Magdalene EnimhienomoHave you ever felt like you have so many clothes, yet you have nothing to wear? We know that it is not about the clothes but how you wear it. Here is how to dress better with the clothes you have, a broke girls guide.
In my twenties, I always felt I don’t have the right clothes. Also, I felt you need to wear expensive clothes or designer outfits to look good. Well, I was so wrong. You can look chic with thrift clothes if worn better. I wish I knew this earlier on, I would have created more looks with my existing closet. You can look like money by mixing high street brands with thrift. Also, you can wear designer inspired pieces to elevate your look. Unsure about dupes, check out my blog post on designer vs dupes.
How can you make your current closet work well for you? This is by styling them several ways. In this blog post, I will be sharing my tips on how to dress better with the clothes you already have. So, you need not go shopping or throw out your current closet. If that is why you’re here, lets dive right in.
Table of Contents
How to dress better with the clothes you have
Looking good is not about the money in your account. I have shared some of the best ways to look like money wearing old money looks or aesthetic. If you love the old money aesthetic, check out my post on old money wardrobe essentials to get you started. I am sure you already have some of these essentials in your closet.
So, before I dive into these tips on how to dress, let’s talk about how to figure your personal style.
What is your aesthetic? Old money, clean girl, mob wife or plain gothic
If you have been on the internet, you must have heard of this aesthetics. Old money aesthetics is similar to minimalism. If you love whites, gray, blacks or navy, this aesthetic will be right up your alley. Other see this as clean girl aesthetic. You look polished, neat and put togther.
Mob wife aesthetics is more about stealth wealth. You dress with your huge fur coats, all black looks, red lipstick, pair of heels and leopard print outfits. I will say I love mob wife aesthetic because I can’t get over leopard print outfits. Although, I will not wear it in coats but silk tops, maxi skirts or leopard print pants. That’s my vibe.
Don’t know how to wear leopard prints. Check out my blog post on how to mix and match prints. It will get you started. Anyhoo, to figure out your personal style, you need to know what you feel confident in. Who are you watching as your style icon? What do they wear?
For me, my style icon is Monroe Steele, an OG blogger and youtuber. Her style is more of chic, grown woman, edgy as she loves her statement pieces and casual.
Another thing to note for your personal style is your lifestyle. Are you such that shops for fancy dresses but have nowhere to wear it? As a lady in corporate, I have 90% of my outfits as work clothes. And just a little under 10% as casual outfits. So, you know I will naturally love tailored outfits, suits set, dresses that fits smart. However, If I am home, I go for comfort but fitted outfits. I don’t like anything oversize. Thats not me.
Look into your closet and sort through your clothes. Pick out outfits that fits into your lifestyle. Stop spending money on evening dresses when you know you hardly go for dinners or events. Be real with yourself.
Use apps to figure out your style
One of the best ways to dress better and figure out your style is by using apps. Like I said, you follow an influencer for a reason. Because you like the influencer style, and you draw inspiration from them.
An easy app to figure out your style is by using Instagram. Screen shot looks that you love and would like to recreate. This will help you maximize your closet.
Another app to use is Pinterest. One of my favorite search engines for clothes is Pinterest. You can simply search how to mix prints and patterns. Also, you can search for the best ways to pair two or more colors. My favorite way to use Pinterest is search for looks for seasons; summer, autumn/ fall, winter etc.
if you’re a fan of celebrity fashion, of course you can search for their style. The closet celebrity that her style resonates with me is Tracee Ellis Ross. I love her personal. And OfCourse, I always put a spin on it.
Favorite outfit formulas for elevated looks
When I first heard the word, outfit formulas, i was quite confused. Do outfits have formulas too? Yes, it does. These are simple tricks and tips for an elevated chic look.
So, here are my favorite outfit formulas to follow.
- Monochrome looks are easy to pull off. Pairing the same colors or different tones of the same color always looks chic. It takes no brain cell to put together a monochrome outfit. My favorite way to go monochrome is styling whites or shades of brown. These looks chic and fun
- If you love prints but don’t want to look like a drab queen. Wear prints that share the same color. You can wear two print colors that will looks like you’re a fashion girl. Another way to wear prints is to mix prints with cohesive colors. Like green and yellow look good together, brown and black are fun etc.
- Stick to the 3-color rule: One of my favorite outfit formulas is to ensure the maximum color on my outfit per time is 3. You can go with one color or different tones, two colors that work well together and of course 3 colors max.
- Match your accessories as one color: One easy way to look put together is to match your accessories as one color. For example, for a brown and white look. Go with a brown belt, brown heels or flats and brown fedora hats. You can even use the same color as your hair tie or scrunchie.
Pair at least two textures together
I love to wear two textures for a great put together looks. You can pair leather with satin or leather with knits. My favorite combo is knit with leather or denim. These two textures get me all the time.
Try to work with at least two textures with your looks. In this way you get to style what you have to create an effortless look. Another fun texture combo is suiting blazer over sheer skirts or pants. This was very popular during the fashion week especially Copenhagen fashion week as well as New York fashion week.
Accessorize your looks
Many of us ladies wear our looks with earrings, shoes and bag. However, you can do more with several accessories. A pair of sneakers, a satin scarf, fedora hats or beret can take your look to 100.
I have trying to switch up my looks with my existing closet. And ever since I started working with scarves, girl, my looks went to 100. You can wear scarves with your bag, as a neckerchief, as a head tie or even a belt. I have gone into details on how to wear scarves effortlessly.
Shop for more jewelry
So far in this post, I never mentioned shop for more clothes. Although, if you typically shop from high street brands for quality pieces, it will last you for years.
I typically shop for clothes from AliExpress, ego shoes, Shein and other Shein alternatives. Another place that I shop for quality pieces is via thrift shopping. Yes, thrift. I have scored some of my favorite quality pieces from shopping thrift. You get quality leather jackets, suede pants or jackets, and even great vintage designer bags.
You need good quality jewelry to elevate your look. Sis, you need more than earrings in your closet. Shop for bracelets, cuffs, anklets, waist beads, necklaces of different sizes etc.
Even if you need to update your clothes or declutter. Shop according to your lifestyle. Don’t shop on a whim or because you saw it on your favorite influencer. Retail therapy is great but having savings is also great.
Okay guys which of these tips on how to dress better with the clothes you have do you love? Have you already started applying any of these tips. Feel free to share your thoughts below.
