Layering: A Magic Doorway to Feeling Fashionable

Picture this; you just bought your dream home. When you toured it there was beautiful furniture and intricate interior design that all tied in together. It looked homey, without being messy. Everything in it had a purpose. Every part of the home worked well together. You sent your compliments to the interior designer. BUT when you move in, all that beautiful decorating is gone and the house is just a shell of something that could be amazing.

You might be wondering “what in the heck does this have to do with fashion” and I‘ll tell ya. An outfit without layering is just that empty shell of a house.

Now, layering could mean a lot of things. In this post, I ‘m going to go over the basics of layering and how you can effectively turn a bland basic outfit into one that has people sending their compliments to the designer.

Accessorizing

Having a core collection of go-to accessories is essential to have put together and classy looking outfits. For me, that means a choker in every color of metal, some longer necklaces to layer on top, hoops in every metal, a belt for every mood, and 50 multicolored scrunchies (yes I ‘m that girl, make fun of me all you want but scrunchies are fun and cute I stand by that). Now it took me a while to collect this core collection, but I can confidently say the whole collection probably costs less than $100 and this is possible through the beauty of cheap target jewelry. If my outfit will accommodate, I will try to see how much I can possibly accessorize, because it’s an automatic level up.

Jackets

In the fall and winter, it's rare you see me without a jacket on. Luckily my cold climate accommodates that. A jacket thrown on top of a basic outfit can take it from like a basic 5 to a solid 9 real quick. Probably my favorite section in any thrift store is the jacket and coat section because there are always such cool finds there. The only drawback to my love for jackets is the whole space issue, but once you fine-tune what you do and don't wear, it's easy to switch out new ones for older ones.

Colors

Color is soso crucial in this whole process. If you try to keep your color families to 1 or two, you are always better off. An easy way to think about it is if you have something with a pattern, pick one color in the pattern and match it to a different element in the outfit. And for every other element, choose colors that compliment, or have some kind of scheme. All the pros familiarize themselves with the color wheel It’s not just a tool for traditional art.

Limit Bulky Items

This step is about balance, which I have talked about before because it's so important. If you have on a bulky top, like a heavy sweater or coat, keep it slim down on the bottom. If your pants are wider or more flared cut, watch how that pairs with the top. It is 100% possible to layer without looking “chunky” (which is a common issue many people run into). And that all depends on if you master the balance. A lot of it comes with practice, but it's just something to look into.

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I hope these things will help you in all of your styling endeavors. I know in my fashion journey (it's so pretentious of me to call it that) This concept is one that I never really understood, but once I started applying it (or trying to) I immediately saw an elevation in the way I looked at myself and the way others looked at me. And building a good collection of layering pieces won’t happen overnight. All it takes is patience, and a knowledge of what to keep your eyes peeled for. (pictures not mine)