In this post, I wanted to share some simple styling changes or upgrades you can make to elevate a simple outfit like a jeans, t-shirt and long cardigan to looking more put together and chic without a lot of effort.
This is a step by step guide, so be sure to save this to your Pinterest.
I had started doing this last year and all of you really loved it, so here it goes again. These tips are steps that most stylish people follow and adding them to your daily outfit planning can really make a huge difference.
Before we even start, I wanted to share the before of the outfit that I am transforming today. Honestly, I have worn this outfit this way many times as well, so its something most of us often put together when we are in a hurry to run errands to head over somewhere.
It feels like not much can be done to this outfit at this point, but I wanted to share some simple steps you can take to elevate the same jeans and long cardigan look which would still be casual but it will look way better.
So, lets begin!
Before
Here are a few things that are wrong with this look even though it looks perfectly fine for daily wear:
- No Shape: This outfit is really not doing anything for my figure, in fact it just makes me look even more boxy.
- Look Short: The sneakers are making me actually look shorter even though I am wearing a cropped jeans which Ideally should be doing the other way around.
- Cardigan is Big On Me: The cardigan looks big on me even though it is not. It feels like I am drowning in it.
- No Personality: While this is a casual outfit, but it actually has no personality, feels like I have just thrown things on at the last minute.
So, lets get to how we can fix this outfit now.
Step 1: Tuck In Your T-shirt
I think I have always emphasized on this part because it honestly makes a huge difference. You don’t have to do a full tuck, you can also just do a front tuck and that would also do the same thing.
It instantly makes this outfit look put together and more importantly, it shows my waistline and creates a slight curve instead of me looking boxy. If you wear high waisted jeans, it always will make you look curvier than you are, trust me.
Tucking in the top makes you look smarter as it shows more lines around the right area of your body. Right now the T shirt was cutting me off at a wrong place where it was completely hiding my hips and making me look boxy.
If you are ever in a hurry, just do this and you will notice a difference right away. I have a whole video where I am sharing different techniques of tucking, which you can watch below.
Step 2: Add a Necklace
Jewelries are one of the best ways you can add some personality to this outfit. I believe the purpose of any accessory is to really add a personality and it honestly looks different on everyone.
Now, you don’t have to wear like everything. A simple pendant necklace can make a huge difference. It adds a sophistication to your look and emphasizes that yes you have paid attention in creating this outfit.
I am a more minimalist in terms of necklace, I don’t like a lot of it, so for me, a layered necklace or just one pendant necklace does the trick.
It also brings attention to your neck and makes you look elegant even in a simple t-shirt.
Step 3: Pull up Your Sleeves
The reason this cardigan looks so big on me even though it is the size that I always wear is because my arms are completely covered which gives an illusion that this cardigan is oversized.
A simple trick to use here is pulling the sleeves up. Most cardigans are a bit elastic around the arm, so just pulling them up like 5 or 6 inches makes the biggest difference.
The cardigan now appears to fit you well, and it also gives an effortless vibe which is what a long cardigan is suppose to be.
Step 4: Swap Your Shoes
This is the most important step and makes the biggest difference. Just like the sleeves of the cardigan all the way down were drowning me in this outfit which made me look a bit frumpy, the sneakers are completely hiding my legs and they are actually my biggest asset :).
This is one of the main reasons I look really frumpy in this outfit. How do we change that?
I swapped the sneakers with Loafers which are equally comfortable to wear and honestly feel more grown up and sophisticated.
But the biggest difference is that, the loafers help show my ankle and that makes me look taller and slimmer in this outfit compared to looking boxy.
If you don’t have loafers, go for ballerina flats or even mules. They would also be perfect, but I honestly would recommend owning at least one loafer which would be your grown up pair.
The Result
I wanted to share a side by side comparison so you can also see for yourself, how easily this outfit was transformed without trying a lot. And this would honestly take you the same amount of time to put together compared to the original outfit. Don’t you think?
Video Format:
I am also adding the Instagram Reels that I shared with my audience and they absolutely loved it. If you are on Instagram, I would love for us to connect.
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