Draven Jackson
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With summer just around the corner, it’s time to swap out your winter closet and get ready for warm-weather outfits! However, a year can bring a lot of change, and looking at your old clothes may make you feel like you’re staring at a past self. It’s completely normal at times like these to come to the internet for styling tips, tricks, and hacks to help you feel more at home in your clothes.

Building your style is an incredibly personal experience, and much like your personality, your overall aesthetic is going to change constantly. In order to be ready for that change, here are some of my favorite styling tips to always make sure I have a closet that makes me feel happy, satisfied, and completely connected with the person I have become.

Layers, layers, layers

One of the best styling tips I ever discovered was layers. No matter the season, weather, or personal evolution I may be in, having options for layering can really help me feel at home in my closet. There is so much variety when it comes to layering – button-down shirts, hoodies, cardigans, cover-ups, and jackets are all amazing options for giving a little more life to your look.

If you want to go casual but still want to be stylish, pair a cute open button-down, flannel, or denim jacket with your jeans and t-shirt look. If you’re trying to be more chic and professional in your attire, a blazer or nice cardigan can really push your look that extra mile. And if you want to add some attitude to your outfit, try pairing a cool leather jacket with your overall ensemble! Layering offers versatility and the ability to mix and match your closet, so make sure to have different options in all the styles that best suit you!

Don’t be afraid of patterns

Patterns can be a bit overwhelming at times, but if you’re looking for styling tips and ways to revamp your closet, patterns can also add a lot of personality to any look! Adding patterns isn’t just about animal prints, plaid, or flowers (although these are all great options). It can also be just a subtle statement blouse with an ombre effect, galaxy print shoes, or even overalls with tiny mushrooms on them!

Prints and patterns are a great way to show your personality through your clothes, and having outfits that reflect your current style and aesthetic can make you feel more in love with your look. A few years ago, I was all about floral prints – I had at least five or six (or ten) different floral patterned shirts and dresses. Now, I like going with more cottage-core style patterns, like strawberries and mushrooms, or even just simple striped shirts and plaid pants.

Having a few exciting, patterned statement pieces can really bring the perfect amount of personality into your closet.

Add a pop of color

I can say that, without a doubt, one of my best styling tips is adding a pop of color to your wardrobe. Without a doubt, I love color – I have work pants in pastel shades of pink and purple, a turquoise blazer, and a bucket hat in every color in the rainbow. I love incorporating color into my looks because I feel like it speaks to who I am as a person and who I want to be. If you’re someone who loves to have fun with their fashion, then don’t be afraid to go for big, bold, colorful pieces!

And if you’re not sure what colors best suit you, have no fear – the internet is full of color theory articles and videos that can help you find the colors that best fit your skin tone! You can also find color theory shops that will work with you to find which colors look the best on you, and they will give you options for clothing styles, makeup, and accessories that will take your style to new heights. It’s time to make this year about finding happiness in your style and incorporating color into your life!

Skirts are perfect for cute and casual

An often overlooked clothing item, skirts are the perfect way to add a touch of casual, cute, and classy to your closet. To anyone looking for styling tips to help them build a new summer look, hear me out: try to find skirts that fit your body shape. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Coming from someone who used to love dresses but now only wears them once in a blue moon, skirts have proven to be a great way to mix cute femininity into my overall casual style.

Skirts are amazing because there are so many ways you can wear them – you can get fancy by pairing a skirt with a nice blouse and a set of heels, or you can stay cool and casual by swapping your t-shirt and jeans look for a t-shirt and skirt outfit! Not to mention, there are countless styles to choose from. Miniskirts, maxiskirts, asymmetrical, mermaid cut – with so many options at your disposal, there’s no way you won’t find a style that fits you!

Accessories are your new best friend

For me, my style is 60% clothes and shoes, and 40% accessories, so it shouldn’t be surprising that one of my top styling tips is to accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Honestly, the options are endless when it comes to accessories – hats, scarves, necklaces, earrings, and rings are just some of the accessories available to you!

Personally, I’m the type of person to get really interested in one type of accessory at a time and then build up a collection of that item over the course of a few months. I have boxes and boxes of earrings, bags of sunglasses, and more hair clips than one person could need. Is it a bit over the top? Probably. But I like having so many options to choose from, and it makes me happy to know that I can mix and match my collections to create countless style options.

Keep some simple pieces

If you’re looking for styling tips to help you build closets that will stand the test of time, then one of the best ones I can offer is to always keep some simple pieces in your wardrobe. I love patterns, colors, and accessories, but sometimes having too many of those can mean that your closet isn’t as versatile or easy to curate new looks from. However, if you always have a few toned-down, simple pieces available to you, then there’s no reason that your closet can’t still make you happy after a year or more.

So what are some simple pieces everyone should have? First, I recommend always keeping a plain white shirt or two (also a plain T-shirt) and a white button-down. I have used my simple white shirts more than almost any other piece in my closet, and they continue to serve me well with each new patterned and colorful piece I buy. You’re also going to want a pair of black pants (nice and casual) and jeans that fit you well and look good. Finally, I recommend keeping a simple leather or denim jacket to help finish off your look – we can’t forget our layers!

Make sure to have the capsule shoe closet

In a similar mind, another one of the best styling tips for creating the perfect closet that will still feel like home even after a year in storage is to keep a capsule shoe closet. For those who may not know, a capsule closet is a small collection of clothes that have been carefully put together to be easily interchangeable to create different outfit styling options. When building a capsule closet, you can’t forget to include shoes that match any outfit.

While having fun, colorful, and patterned shoes are great (and you should definitely have a few pairs just to add some personality to your looks), you also want to make sure you have shoes to match any outfit. The best shoes to keep in your closet at all times are a pair of white or black tennis shoes, nude or black ballet flats, and a pair of boots (either in black, brown, or white depending on your personal color preferences). If you also like wearing heels, you can also add a pair of nude or black heels to your closet. That’s 3-4 pairs of shoes that will match just about any outfit, so you’ll never have an “I don’t have the right shoes” moment again!

Do you have more styling tips for creating the perfect closet? Tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.

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