The Power of Styling: How to Transform Your Look with a Few Easy Tweaks
Featuring five before-and-after outfits.
For how much I love thinking through what to wear, one would assume the art of getting ready holds a similar place in my heart. But alas, there are few daily routines I dread more than drying my hair (I chopped it off last year in order to streamline the process) or applying make-up (apart from trying new lip colors, I only have one way of doing it). When it comes to clothing, this means that I usually delight in planning my outfit but often proceed to get dressed on autopilot. Luckily, I’m much more of a minimalist than a maximalist, so this lazy side of mine doesn’t conflict with my aesthetic goals—but sometimes, I just want to shake things up.
In recent weeks, I’ve been especially focused on digging deeper into the process of getting dressed, pausing to ask myself, How can I make my existing items feel fresh without necessarily buying more? It might sound obvious, but this journey has been a reminder that making a couple of styling tweaks can completely transform an outfit. A cuff here and a layer there does wonders for your chic-factor, and you should never underestimate the power of replacing an accessory with one that’s less predictable.
It’s an ongoing journey to keep this top of mind amidst busy mornings, but when I do stop to scan over my outfit and make a strategic adjustment or two, it always pays off. To show you what I mean, I used some of our best-selling essentials to put together five base (“unstyled”) looks—and tweaked each to achieve a more “styled” version. Low effort meets more je nais se quois.
Shop all the looks from this story here.
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Look #1
A crisp button-down + our top-selling pants of all time = a combination that’s classic, but frankly, a little bit boring. For a less conservative interpretation, I rolled up the Mila shirt’s cuffs and buttoned up the hems of my Fosters. That’s right: These pants feature adjustable hems, so you can shorten them a few inches, whether you’re petite or just want to go for a more cropped look as I did here. For a pop of personality, I added the sky blue Carter slides and bold gold earrings.
Look #2
As one of our most popular tops, the Nejvi is undeniably beautiful—featuring artful draping and an elegant peplum. I love the way its blousiness balances out streamlined pants like my beloved Milo jeans, but I prefer to alter this look’s proportions ever so slightly. Tucking in the “skirt” of the Nejvi not only reveals the top of my pants for a leg-lengthening effect but also creates an opportunity to define my waist with a contrasting belt. To add more dimension to this two-tone look, I also added a light layer.
Look #3
On hectic mornings, there’s nothing easier than a one-and-done dress like the wrinkle-resistant Cassandra paired with my favorite loafers. On days when I have a few extra minutes, though, I like to get more creative and try to re-style my items in unexpected ways—or in some cases, as entirely different garments. Here, I’ve unbuttoned the Cassandra dress and styled it as a duster-length vest over the turtleneck Jett tank and the straight-leg Smith trousers. To break up this all-black base, I added the Everly belt; and to ensure the length of the Cassandra didn’t overwhelm my frame, I swapped in the heeled Lana boots.
Look #4
I often fall victim to treating accessories as an afterthought, reaching for coordinating colors as I head out the door. But in my recent efforts to slow down and consider other options, I’ve realized that making a swap as simple as a less expected neutral can be just as easy and so much more impactful. I find this is especially true when dealing with super-streamlined essentials, like a white shirt and black trousers. Of course, black accessories work well here, but switch them with dark chocolate brown counterparts (like this woven tote and these square-toed flats), and you have yourself a look that’s deliciously tonal and decidedly fashion-forward. Another tweak I made here was tucking my Lagarde shirt into my Zhou culottes for a more dapper finish.
Look #5
Customers agree: A comfortable shift dress like our #1 best-selling style, the Maaza, is perhaps the best blank canvas you could ask for. Add shoes, and you have a perfectly sufficient work outfit; embellish with accessories, and you transform it from workwear to dinner attire. Here, I kept on my navy flats, added the shiny Lennon earrings and a vintage Gucci scarf (similar: Etsy), pulled my hair back, and swiped on a red lip. In essence, I got an entirely new look out of the Maaza while adding next to no weight to my already-stuffed work bag.
Shop all the looks from this story here.
