The fun of fashion is that it's ever-evolving, though on the flip side that can mean your wardrobe, much like Nick at Nite's comedy lineup, perennially feels stuck in the past. Even as someone who works in the industry, it can be overwhelming; but the truth is that fashion editors aren't always shopping, they're just really good at updating the clothes they already have [1]. With simple outfit additions and stying tricks, the most stylish women aren't slaves to trends; they're pros at reworking what they have to feel new again.
Here, our team came together to share the styling tips they swear by with over 50 hacks to reimagine your t-shirts, dresses, jeans, and how you wear them all together. Sometimes, it's a little layering trick that goes a long way or swapping out your favourite heels for sneakers [2] to update a favourite look. This Fall, let these outfits serve as the inspiration to make little tweaks, invest in the trends [3] you actually care about, and change up your accessory routine.
- Simple-ish Swaps [4]
- Making the Trend [5]
- Up the Ante on Accessories [6]
Simple-ish Swaps
Consider these hacks the easiest way to upgrade a look you love. From trading a top for dress or adding interest with a belt, these tips are all about how to maximise the wardrobe you already have by mixing up your go-to pieces and tapping into your closet's true potential.
Warm Up White Pants
Reinvent your Summer-white jeans or trousers with a sweater that's snuggle-worthy and accessories in a darker palette.
On Hannah: a POPSUGAR at Kohl's sweater, Rachel Comey pants, By Far sandals, and a Staud bag.
Layer a Dress Over a T-Shirt
Wear your lightwear Summer maxi over a tee to bring your look casual vibes.
Remix Your Wardrobe Staples
Tired of your basic white button-down? Note: it looks entirely different when worn with leather leggings or layered under a slip dress. Sometimes, it's not about what you have, but how you wear it.
Reimagine an Evening Piece For Daytime
A liquid-silver slip dress is a stunning option for a cocktail party, but add a turtleneck underneath and it's just as ideal for a day out. Reinvent any of your favourite evening pieces by swapping in casual accessories and simple layers.
Give a Sweater a Sexier Twist
A simple way to add some oomph to a v-neck sweater? Just wear it off the shoulder. This little trick will come in handy when taking a look day to night.
Wear Your Lingerie By Day
Take a pretty slip or lacy top and give it a new life for daytime over a t-shirt or turtleneck, or tucked under a blazer or chunky cardigan. It's a sweet way to get more bang for your buck on a sexier piece you love.
Get Wrapped Up With Your Sweater
If you've been nonchalantly throwing a sweater over your shoulders, you may have underestimated how much your knit can add to your look. Tie it across your shoulders, your waist, or cross-body style to add a little more outfit intrigue.
Upgrade a "Lazy Day" Look
If you're lazy-day outfit revolves around a worn sweatshirt and jeans, you do you! But don't be afraid to add to it with a killer pair of shoes, a necklace you love, or a great bag that makes you feel a bit more pulled-together.
Embrace the Going Out Top (and Jeans!)
You don't have to throw on a dress for every fancy occasion. For this one, slip into your favourite jeans — then make it all about the fancy top.
On Sarah: POPSUGAR at Kohl's jeans, an Allina Liu top, Zara sandals, a bag by The Row, and Mounser earrings.
Dress Up an Old Favourite
Give your favourite tee or sweatshirt a new identity when you counter it with something a lot more elevated, like a great skirt or tailored trousers.
Elevate a T-Shirt
Don't be afraid to give your $10 tee a high-fashion makeover with bottoms in a more luxe material — think leather, tailored suiting, or even a sequinned skirt.
On Dana: a POPSUGAR at Kohl's tee, Veda leather pants, Stuart Weitzman boots, a Zara bag, and Illesteva sunglasses.
Winterize Your Favourite Dress
The easiest way to make a dress Fall or Winter ready? Just add boots. We especially love when a pair of statement-making knee-highs counter a something on the sweeter side.
Rework the Cardigan
Cardigans have long been touted as a conservative essential, but they hardly feel "grandpa" or "grandma-ish" when worn off-the-shoulder. Remix the way you wear yours by leaving it open over a t-shirt, buttoning just the first couple buttons, or even wearing backwards.
Layer Unexpectedly
When the weather cools, it's a perfect opportunity to get creative with your layers. Try shorts over tights or a skirt over trousers to reinvent your outfit basics — suddenly, not so basic!
Go Vintage
Sometimes, finding the perfect vintage piece can feel like you struck gold. Style a vintage logo dress with gold accessories, or pull out any of your favourite vintage finds — everything from your grandma's hand-me-downs to your S.O.'s college sweatshirt is fair game! It's up to you to give it a new life.
On Nikita: Gucci dress.
Do Denim On Denim
A double — or even triple — dose of denim is a guaranteed way to make your typical jeans more interesting. Then, get even more playful by pairing the monochromatic look with accessories that pop.
Embrace the Day Dress
No need to save your prettiest dresses for a night out or a special occasion. A great dress is the easiest kind of one-and-done dressing for the work, weekend, and beyond.
Play Opposites
Add combat boots or sneakers to your prettiest dress and see how opposites really do attract. This kind of juxtaposition is what makes a really great outfit.
Take Your Jeans to Work
Give your jeans an impeccably polished makeover with a blazer and heels. The effect is an elevated take on the everyday classics you can return to again and again with confidence.
On Laura: a Veda blazer, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Wandler mules, a Bottega Veneta bag, and Jimmy Choo sunglasses.
Add Sneakers to a Dress
Make a dress more playful just by subbing in sneakers [7]. What kind, you ask? Trainers, sleek white kicks, chunky dad sneakers — you can't go wrong with any of these styles.
Top Pants . . . With a Dress
Go all out and add a maxi dress right over your pants or jeans, or keep it simpler and swap a top for a shorter babydoll. The mix feels contemporary and so much cooler than your usual t-shirt.
Wear Denim, But Not Jeans
Denim shirts, dresses, vests, jumpsuits are fair game, but give your jeans the day off today and see how creative you can get. We love the look of a denim shirt tucked into high-waisted trousers or a pencil skirt.
Give Your Trousers a Twist
Literally! Just by cinching your trousers at the ankle, you can create one of the trendiest looks of the season [8] — and all it requires are the ankle straps on your shoes or a little extra string.
Embrace an All-Black Palette
Trade in bright colours and print for an outfit that makes a statement in a cool, dark palette.
Making the Trends
For the trendsetter in you, these styling tips are all about embracing new looks and what the fashion world is buzzing about right now. From romantic sleeves to animal print, the set of hacks in here relies heavily on embracing a new aesthetic and pushing yourself beyond the traditional outfit formula.
Be Romantic
Get romantic with your wardrobe this season. Opt for puffy sleeves or Victorian-esque midi dresses that'll whisk you away.
On Laura: Khaite dress, the Row bag. On Nikita: Zimmermann dress.
Slip Into Statement Pants
Our tops get plenty of attention. For this next trick, we're making it all about the pants. From animal print, to polka-dots, or bright red trousers, liven up your outfit by slipping into some bold trousers. They're easier to wear than you think — just add a solid sweater, tee, or jacket on top.
On Sarah: a POPSUGAR at Kohl's sweater, Miaou pants, Wandler boots, and a Mary Rich clutch.
Get (In)Vested!
Layer up with a vest in any iteration — denim, leather, even tailored varieties are a perfect way to transition Summer staples to Fall and add an extra layer of warmth.
Make It All About the Texture
Give a cold-weather outfit a fashion-girl spin by combining a various textures together into one look. Neutral shades like brown, honey, and black are the easiest way to combine a mix of pieces. Plus, they look great with various colours and prints.
On Laura: a POPSUGAR at Kohl's coat, Ulla Johnson dress, Tory Burch boots, and a Wandler bag.
Be a Minimalist
Trade flashy silhouettes and colour for an outfit that simply speaks volumes with great tailoring or a dreamy colour palette.
On Laura: a Jospeh blazer, Ellery skirt, Aritzia bodysuit, Loewe bag, Sofia Zakia earrings, and necklaces by Temple of the Sun and Stella and Bow.
Try Head-to-Toe Print
For those who believe black is boring, print may already be your thing. Now, just embrace it (times 10!) by wearing a pattern you love from head to toe.
Borrow From the Boys
Blazers, suiting, tailored trousers, and any of your favourite "menswear" pieces are up for grabs! Make them your own with a fresh spin that feels like you, whether that's dressing down a suit with a t-shirt or throwing your favourite blazer over a dress.
Stay Neutral
Don't be afraid to stay neutral. Forget grey, we're all about beige and camel hues — let this be your colour palette this season.
On Nikita: Nanuskha Top, Chanel bag, Chinese Laundry mules.
Be a One-Suit Wonder
Forgo your regular jeans-and-top look in favour of a pulled-together jumpsuit. It's the piece that does all the work for you, giving a cool, pulled-together vibe from head-to-toe. Plus, they work from just about every occasion with the switch of your footwear.
Embrace The Block Heel
If you're not a heels girl, embrace the block heel with dresses and skirts. From versatile black styles to colourful patent leather, there's an option for every aesthetic that's guaranteed to be your most comfy and walkable heel.
On Laura: a Khaite dress, The Row bag, Maryam Nassir Zadeh heels, and Mounser earrings. On Dana: a J.Crew skirt, Maryam Nassir Zadeh bag, and Jimmy Choo sunglasses.
Mix Prints
Print mixing can be as subtle as adding a bag or clutch in a contrasting or complementary print — even a pair of printed pumps can be part of the pattern mixing! Start there, and see how your outfit evolves.
Introduce a Single Statement Piece
Let a multi-printed skirt be the star of the show by keeping the rest of your outfit neutral, or replicate the effect with a bold top and understated jeans. Whatever the pairing, the results are the same "look at me" without saying anything at all!
On Nikita: Off-White skirt, Alice and Olivia crop top, Ariat cowboy boots, and a Chanel bag.
Go All In On 1 Colour
Make a statement in a wash of one colour or cool tonal pieces that give you a whole vibe. Bonus points for dressing in your power colour.
Get in Touch With Your Animal Instincts
Animal print is a fashion-girl favourite for a reason. In neutral tones, like classic leopard print, it adds subtler interest to your outfit; in bolder patterns, like zebra, it can be the star of your whole look. Introduce animal print the way you want to — start small, or dream big! — in every case, it's sure to be a head-turner.
Play With Pastels
Instead of just choosing one pastel piece, mix and match a few different shades, and break them up with a clean white tee.
On Sarah: an Aritzia Babaton blazer, Vince slip skirt, BaubleBar earrings, and .tde bag.
Give Your Jeans the Day Off
Challenge yourself to wear anything leather but your leather jacket. Try a paper-bag trouser and heels, simplified with a cropped tee.
Upgrade a Throwback Trend
Chokers, Chuck Taylors, slip dresses, bell bottoms, and more of today's throwback trends make for some pretty awesome outfit starters. Embrace the one that speaks to you and give it a contemporary upgrade.
Try An Updated LBD
To give your little black dress collection a modern update, try a silhouette with puffy sleeves. The touch of volume will feel fresh without going over the top.
On Laura: a Khaite dress, The Row bag, and Mounser earrings.
Up the Ante on Accessories
These styling hacks are all about how to utilise the details to your advantage. From the shoes to the bags and the jewels, fashion girls know these little things make a big difference.
Put a Scarf on It
Scarves are the simple way to rev up any outfit. It's the detail you can add tied in your hair, on the strap of your bag, as a belt, a bandana, and beyond!
Make Your Shoes the Star of the Show
Give a great pair of shoes the attention they deserve and keep the rest of your outfit simple. Just let your shoes do the talking!
Top It All Off With a Hat
Fedora, baseball cap, floppy hat — it doesn't matter. Any of these pieces will give your look a distinctly cool vibe, and quite possibly, save you from a bad hair day!
Belt Your Outerwear
Add a belt to to cinch the waist of your coat — et voila! — a brand new outfit is born, not to mention, one that helps show off your shape.
Play Matchy-Matchy
Adding a handbag in the same colour as your outfit can give your whole look a kind of theme. We love the playfulness it brings, then have some fun when you mix up your footwear entirely.
Make Your Jewellery the Focus
Highlight your favourite pieces and don't be afraid to mix metals and layer it on. Make today all about celebrating the jewellery you've been "meaning to wear" for months. Bonus: it makes thinking about the rest of your outfit way easy.
"Wear" Your Bag
Do like the fashion girls do and throw your shoulder bag or fanny pack on crossbody style. It instantly gives anything you're wearing an on-trend vibe that requires next to no effort.
Try a Statement Bag
We love a statement shoe, but another equally impactful accessory is the statement bag! Whether you try a colourful silk mini, embellished shoulder bag, or printed clutch, a not-to-simple bag will bring any look to life.
On Nikita: a Zimmermann dress and Gucci bag. On Hannah: a Rixo London dress and Baggu clutch. On Laura: a Khaite dress and bag by The Row.
Chanel Your Inner Blair Waldorf
So you have the perfect outfit, but want to make it pop. Channel your inner Blair Waldorf and add a headband [9] — et voila! — your outfit just got a thousand times more interesting.
On Nikita: Reformation dress, Tanya Taylor headband, Prada bag, and By Far heels.
Do the Boot Tuck
Beautiful boots are meant to be shown off! Give them the outfit real estate they deserve and tuck your pants, jeans, and jumpsuits right into them.
Balance A Bright Colour With Black
Head-to-toe brights are fun, but for a sleek downplay, style in black accessories to offset bold colours.
On Laura: a Mara Hoffman dress, Bottega Venetta bag, and Amanu Studio sandals.
Spruce Up a Black Dress With Colourful Accessories
Head-to-toe black can easily fall flat, so, to stray away from noir shoes and bags, swap for colourful styles in a coordinating tone.
On Laura: a Khaite dress, The Row bag, and Maryam Nassir Zadeh sandals.