Making the right outfit combinations can be a hassle, especially in the morning when you're getting ready for school or work. Don't worry though, because once you understand how it works you will have a lot of fun creating amazing outfits in no time!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Choosing the Clothes
Step 1. Organize your closet
When we don't know what to wear or how to combine clothes, it means that it's time to organize our wardrobe. By "organizing" we mean easily identifying the clothes we want to match and remembering the items of clothing we have.
- Get rid of everything you almost never carry. There is no point in keeping something that you only wear once or twice. Make room for the clothes you intend to use.
- During the organization phase, it is advisable to ensure easy access to clothing. An easy way to keep them tidy is to organize them by item, so you have all the t-shirts together, all the sweaters together, all the long dresses together, and so on. It will be easier when you know where they are.
Step 2. Top
Make sure you have essential shirts in your wardrobe. You will need a few pieces to dress the upper body to be essential in your wardrobe. It must be versatile and trend-proof. It is better that the basic elements of your clothing are in neutral colors such as black, navy blue, white and ivory, in order to mix and match them easily.
- Casual shirts: These can be short and long sleeve t-shirts, bodices and tank tops (which are particularly suitable under sweaters).
- A few elegant blouses. You can wear them under jackets and button-down cardigans, or use them to add a touch of class to a match. To be worn with jeans, skirt and boots, jewelry.
- We recommend adding a few sweaters, button-down cardigans, neutral colored pullovers to wear with casual tops and blouses. They are really suitable if you dress in layers, especially in a climate where heat and cold alternate on the same day.
- Great jackets to have are plain black leather ones, a neutral jacket, a light neutral trench coat and a blazer. Especially blazers can be worn alone during the mid-seasons or with a jacket.
Step 3. Bottom
Make sure you have the basic pants and skirts. They are the basic items to combine with sweaters and blouses. Again, it is appropriate to go for neutral colors and styles that do not go out of fashion.
- Pants: it is useful to have a few pairs of jeans (one to wear in different situations, even the most demanding ones, a casual one for the home and moments of relaxation) and a few pairs of neutral elegant trousers. For colder areas, thick tweed is a good fabric for dress pants.
- Skirts: Having a tailored skirt and a casual skirt is good for your wardrobe. There are pencil skirts or very tight skirts that have tailored lines, while the more fluctuating ones that reach the knee are suitable for more casual occasions.
- Dresses: Having some basic neutral outfits is a good place to start for any outfit. The reason why the little black dress is the main piece of any wardrobe is because it is very versatile. It can be worn in more formal contexts or on more casual occasions, and being black, of course, it goes well with everything. If you're not wearing black, find a simple navy, white, or ivory dress.
Step 4. Match the accessories
Accessories in particular can add an extra touch to your wardrobe without weighing down the figure. Belts, jewelry, bags, scarves and socks look great in neutral colors, but even if they have a more eccentric and lively style. A brightly colored scarf with a black t-shirt and skinny jeans can be a fun and comfortable pairing.
- Bags: if you have a specific taste for certain colors (maybe you tend to bring varieties of greens, blues and grays) take a bag with complementary colors (such as mustard yellow or gold), to add a little spice to the ensemble. Make sure the bag is functional too. A good idea is to have a main bag to use every day (with neutral colors so that it is suitable for different combinations of clothes) and a series of bags to use for more special occasions, such as concerts or upscale restaurants.
- Jewelry: they go a lot according to personal tastes. You will need to understand what you like and how to use it. Maybe you prefer more square and geometric jewels or pearls. They can be used as standout elements in your outfit, also depending on your specific style.
- Belts: among the basic models the best are wide and thin ones. If they are neutral or complementary colors to your wardrobe, they can make a great accessory. Wide belts, above all, look good on almost any outfit, if you find the right size. If the combination you made seems a bit boring, wear a thin belt to add a fun touch.
- Scarves: they are functional (because they are warm and comfortable) and at the same time great fashion elements. Having some neutral scarves is a great idea, but you can also choose patterns that you like and in bright colors.
- Stockings: include tights, leggings and socks. Add black tights or nude look tights to your wardrobe to wear with skirts and dresses. Buy neutral-colored leggings and socks to match the shoes (wearing white socks with black ballet flats, for example, may seem a bit strange). You can also put on some funnier tights like silver laminated tights or galaxy leggings. They go well with a little black dress, a nice cardigan and a pair of striking earrings.
Step 5. Use versatile shoes
Shoes are really important in making your outfit fun and comfortable. Among the basic models you will need different styles of footwear to create your combinations. The shoes, in fact, will have to match according to the outfit. Remember that light colored ones (especially white) can get dirty right away, so consider this inconvenience when choosing the color of your shoes!
- Flat shoes go well with jeans, with skirts and dresses. They can be elegant or not depending on the occasion. It is best to have at least one neutral pair (again, neutral colors always match!) And others with a more striking style, such as red patent or shiny silver shoes.
- Boots, especially in colder places, are very important. You can include in your wardrobe a few pairs of casual boots in black or gray, or even a smart pair with heels to match with jeans or a dress. Ankle boots go very well with skinny jeans and skirts.
- Sneakers are suitable for casual jeans that you put in your wardrobe. You can wear them with skirts or use them when you go for a long walk. They are comfortable and useful for home or garden services (you certainly don't want the most beautiful things to get dirty).
Step 6. Find some key leaders
These are pieces that are very personal, and can be jewelry, socks, shoes, scarves or anything mentioned so far. They are important because they illuminate an otherwise anonymous dress, making it more expressive and personal.
- For example, you might have a bright floral patterned dress to wear with black leggings, black knee-high boots, a green cardigan (matching the flower stems on the dress), and a gray scarf. Or you could dare to put on a dress with red pumps.
- Another example would be a royal purple blouse to pair with jeans if you want to go casual, or with a black pencil skirt and gray boots.
Part 2 of 2: Matching Clothes
Step 1. Rotate around an article
A great way to more easily match the clothing you have is to choose a piece on which to create the whole outfit. Usually, the article in question is one of the trending pieces, but this is not necessarily the case.
- Example: If you're looking to make a gorgeous necklace stand out, wear a simple neutral t-shirt with the neck cut so that the necklace is visible. Match it with a pair of jeans and ballet flats. In this way, the necklace will become the most important part of the clothing, without any other item distracting attention from her.
- It is also possible to evaluate an outfit around a specific color. So, for example, one week you can wear something red every day and make combinations around that color, switching the next week to green. For example, you can pair a red skirt with a black blouse, wearing navy tights, black boots and blue jewelry.
Step 2. Choose your “uniform”
It means finding the two or three basic groups that you like to wear and matching them using them as main items, mixing everything a little. They will be the most comfortable outfits for you.
- For example, you may find that you tend to lean towards a combination of skinny jeans (black and denim), a few t-shirts (both long and short sleeved) and different shoes (for example, a pair of boots or shoes. low). If you like to wear jeans, you could mix things up a little by rolling up the cuffs of the legs (a great alternative in spring or summer).
- You can vary between jeans with a sweater and a skirt with a sweater. It would give you a wider range of action. The color and type of sweater may change and you may vary using different jewels, scarves and shoes, but the basic combination will remain either jeans and a sweater or a skirt and a sweater.
Step 3. Put together and match
The combination must be the starting point for choosing different clothes every day. That way, there's no need to wear the same t-shirt and jeans you always use (even if it's perfect, if you like it).
- Let's use a black blazer as an example: you could wear the blazer with jeans, a white t-shirt, a bright blouse and flat shoes. Or combine the blazer with a very light soft skirt, ankle boots and chunky jewels. Or put the blazer over a long, colorful summer dress and put on a pair of sandals.
- With only 8 different pieces of clothing you can make a variety of outfits. Choose a bold color t-shirt and a printed t-shirt, a pair of jeans, a skirt, a dress, a cardigan, a blouse and a waistcoat. You could wear the printed t-shirt with jeans, waistcoat and a pair of sandals. Or the dress, the cardigan and a thin belt; or the dress, the waistcoat and a pair of boots. You could also match the skirt with each of the tops in turn, and put both the top and the cardigan on top. Match jewelry, a scarf and a pair of shoes.
Step 4. Think according to the season
You can change your wardrobe as the seasons change. Store warm scarves and sweaters for autumn and winter together with heavier jackets.
- Boots are like footwear for cold temperatures, while flat shoes and sandals can be fine for warm weather.
- Colors can also change depending on the season. In warmer temperatures you can wear lighter colors with cool, floral prints to recall nature in bloom. In winter, on the other hand, it's fun to wear brushstrokes of bright colors, especially if you live in little sunny and rainy places, because that way the bright gold scarves or red dress will bring a flash of color on an otherwise gray day.
Step 5. Create a style collection
When trying on your outfits, putting together and matching the pieces to determine your basic style, take a few photos or write down a description of each combination. In this way you will be able to remember what you liked and what didn't work, so as to recreate the outfit or to remember that that particular combination is not good.
This way you will be able to decide what to wear if you are unsure. Just scroll through the photos and choose the combination you liked the most. You will gain greater confidence knowing that the outfit is fine, confirming your decision
Step 6. Look for matching ideas
Search everywhere. Look at the mannequins in the windows, the catalogs and the fashion magazines, see what people wear when you are out and about. Doing so will give you ideas on those things to try.
There's no need to go out and buy everything you've seen in a match on the street or published in a magazine. Instead, go through your wardrobe and see what clothes you already have that you can use to recreate that look. That way it won't be exactly a copy of what you've seen, and you can add your own personal touch
Step 7. Experiment
This is the most important part in making the combinations and, above all, in making them well: you will have to try out different styles, clothes and outfits before you find the ones you really like.
Only wear the outfits again that you liked and felt comfortable and confident in. Comfort and safety are the keys to presenting yourself well
Advice
- Matching other people's clothes, accessories or makeup will make you feel good! Show them that you are comfortable with your look!
- Discover the used items and charity shops where they sell used clothing. It's cheaper and you can find some amazing and interesting outfits to add to your wardrobe.
- Don't always run after new trends, they change too quickly and it's hard to keep up. Wear what you feel comfortable with!
Warnings
- You can spend a fortune buying all these new items, so check out the clothes in your wardrobe first!
- If you want to change some clothes according to new trends, be careful when using needles!
