Are Your Outfits Current?

Talking about what really makes an outfit feel more modern.

This question has come up a lot over the span of my career in merchandising and as a stylist. Brands are always chasing modern shapes, silhouettes, and colors while remaining true to their brand DNA (especially if you’re a heritage brand like J.Crew).

It comes down to a very, very simple principle: Take the classic thing you already own, and size up.

No I’m serious. That’s one of the easiest tips in the book. Dressing modern doesn’t mean a different wardrobe (as opposed from dressing preppy to wearing a lot of streetwear brands). Proportions are key here — seriously, someone who nails proportions automatically will look more put together than someone that just threw whatever on.

Having some oversized silhouettes in classic styles is one of the easiest, cheapest, and quickest way to make your closet feel more current!

THE OVERSIZED BUTTON DOWN My pro tip here is to think less “boyfriend” and more intentionally oversized. Size up 1-2 sizes or look for oversized in the description. The shoulders should hang way past yours. You have to scrunch your sleeves (duh!!). It should be long enough that you could get away with a little tuck or go for the oversized on oversized look.

LOOSE AND LONG SHORTS I think we’ve fully recovered from the bike short era, right? A relaxed, and dare I say, even baggy reads elevated and modern in a way that a sm0l little short just doesn’t anymore. If you’re looking to just dabble in this silhouette, start with these and this fitted tank.

my jeans here!!

BAGGY DENIM A lot of people resist a looser denim, but they’re still everywhere. Although I do think skinny denim has a chokehold on some people, a wide or baggy (OR BOTH!!) leg jean does a lot more to make your look updated. You don’t need to go insanely baggy like the cool, young gals. All you need to do is create a bit of volume and it will look fashion forward so long as you balance the proportions (sensing a theme?).

SOFT > STRUCTURED While I do think structured pieces will always be important in closets (especially if you’re in a pretty corporate environment), there’s something very current about a slouchy tote that helps your outfit appear more effortless. This one is very fun for summer! Mersea is one of my favorite brands and I’m loving this tote!! Oh and this is so cute, can’t resist stripes!

My favorite part of this “classic to oversized” pipeline? You’re often not trying categories that are unfamiliar. You’re really just getting used to the proportions. And that seems like a much smaller ask than “I need an entirely new wardrobe.” Right???

I hope you found this useful and use my outfits as inspiration as you’re getting dressed! And if you’re hesitant to try the oversized look, start with one piece and looking for an oversized version. It’ll feel less intimidating!