A wardrobe full of your favorite pieces that can all be combined in a variety of ways and immediately make beautiful outfits possible for any occasion. Whether for the office, the playground or if you spontaneously have an appointment with friends for the theatre or in a restaurant.
That sounds great! But you think that’s impossible!? It’s possible – if you take a few tips to heart, are willing to rethink and regularly take a few minutes for your wardrobe.
“How can I combine THIS?”
Exactly that is the question no. 1 of my customers in style consulting. Fearing to combine something wrong, you always wear the same looks and get bored with time. Usually, only 20 – 30 % of the clothes are worn, because the combination possibility and the necessary knowledge are simply missing.
You too can become a clothing combination pro
As a fashion expert, combining is in my blood. I enjoy experimenting with new combinations. Which criteria I combine is not always explainable, because it is often a gut feeling. Especially the style breaks – the unexpected – make a look something special. And of course, there are a few “insider tips” and rules on how to combine RIGHT.
I would like to share my most important tips with you today. This requires a little practice – but you will immediately notice how inspiration comes about.
My 5 tips for combining
1. do you know your wardrobe
You need to know your own wardrobe inside out. Therefore it is necessary to carry out a wardrobe check twice a year. Because only if you know what you have, you know what is missing and can buy with brains. TEST: Take a piece of paper and try to list all the garments you own. I can do this with a few exceptions. During the wardrobe check, you can also try out new looks and capture them photographically. Make a Selfie in front of the mirror or put the outfit and accessories on the floor. Develop your own LOOK-BOOK – so nothing is forgotten!
2. create a good basic wardrobe
The majority of your wardrobe should consist of plain, plain clothes in basic colors. For example dark blue pants, a white blouse, perfectly fitting blue jeans, a simple dress in dark blue or black. Due to their simplicity, these garments do not set a rigid style! And that is important to combine them in a versatile way. With cleverly selected accessories and other garments, you can create outfits for different occasions.
By the way, there are NOT general must-haves! It varies from person to person and depending on the style type individually. Not everyone fits a classic blazer or a sheath dress. Search for suitable alternatives. This could be, for example, a casual jersey blazer and a swinging A-line dress. It’s always about YOUR personal must-haves in the dresser!
Which garments form a great basis for you? In which clothes do you always feel comfortable? What are your occasions? The answers give you important hints on your basics.
Below I have created outfits with a white blouse on the base. Other accessories, jackets, and shoes, create 3 looks for very different occasions.
3. your color concept for combination
Your wardrobe should consist of 4 – 6 basic colors and selected accent colors (spots of color). Your accent colors are ideal – your WOW colors. So colors that look perfect on you. And basic colors form the BASIS for your wardrobe. These are achromatic colors such as white, black and grey, as well as neutral colors such as dark blue and beige. These colors can be flexibly combined with each other and with all your accent colors.
The following is an example of a customer’s color concept: It consists of the basic colors “navy blue, grey, white and taupe”. The two-color families “Pink/Rose” and “Petrol/Mint” in its gradations form the accents.
4. know your figure type and the optimal cuts
In order to create a wardrobe that can be combined in many ways, the cut or shape of your clothing should fit you perfectly. Your individual figure plays the leading role here. The dress cut should emphasize your strengths. Do you have a nice narrow waist? Then wear waisted dresses and blazers and, for example, skirts at waist level. Clothes that are short and boxy and hide your waist may be fashionable – you will never really feel comfortable in it. So it will be more of a wardrobe keeper than a combination talent in your wardrobe.
The silhouette is therefore individual and depends on the figure type. However, there is a RULE that you can follow: Far to narrow – narrow to wide. This means that if you wear wide trousers, the top should be cut narrowly and vice versa. This creates a nice balance and gives the outfit a good shape.
5. patterns bring variety
The number of patterned garments in your wardrobe should not be too large. Because you can combine patterned garments with each other less versatilely than monochrome garments. Nevertheless, patterns bring variety and can create a color bridge (color connection) to the rest of the outfit. It is important that the colors in the pattern match your wardrobe color concept (see point 3).