There are always going to be days where we look in our closet and can’t come up with a single outfit, but sometimes we just have to get a bit creative. Instead of going out and spending money to buy new pieces, we’re big fans of mixing and matching. You might be surprised at how far your clothing can take you depending on how you dress certain items up or down. It’s entirely possible to take your staples or favourite pieces from season to season, office to casual, even office to club. It all depends on how you build your look.
Tyler Franch, Chatelaine’s assistant fashion editor, shows us how we can start to think about mix and matching our pieces. As you’ll see in the photo gallery and clip, he takes three different pieces, and shows two distinct looks for each one.
First, Tyler demonstrates how to wear a pencil skirt two ways: in the office and more casually. The first look is for the office: Tyler pairs the skirt with a crisp white blouse on top and a classic navy cardigan. White blouses do not have to be boring anymore — feel free to find one with a little bit of bling and have fun with it. Add a nice heel and your look is complete.
To dress the pencil skirt down a bit, try layering a longer sweater over top, and instead of a heel, throw on a flat. If you’re heading out, throw on a cute trench coat and away you go. Make sure you watch the video to see how Tyler advises to properly tie your trench coat belt.
Next is a cropped sweater from H&M. The cropped sweater is making its way back into style. Scary, we know! But don’t worry — neither of these looks require showing any skin. First: Tyler shows us how to transition a crop sweater into spring. He layers the crop sweater over a pant jumpsuit.
Next, Tyler shows us a great way to layer the crop sweater for the office, by wearing it over a nice long shirt with a skirt that goes just a little past the knee. Adding ankle boots is a great way to transition the look into fall. Accessorize with a cute feminine purse.
The final piece Tyler showcases is a casual pajama pant from Holt Renfrew with a sophisticated tuxedo stripe down the side. This pant looks like it should be worn casually and when you’re feeling lazy, but there is no reason why you can’t dress it up for the office. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about your regular PJs! Add a detailed sweater or long-sleeved shirt to your ensemble so that the attention is taken away from the pant. Throw on a comfy pair of sandals, such as the ones Tyler shows in the clip.
Adding a heel to the pants instantly dresses them up. Make sure the pants have a nice waistband and that you are looking for a pant with an elastic bottom, but make sure they fit properly and are not showing your ankle. Now all you need is a nice silky top and a sharp evening jacket. Always add some fun accessories, and as Tyler suggests, mix your metals!
Now that you have the advice you need to transition different pieces of your wardrobe together, have a look in your closet and see what you can come up with! We challenge you!