The 7 Secrets Of Creating A Fabulous Outfit
Thank God I’m not the only person in the world who lays out his outfits the night before. It’s a habit I picked up when I was younger because my mom used to let me and my sister pick out between five and seven new outfits every semester of school. My sister and I were working those tire swings. When I was really young mom would even lay out outfits out for us. Now that I’m older, I can’t leave the house unless I’m fully together. I’ve been known to be late to stuff or to go back to my apartment because I didn’t like what I was wearing.
Working a fabulous outfit has everything to do with confidence. The better you look, the more confident you’ll feel throughout your day. Don’t we wear our most fabulous things on important occasions like school presentations or first dates anyway? You’re not going to show up to something important looking like a slob. You’re going to be your best you! That’s because you feel much better when your mascara is on point or when you’re wearing your bright socks today.
So in the spirit of making the world way more fabulous, here are seven secrets for pulling together an awesome outfit.
1. Avoid Labels And Trends. Invest In Individuality.
Did you hear that, sorority girls? Being stylish means being an individual, not toting around the latest Coach purse. You have to wear what works for you, not what some magazine says is on trend this season. Not all trends work for all people. And frankly, I don’t believe in trends. I mean sure, trends are definitely a thing and you can’t avoid them all that easily. But the whole point of trends is that they come and go. By the time you catch on, it’s already over. That’s why you should dress yourself irrespective of the trends of the moment. Incorporate them if you want, just know that real style means always being an individual. Take a trend and make it your own. Twist it and bend it your way.
2. Balance Is Key
I’ve been watching a lot of this short-lived television series Noah’s Arc lately, a kind of black gay Sex and the City. The lead character Noah is the diva/Carrie Bradshaw of his group of friends. He’s a writer, he’s got relationship problems, and he wears LOTS of questionable outfits. If you watch the series, one thing you’ll learn about pulling your looks together is that balance is key. You can’t have cornrows and a giant gold belt and a tank top and a necktie and a baby bib and cowboys boots and a sombrero and not look like a hot ass mess. This doesn’t mean you can’t take risks because a fabulous outfit is always about taking it there, but at some point you need to just put the fringe jacket down.
3. But Drama Is Everything
That said, though, drama is everything. Accessorize, dramatize. Put on EVERYTHING. But! There’s a fine line between hot mess and fabulous, and you do not want to cross it. Sometimes I see people who are wearing their entire closet and I’m like, you look fabulous. And sometimes when I see someone wearing everything they own I’m like: STOP. The line between hot mess and fabulous is tricky, and it’s more of a feeling than anything. You can get away with wearing lots of different stuff when it feels composed. My own personal rule is that you can have one “pop” item at a time. Look, my closet is full of ridiculousness: sequin pants, sequin shirts, leopard pants, plastic pants, gold pants, fringe shirts, head pieces, capes, ombré pants, etc, etc. The moral is that you can create drama by adding a pop of color, wearing something totally out of context, adding a different texture, playing with volume, mismatching fabrics or patterns or by accessorizing in the right way.
4. Layer, Layer, Layer!
Things look better when they’re layered. Layering adds texture. Why just wear a t-shirt when you can wear a t-shirt with a cute vest on top, or a t-shirt with a nice biker jacket on top of that? When you layer you’re creating more visual interest, and the more there is to look at, the better it is.
5. Simplicity
My favorite outfit on anybody is a pair of fitted jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt or tank top. It’s a look that’s sexy on it’s own, and you can do so much with it from here. You can accessorize in cool ways — the possibilities are limitless. Even the most dramatic, ridiculous looks have an element of simplicity in them.
6. Always Save Your Best For Special Occasions
I like to save my most fabulous things for big, special occasions or a nice, sunny day when I know I’m going to see a whole lot of people. Everyone is a brand, and every time you step out in public you’re announcing your brand to the world. What’s the point of a fabulous outfit if nobody sees it!
7. Confidence
Having a fabulous outfit is about much more than what you’re wearing: it’s about confidence. So at the end of the day, the most important aspect of working a fabulous outfit is you. Style is confidence.