If your peers have been teasing you for wearing the same type of dress every day of the week, or you want to get rid of fashion styles that should be left behind in the 2000’s, 2020 is the year that you can resolve to be a little more experimental with your fashion choices.
That being said, changing up your style doesn’t necessarily mean you have to completely overhaul your wardrobe and emulate everything you see on the runway – all it really takes is just a few tweaks to create a completely new you!
1. Stick to signature pieces and throw everything else out
If you are a hardcore shopaholic but always stick to the same set of clothes, there’s a high chance that you’ve been buying too much that you’ll never wear and losing sight of the old gems that you actually love.
Here’s our tip: stop buying fancy pieces that you’ll just conveniently tuck into your closet, and invest instead in around ten signature pieces that you can style in a variety of ways to create different looks for different occasions.
That way, you are putting your money into new good-quality clothes that you’ll actually wear, and you can now easily see all the choices that have beyond those two white shirts you’ve been putting on repeat.
A good example of a wardrobe staple is the little black dress, or LBD: it’s easy to wear on a daily basis, and no one would bat an eyelid if you wore the same dress in the same week when paired with different accessories or outerwear – trust us on that.
Try: Zalora Square Neck Fit and Flare Dress, Something Borrowed Wide Neck Back Tie Collar Shirt Blouse, Dorothy Perkins Camel Ankle Grazer Pants
2. Style your T-shirts in different ways
If your default is tucking your T-shirt into jeans, the good news is that you can create nine other different looks – all while sticking to your favourite T-shirt-jeans combination.
Unlike what you may think, a T-shirt is very versatile and can be worn multiple ways simply by rolling up your sleeves, tying the ends into a knot, tuck/half-tick it into your jeans – the possibilities are endless!
You can watch this tutorial here to see how you can style a simple white tee in 10 different ways.
3. Invest in statement jewellery…
As the name implies, statement jewellery is all out to make a statement, and the good thing about it is that it doesn’t require much effort.
For example, you can just throw on a pair of large hoop earrings to create instant retro vibes or a dazzling hairpin on your head for a touch of classy femininity – your friends will be full of praises for your new fashion style without realising that you’re still wearing the same dress from last year!
Statement jewellery doesn’t have to be expensive either: no matter your budget, you can get loud and bold pieces that will fit your taste preferences from these online jewellery stores.
Want to customise your jewellery? You can also check out our guide to the best shops to get your statement rings and necklaces customised.
Try: A-Excellence Stone PLANT Necklaces, Mango Embossed Earrings, Shantal Jewellery White Topaz Black Onyx Earring With Gold Plated
4. …and new outerwear
Want to hide the fact that you’re wearing the same dress two days in a row? Just throw on a different jacket, and no one will be able to tell.
A jacket or coat is the easiest way to take your style to the next level – most of them are timeless classics (think the denim jacket) and are easy to pair with almost any outfit and for any occasion, which makes them worthy investments to make in the new year.
Depending on the type of outerwear you buy, some of them can even be worn in various ways so you get a different style every time – sweet!
Try: BDG by Urban Outfitters Denim Utility Jacket, Missguided Grazer Borg Denim Jacket, FILA Taiwan Collection Reversible Bomber Jacket
5. Introduce a scarf to your wardrobe
Don’t belittle this humble scarf: this has been making its rounds on the runway for being a versatile piece that you can use in place of other fashion accessories.
Whether you prefer to wrap a scarf around your neck as a choker, hang it from your bag, keep your hair up, or even tie around your wrists as a bracelet, you can find ways to mix and match various scarves to spruce up an otherwise boring outfit.
Try: Pomelo Limited Edition Floral Scarf, Forever New Sienna Floral Chain Scarf, Mango Frayed Edge Scarf
6. Break out the belts
If you want clothes that are more shapely and flattering in the new year but can’t bear to part with your old clothes, you just need one accessory to make it work: a belt!
Belts are useful for defining your waist, which can make you look thinner and shapelier. It can also add some edginess and work as a statement piece – think the double buckle belt that Hollywood celebs can’t get enough of, as well as the OFF-WHITE industrial belt that instantly screams hipster chic.
Try: Dorothy Perkins Black Clasp Waist Belt, Mango Buckle Belt, ALDO Adwudda Double Loop Belt
7. Top it off with a hat or cap
Besides serving the practical purposes of shielding you from the blistering sun and covering up unmade hair, a good hat or cap is the cherry on top that really completes your fashion ensemble.
For example, if you are aiming to channel the Parisian chic style without doing a drastic wardrobe overhaul, you could simply pop on a beret and nail the look instantly.
Our tip is to invest in a few different hats and caps so that you can keep changing your style – after all, the same combination of white shirt and slacks can look drastically different depending on whether you wearing a bucket hat or floppy hat!
Try: ALDO Aigossa Wool Beret, Call It Spring Agneta Baker Boy Hat, OBEY Jumbled Bucket Hat
8. Work some leather into your look
Trends like polka dots and tie-dye fall in and out of fashion every few decades or so, but there’s one that remains a classic throughout the years: leather.
The material used to be associated with biker gangs (think tough leather jackets), but has since evolved to become a bold, elegant fashion item that everyone should aim to own one of.
Unlike what most people think, leather is very easy to work with and is not limited to just leather jackets or handbags. From jumpsuits to skirts, you could sport leather on almost any fashion piece to create an entirely different vibe. Just be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll look like a leathery amphibian instead.
Here’s a hint: colourful leather is set to be a top trend in 2020, so go forth and get that maroon leather skirt you’ve been dreaming of!
Try: Espirit Leather Bomber Jacket, Warehouse Belted Leather Trousers, Sophialuv Belted Faux Leather Mini Skirt In Beige
9. Mix patterns subtly
If all you’ve been sporting is colour-blocked outfits for the past few years or never quite had the courage to wear anything more than a tartan skirt, it’s time to go all-whack with the patterns!
Don’t get us wrong – we’re not encouraging you to throw on every print and pattern possible and hope that something works out. A foolproof way of mixing patterns is making one the main focus, and another barely there – for example, you can have louder, brighter prints on your blouse and more subtle florals on your skirt for a good balance that doesn’t overwhelm.
Try: Halo Stripe Pattern Irregular Dress, BWLDR Joe Overlay Pants, Boohoo Ruffle Hem Floral Midi Skirt
10. Experiment with layers
We’re not just talking about throwing on a jacket here when it comes to layering.
One of the best ways to fully utilise your existing wardrobe while cooking up a new look is learning to layer your clothes so that it looks more sophisticated and done up, even if it barely took you any time to pull the look together.
The most popular way to layer clothes is a shirt under a dress – you can layer different T-shirts, turtlenecks, or even button-downs under the same dress and still sport completely non-identical looks.
11. Try denim on denim again
The simplest way to create a fashion statement? Pulling off denim on denim again.
Although it was scorned after making its rounds in the early 2000s, this practical industrial-chic trend is back again. The best part? You know you already have all the necessary pieces to pull together this look since denim jackets and jeans are hardy essentials that age like fine wine.
To get the most out of this look, you can switch your footwear – occasionally with a pair of heels, sometimes white sneakers, or even leather boots if you want to go full-on cowgirl.
Try: GAP Skinny Jeans, Dua Lipa X Pepe Jeans Collections Lottie Denim Dress, Abercombie & Fitch Cropped Girlfriend Denim Jacket
12. Shop at new places
One of the best ways to get yourself out of style rut is none other than to try new places to shop.
Always get the same old clothes from blogshops? Time to get vintage pieces for a breath of fresh hair. Never tried buying from any shop other than mass retailers? Try indie designers who only produce one-of-a-kind pieces.
For inspiration on where to do your next shopping spree, check out our guides to the best online shops to buy work clothes, indie fashion boutiques in Singapore, and online vintage fashion shops.
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