There’s a handful of style tricks I always have stashed up my sleeve, which I refer back to daily. The three colour rule; monochrome style; and finding balance. It’s a key concept in how I look at what I’m wearing. And today, I thought I’d share three ways that you can create balance in an outfit.
Wearing Everlane shirt (size US6); Everlane skinny jeans (size 26 ankle); Low Classic blazer (O/S); Gucci loafers (EU40); Celine trotteur bag; Linjer necklaces; Timeless Pearly earrings
1 | WITH PROPORTIONS
One of the first ways I really started to experiment with my outfits, was by using proportions in the items I chose to wear. So when opting to wear an overly voluminous piece, balancing that out with an item that has a fitted silhouette. And vice versa. The outfit above is a case in point. The blazer is oversized – incredibly so – that in order to create balance and also keep is as the focal piece of the look, I wore a slim fitting jean on my lower half. Additionally, underneath the blazer I’m also wearing an oversized white shirt. So even if I pulled that “third” piece off, I’d still be maintaining that balance through the proportions of my outfit.
2 | BY BALANCING YOUR SILHOUETTE
The second way is to create balance with your silhouette. For example, proportionally I have a long torso and shorter legs. So despite my 172cm height, I can look short depending on the types of items I wear, and how I wear them. It’s why I gravitate so keenly towards high-waisted everything. The higher rise creates a visual line further up my torso, giving the visual illusion that my legs are longer than they actually are. It’s why I choose to avoid low rise denim, and also why I’m fiercely loyal to cropped trousers (which make me look taller!).
Depending on your figure, you’ll have different tricks you’ll want to employ. For example, if you have wider hips and are narrow up top, you may choose to wear blouses with extra volume around the shoulders.
3 | WITH COLOUR
The final way to balance your outfit is with colour. I touched on the three colour rule earlier, which is a simple way to put together an outfit with a cohesive colour palette. Further to this, it’s an accessible way to inject colour into your outfit. A bold bright is often grounded with neutral tones; you can create contrast; or even highlight specific pieces as a statement maker in your look. I tend to subscribe to the “less is more” tribe when it comes to colour – unless you’re going monochrome.
One thing to be wary of is looking a little too “same-y”. While I do appreciate how repeating a simple trio of colours can look, a great way to add extra depth and dimension is to opt for tonal hues – it’s more visually interesting, too!
