In one of our recent episodes of the Sustain This Podcast, we talked about the difference between fashion and style. Fashion very much tends to be reflected in our society and culture and it’s kind of what we collectively tend to wear during a specific time period, within specific groups or similar. Whereas personal style is about how you choose to arrange the items in your outfits to feel aligned with your personality, the occasion and maybe your job.

So style is really a form of self-expression and I think it’s crucial to make the shift from being very focused on what’s “in fashion” or what’s “trendy” to really learn to appreciate our wardrobes more and use our garments more. But I do also know that sometimes it’s easier said than done to just “wear what you already have”. We all no that that’s the most sustainable thing you can do, but what if you find it hard – like, what if you feel a bit stuck or uninspired with your wardrobe? 

In today’s post I wanted to share a simple formula or step-by-step guide, if you will, that you can try following the next time you feel a little stuck in a a style rut, if you feel tempted to shop although you don’t actually need to – maybe you’re just bored, or just if you need some day-to-day inspiration.

Here are 5 steps to building stylish outfits every day – no shopping needed!

1. Pick your hero piece

So first thing you want to do when approaching your wardrobe, is to pick out a hero piece. This might be something you’ve heard other stylists say as well, and I really do think it’s one of the easiest ways to get started if you just feel super uninspired. To me the hero piece doesn’t have to be a statement item, it can very much be anything from your wardrobe that makes you feel excited, stylish or maybe even makes you feel safe and calm. So based on the situation and what you feel like wearing on that day, start with that hero piece and then move on from there. To me it could be building the outfit around let’s say my sage green blazer, or maybe just the matching pants but it could also be that I’m in the mood for wearing a biker jacket or a pair of heeled boots. 

I think this is also where it makes sense to practise gratitude towards your wardrobe, especially when it comes to more special pieces that you tend to “save” for a perfect occasion. This is something I’m constantly challenging myself to do more, to really wear and appreciate the more special pieces I have in my wardrobe; because the risk of never wearing that item is far worse than the potential risk of getting a stain or similar that you can potentially just get rid off with a stain remover or a simple wash. So celebrate your wardrobe, celebrate what you have there – that’s why you bought the piece in the first place.

2. Choose your layers (at least 2 items)

So once you’ve got your hero piece, what you want to do next is move on to the other items or layers you want to include in that outfit and it choose 2- to start off with. So this might be where you could potentially turn to pinterest if you just don’t really know today what you want to pair that item with, so say it’s the green pants were your hero pieve you could build the search around that and say okay, show me outfit ideas with green pants and then see if something comes up that you could recreate. 

If you’d rather just explore on your own, which I think is a great way to practise versatility and creativity within yourself and with your specific wardrobe, think about contrasts. So if I choose to wear a pair of tailored sage green trousers, it could be kind of cool to wear let’s say 2 contrasting styles to that. This is also where you need to check in with yourself and your 3 main keywords for your personal style, to make sure the outfit that you end up with will feel like a true representation of who YOU are. You might have heard about the 2-by-2 rule which basically means you have 2 items in one style in the outfit and then add 2 that are contrasting to that. So for me again, taking those green pants an example, those are a dressy element so to add another dressy item I could add a blazer, and then to contrast with that I’ll add 2 casual pieces like a pair of sneakers and then a basic t-shirt. Altogether, that adds up to 2 dressy pieces and two casual ones. 

Also remember, that shoes can really change EVERYTHING. Sneakers for a casual touch, heels for something dressier and boots for something a little more cool are the classic examples of how you can pay attention to the contrast of shoes. 

1. Balance

Contrasts are great, but so is balance. So to make sure the outfit doesn’t feel too allover the place I do love playing around with balance and that could be colour balance or it could be balance in shape and proportion.

3-colour rule is a great way to ensure harmony and balance when it comes to the colours in your outfit, so it basically means you stick to only 3 colours within the outfit. It doesn’t have to be followed religiously, sometimes I’ll add a 4th colour if it still feels nice and coherent or if I have a colour let’s say shades of beige, even though there not 100% the same, you could argue that because they are similar they still create that balance.

You could also try the colour sandwich rule where you reflect a colour you wear on the top part of your body to the lower part as well which also provides a nice balanced look.

When it comes to balanced proportions, again it’s not something I follow religiously because sometimes a slouchy and loose outfit can also make you feel great, but I do tend to let 1-2 items stand out in let’s say volume and then add some slightly slimmer items to that to make sure I don’t feel swallowed up in fabric. As the fashion brand TIBI likes to describe this styling trick, it’s called the BIG-SLIM-SKIN. As an example I’ll wear wide legs pants as the looser silhouette, I then like pairing those with more of a sleek shoe and then try to tuck in whatever top I’m wearing with that to create some definition and break up the pieces I’m wearing. Sometimes it also works wonders to simply ruche up your sleeves, leave a few buttons open or put up your hair to get the definition of “skin” and make a very loose outfit feel a little lighter. Watch THIS reel for more examples.

2. Style it up

So you’ve chosen all the pieces you want to wear, you’ve thought about contrasts, you’ve thought about balance – it’s time to now put them on. This is also where you can pay attention to styling and again I’d highly recommend checking in with yourself there to make sure you have your style keywords in mind. So if part of you is classic but part of you is also casual, what you could do there is to take a classic piece and make it FEEL more casual by paying attention to styling. So instead of wearing a classic button up shirt strictly as it is, leave a few buttons upen, roll up the sleeves and try a half tuck for a more slouchy and causal finishing touch. Tucking, rolling, folding – these are all tricks you can use to add extra character and interest to your outfit.

3. Add details

Speaking of finishing touches, the final step is to accessorise and add other details like jewelry or maybe even a lipstick. So make sure to think about colour coherence again here, sometimes it can be kind of cool to choose a bag in a contrasting colour if the outfit itself is kept pretty simple, but otherwise I do like matching for example belt and shoes or bag and shoes to ensure balance. 

But other than that, think about the previous steps again so choose a bag that either falls in line with the overall vibe of your outfit or something you can use as a contrasting piece to change it up. A good example could be a classic leather bag vs. a straw summer bag, the two bags change the look of the outfit massively – the classic bag making it feel more polished and the straw bag adding texture, making it far more summery and relaxed. 

For more examples on styling and putting together chic outfits straight from your wardrobe, check out this video: