Looking Good
20 Little Things That Make Your Outfit More Interesting
The stylist-approved tricks that make your clothes look considered, not just thrown on.
There’s something about the dopamine hit of a new outfit: with the hunt, the purchase, the compliments that boost your confidence. This can often lead you wishing you had something fresh to wear while staring at an overstuffed closet that doesn’t fully represent your personal style (thanks to impulse buys whose appeal quickly fizzled).
The solution isn’t more shopping — it’s styling. Here are 20 little ways you can make your outfit more interesting. With a little creativity, your wardrobe can showcase your personality and still give you that little rush of dopamine. Getting dressed can feel exciting.
You don’t have to exert a ton of time, energy, effort or money to put together an eye-catching outfit. In my 15 years of working as a fashion stylist, I’ve found ways to jazz up a look with pieces I’ve found in a thrift store for a few bucks, an easy DIY I’ve made, or items that are already in my closet. Here’s how to shake things up (and FYI, the links below take you to tutorials for more inspo and instructions).
1. Steal Tricks From Pro Stylists
There is a difference between wearing an outfit and intentionally styling an outfit. Minor touches can make a huge impact. Roll up the sleeves on your button-up, blazer, or sweater; button your blouse all the way to the top; French-tuck your shirt; ditch the belt that comes with the dress and leave it loose or swap it for a silk scarf; brighten up your loafers with colorful socks; cuff your jeans; or wear your pants or skirt low-waisted instead of higher up.
2. Get Creative With Silk Scarves
The it accessory of 2026 is the scarf, and it can completely transform an outfit in seconds. Wear it as a belt, a necklace, an added layer over pants or a skirt, a handbag accessory, or (my personal favorite) as a top or skirt itself! This versatile trend is especially perfect for travel because it takes up zero space in your luggage. You can even make a flower out of it.
3. The Rule Of Three
If you are wearing a T-shirt and jeans, toss a sweater over your shoulders, add a light jacket, a belt, or a scarf. The more the merrier — two pieces can sometimes feel blah, but a third can pull the look together.
4. Mix Textures
By no means are interesting outfits reserved for maximalists. Make a minimal, tonal, or neutral look stand out with a combination of different materials. I styled head-to-toe burgundy with a leather boot, sequin skirt, and wool jacket to avoid looking like a monotone blob.
5. Add A Brooch
They’re not just for grandmas anymore. A brooch is an effortless way to dress up a simple shirt, blazer or dress, and you can go as minimal or maximalist as you want. I’ve thrifted them for a few dollars and DIYed some fun ones with gemstones, feathers, and flowers. You can also take a statement earring and pin it through your clothes.
6. Try A Tie
Take a page out of the menswear book and style a button-up with a tie. It can elevate a suit, add a layer of interest, and play with androgynous style (which is currently having a major moment). These are easy to thrift for a couple bucks. (I scored one of my favorites for a dollar!)
7. Give Your Clothes A New Job
Think outside the box by wearing garments in an innovative way: Style a dress as a shirt by layering it under a skirt or over trousers. Leave a wrap dress open as a duster jacket. Turn a cardigan backward for a chic off-the-shoulder look. Hike up a midi skirt to wear it as a strapless dress or top.
8. Repurpose Your Jewelry
I will style my long chain necklaces as a belt or purse strap, wrap necklaces around my wrist as a bracelet, and add earrings to a chain to create a statement necklace. Statement earrings can be used as brooches, and clip-on earrings can be used as shoe clips.
9. Decorate Your Accessories
Even your accessories need an accessory. Tie a scarf around your purse handle, transform flats or heels with shoe clips, or embellish your bag with brooches, pins, and jewelry. If you don’t want to create holes in your clothing or bag, these magnets are a game-changer — the pin attaches to the magnet instead of the fabric underneath.
10. Layer Up
With fall and winter around the corner, I urge you to focus on adding thin layers under your outfit versus tossing on a huge chunky sweater and calling it a day. Multiple layers will add dimension and visual interest in a way that single items can’t. Try a printed turtleneck under a blouse for a quirky look, a button-up under a sweater for a preppy vibe, or a dress over jeans if you’re daring.
11. Combine Unexpected Colors
Let’s take it back to art class and talk about the color wheel. Instead of pairing brights with neutrals, or avoiding color all together, think about color families, as well as complementary and analogous shades. Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other (like blue and orange or red and green), whereas analogous shades sit next to each other (red and red-orange, or yellow-green and green).
For example, if you’re wearing red, the complementary hue would be green, but if that feels too Christmas-y, try turquoise, teal, or sage. To create contrast with blue, the complementary color would be orange, so you might also play with gold jewelry and leopard print.
12. Don’t Wear The Same Jewelry Every Day
While some say you should stick with one metal family or taking one accessory off before heading out the door. In my opinion, more is more. Mix your metals, wear fine jewelry alongside costume, and stack dainty pieces with bolder statements. This is the fastest way to inject personality into your ’fit.
13. Make A Statement With Trim
Unique trims were one of my favorite trends from the ’90s and early 2000s, and when I saw the iconic Taller Marmo feather kaftan a couple years ago, I was excited to see them coming back. The DIY possibilities are endless: Add a suede or beaded fringe to the sleeves of your jacket, beads to the hem of your jeans, or feathers to your shirt. (I pinned a green boa to a thrifted men’s button-up shirt for the US Open this year.)
14. Experiment With Proportions
Forget the outdated rules of what’s “flattering” for your body type. Who’s to say that certain bodies look good or bad in certain outfits? Instead, play with the proportions, lengths, and fit of your clothes however you please. Style an oversize shirt with baggy jeans, micro shorts with a trench coat, or a voluminous maxi skirt with a structured blazer.
15. Don’t Be Afraid Of Bold Colors & Prints
Swapping your go-to jeans for an animal print trouser instantly makes the outfit cooler. Instead of picking a neutral handbag or shoe, opt for an eye-catching color, metallic hue, or animal print to make a matching set more thoughtful.
16. Pin A Playful DIY
2026 is the year of whimsy. I love dressing up a simple top with a statement piece, like an artificial flower or feather brooch. I made both of these for less than $10.
17. Wrong Shoe Theory
Sometimes, the best outfits break traditional fashion rules. I love the wrong shoe theory — the concept of intentionally selecting a style that doesn’t traditionally “go” with the rest of your look — because it adds unexpected contrast. Try a pointed slingback or rhinestone-encrusted strappy sandals with track pants, or a chunky boot or athletic sneaker with a feminine dress.
18. Wrong Bag Theory
In the same vein, a surprising choice of bag can add dimension to an outfit and serve as a conversation starter. Style a kitschy crossbody with a formal dress, a beaded evening bag with jeans, or swap your work tote with an oversize silhouette covered in baubles. Brands such as JW Pei, Betsey Johnson, Vera Bradley and Kurt Geiger have great novelty options.
19. Use Safety Pins & A MicroStitch Gun
Safety pins are the most used item in my styling kit. They can instantly tailor an item to be more form-fitting, adjust the length of a strap, close a neckline, or shorten a sleeve or hemline. Consider it a temporary instant sewing machine. You can take in the waistband by pinning the extra fabric on the inside of your garment. To adjust a hem, iron the garment flat, turn it inside-out, lay it on a table, and pin it to your desired length.
I also love my MicroStitch gun, which creates a temporary tiny plastic stitch that doesn’t damage your clothing. This is a miniature version of what stores use to attach tags, and less invasive than a safety pin. You can easily snip it off when you’re done wearing the garment. This technique can help with pinning down collars, closing necklines to prevent a blouse from gaping open, or attaching embellishments or trim. I recently used my MicroStitch to secure a feather boa as trim to a shirt here and the sequin discs to a pair of heels.
20. Tailor Your Favorite Clothes... Or Not
This is the most expensive item on the list, but it can turn those pieces gathering dust in the back of your closet into something you’re excited to wear. If you have a dress that hits at an awkward length, chop it and create a mini dress or a skirt. Instead of messing with the straps or a waistband, a tailor can adjust and sew the item of clothing to fit your body perfectly.
This will also help you determine if you really like the item of clothing enough to put in the effort and money to get it tailored. If not, consign it, donate it, or repurpose the fabric for something else!
