How to dress up your basics

Quick question: what wardrobe pieces do you stock up on without even noticing?  My bets are on tees / white shirts / jeans, a.k.a “the basics” – after all,  we all have those days when there are no more than twenty minutes left after we snooze the alarm for the tenth time. Now the best part about basics is their versatility, which means you can either throw them on for a no-brainer outfit or build up a fancier look based on these essentials. In this post, I would like to share with you guys several ways to dress up your basics without a fuss.

Not-so-basic basics

I touched this topic last year and the concept is pretty simple: pick the basics that stand out with their details, like this charcoal T-shirt (c/o 337 Brand) with mesh inserts in the back and on the side in the first outfit. What I love the most about this T-shirt is that it’s insanely soft and comfy to wear sans sacrificing the chicness thanks to the boxy cut and the see-through details. It is not paper thin, which means it doesn’t wrinkle easily and could hold its shape even after a whole day of wear.

For the next look of today’s post,  I chose a flowy blouse decorated with exquisite ruffles and pleats, which is a perfect example of a wardrobe classic 2.0. 

Bold bottoms

When you go easy on your top, don’t shy away from sporting some over-the-top pants/skirts. Chances are, those dramatic hems and fiery color – and yes I’m talking about the flaming flare pair(similar in black) in my first look – could bring in exactly the right amount of charm and take your look to a whole different level. My advice is, be experimental, be adventurous, don’t jump to the conclusion that something doesn’t work for you until you take a leap and try it. If you need more inspiration, I featured fun bottoms a couple times before, like this wrap skirt with undone details and this denim skirt with asymmetrical hem. 

Layers, layers, layers

I know I have been going on and on about how adding a third piece can be a huge changing factor when creating an outfit, but that’s only because this approach is incredibly easy to grasp and exceptionally handy regardless of the occasion. For the first look I simply threw on a black leather jacket (old, similar under $100), and for the second I went with a white blazer with black piping (old, similar under $40), and you can see both outfits instantly looked more put together. 

One word, belt

There is something about accentuating the waistline that makes it never really out of style no matter what the trends are. Especially this year, when you see the resurgence of corsets, which came out of nowhere and now everywhere, you know that time is back again. For me it is such a simple and effective way to incorporate what you already have and create an outfit that looks nothing like you’ve ever worn before!

Look 1

 T-shirt : c/o 337 Brand  Pants : zara (similar in black)   Leather jacket : old, similar under $100  Shoes : Alexander Wang  Bag: Balenciaga

Look 2

Blouse: Storets  Jeans: J Brand  Blazer: old, similar under $40  Shoes: Other Stories  Bag: Chloe

Now have you every tried any of these techniques to dress up your basics? Or what else would you recommend? Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know!