6 Easy Ways to Complete an Outfit

Completing an outfit can sometimes present unique and difficult challenges. For example, you may be unsure which accessories work best with your outfit or you may not have a coordinating belt to complement the top you are wearing. Perhaps the shoes you had in mind aren’t fitting with the jeans you had in mind, leaving you with half an outfit, limited time, and no clue how to bring it all together before you need to start the day.

However, getting dressed does not need to be so complicated, especially when you keep in mind that personal style is all subjective anyway. If you wear what makes you feel comfortable, confident, and joyful, you will always look great. Our personal style is not meant to please others. Rather, it is a means for us to quietly yet boldly express our personalities.

So if your personal expression is getting stuck in half completed outfits, check out these 6 simple tips to help you finish all of your looks with ease and confidence. And even if you aren’t stuck, you still might find these ideas helpful!

1. Add a Leather or Denim Jacket

Leather and denim jackets are the most versatile of all the completer pieces that you can have in your wardrobe. They are available in an endless array of silhouettes suitable for every style and body type. Both leather and denim are multi-seasonal giving you more styling opportunities than other outerwear options. And you can wear them with anything from a breezy summer look to an edgy winter outfit. It’s never a bad idea to own both a leather and a denim jacket so you can choose which one to wear depending on your mood that day!

Of course, a high quality leather jacket can carry a high price tag, but it is worth the investment because it will last a lifetime. If you are on a strict budget or prefer a more sustainable method of shopping, you can also look in thrift shops for a leather jacket. Second hand items are great for customization as well. You can change the buttons or zipper pulls, add patches or distressing, or paint designs on it to make it a true reflection of your personality.

Denim jackets are even easier to customize with fabric paint, patches, and embroidery. Sometimes all you need is a pair of scissors for personalized customization of a denim jacket. You can cut, shred, and poke holes in the denim. Then you can fasten it all back together with safety pins. You can remove sleeves, collars, or hems for an raw unfinished look. And if you add in a needle and some thread, the possibilities become endless.

2. Cinch in the Waist

Cinching the waist is one of the best ways to take an outfit from average to amazing. A once baggy oversized shirt can be transformed into an adorably stylish dress while a shapeless unflattering dress can be given new life and saved from the donation pile.

While belts are the most obvious accessory to use for cinching your waist, your styling arsenal is not limited to just belts. Don’t be afraid to get creative with scarves, neck ties, ribbons, shoe laces, and even sturdy necklaces as a way to cinch your waist. You can even tie a shirt or sweater around your waist or simply knot the shirt you are wearing at your waist to change the silhouette.

Cinching is a easy way to quickly change the shape and proportions of your outfit to get a more flattering fit and interesting style. You can belt just about anything that lands around your waist: dresses, tee shirts, sweaters and cardigans, kimonos, dusters, vests, coats, and blazers.

There is even a hack going round the internet at the moment where you tie the end of your shirt through a belt loop to change the silhouette of your outfit. Another benefit to this hack is that you can still cover your belt with your shirt if it doesn’t quite coordinate.

3. Throw on Another Layer

If you are sensing that your outfit is incomplete, a really easy tip to remember is add another layer…even if it is just meant to cover up your incomplete outfit! If accessories don’t seem to be working but something else is needed for a more complete look, consider layering a cardigan or kimono on top or a vest or turtleneck underneath. If it isn’t cold enough for a coat but too cold for just a sweater, you can add a scarf or wrap with a hat and gloves which will immediately make an unfinished outfit look complete.

Another great layering idea is wearing button down shirts as jackets over your graphic tees or print dresses. Any shirt with buttons will work from silk blouses to broadcloth men’s dress shirts to cozy cotton flannels. You can tie your shirt ends at the waist or leave them hang and cinch your waist with a belt or a scarf. Shirt dresses also work well as jackets or dusters when left unbuttoned. Don’t be afraid to experiment in front of a mirror until you find the style you love best. Experimentation is a great way to discover and build confidence in your own personal style.

4. Color Coordinate Your Makeup

Coordinating your makeup to complement your outfit is all part of the styling process. If your makeup is pale and subtle, it could make you appear washed out when wearing certain colors. But if you are wearing a bold and bright makeup look, it could draw attention away from a simple understated outfit. Therefore, it is important to choose makeup that is properly balanced with your outfit.

For example, if you are wearing bright colors, you want your makeup to reflect the same radiance. A flowery summer dress pairs well with a bold red lipstick or vibrant green eye makeup for an evening out. Add a light pink blush on your cheeks to maintain balance without creating an overbearing makeup style. Choose colors that complement your skin tone, hair color, eye color, and outfit for a cohesive and flattering look.

Keep in mind that any good makeup style starts and ends with proper skin care so be sure to invest in a healthy skin care routine. If you are running short on time and makeup is the least of your concern, maintaining healthy and hydrated skin will ensure that you always look amazing with or without makeup. On days when you are rushed, you can moisturize and go and still have a healthy glow all day long. Also, giving your skin occasional breaks from makeup is not a bad thing. Different types of acne can benefit from makeup free time in addition to weekly exfoliation. Pay attention to your personal skin care needs to formulate an effective skin care routine.

5. Add Something Comfortable

When we are comfortable in our clothing, we will always look better than when we are uncomfortable in our clothing. If a style you are wearing doesn’t feel quite like you, it is going to show through your body language which will hang like a dark cloud over your outfit. If the shoes that you really wanted to wear with your outfit are uncomfortable or your pants feel just a little too tight, change to something more comfortable. Pulling and tugging at your clothes all day to try to make them fit and feel right absolutely lowers from the aesthetic value of your outfit. Personal style should reflect your personality without taking away your comfort.

So when in doubt, grab your favorite cozy sweater, oversized coat, or perfectly broken in leggings and wear them with confidence and comfort. If you feel good in what you are wearing, you will most likely look good in it, too. And even if you don’t, who cares?!

6. Cover Bare Areas with Accessories

You can’t talk about completing an outfit without discussing the power of accessories. Once you have yourself dressed and ready to go, take one final look at your outfit to spot any bare spots. Bare spots can include portions of exposed skin or large swaths of the same color in your outfit. You can cover bare skin with accessories for a more conservative look and you can break up big chunks of color with necklaces or scarves.

Short sleeved or sleeveless outfits look great with stacked bangles or bracelets while low necklines and off the shoulder styles can be enhanced with statement earrings or necklaces. Break up a monochromatic column with a long necklace or scarf or add a choker as a collar to high crew neck dress. Accessories are fun to experiment with to create your own unique style.

Keep in mind that you don’t always have to wear your accessories in their intended way. You can style a necklace as a bracelet, a bracelet as a hair tie, a hair tie as a scarf tie, a scarf as a belt, or a belt as necklace. You can use earrings as brooches or shoe clips. You can use neck ties as purse straps or belts. Brooches can be fastened anywhere, not just lapels. And scarves can be used for a whole bunch of things from skirts to tops to dresses to sarongs to head wraps and turbans.

Completing an outfit as well as finding your own personal style just takes a bit of creativity and thinking outside the box. All you need are the accessories you already have and a new perspective in the way you look at styling them. You have purchased the things in your wardrobe because you liked them, so why not give them more opportunities to be showcased.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are no rules when it comes to personal style. And the fashion police aren’t a real thing. Any rules you may have read on the topic are just a bunch of hogwash. Wear what makes your soul happy!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.

Cover Image Source