One of the most important things for me has been learning to work my closet… meaning how to wear the pieces I have in my closet in multiple different ways. Figuring out how to do that helps me get more use out of my closet without having to buy more clothes. Because if you are like most people, your closet size stays the same, but your purchases grow!
Before I started street style blogging, I used to wear an item of clothing only one or two different ways, but now as I’ve started looking and learning from amazing street style bloggers and people from around the world, I’m able to style a piece in four, five or even ten different ways.
Today I’ll be showing you 5 different ways to style my favourite, sleeveless black vest/jacket. I bought this jacket from a thrift store in New York, and needless to say it’s one of the most versatile items of clothing I have in my closet. I can pair it with almost anything and it looks good.
WITH SKINNY JEANS
This is a very casual look that I would wear if I were meeting a friend for coffee or lunch. I’ve styled the jacket with my Mango skinny jeans, a white graphic printed tank from Forever 21 and my grey, with a hint of neon, converse chucks. It’s always good to add a little pop of colour to your outfit, no matter how minimal it might be. Adding colour somehow brings the entire look together. So next time your wearing all neutral shades, try to incorporate a bit of colour into your look.
If coffee is not your thing and you need to meet your friends for drinks, I would suggest you change your shoes into cute black ankle boots or black pumps.
WITH A SKIRT
This is an outfit that I could definitely wear on a night out with friends. Personally, I like being a bit more casual. I always add an element of ease to my outfit, like in this case I’ve styled the jacket with a casual tee from American Apparel, a black origami skirt from Forever 21 and black ankle booties from Target. I have skinny ankles, so I try to cover them up by pulling out my socks. It’s a great trick that I’ve learnt and it looks super cute too. Even if you have the perfect ankles, letting your socks peek out a bit from your ankle boots is a cool style statement.
WITH A DRESS
I love this dress. I used to wear it all the time last summer when I was in New York for Fashion Week. I never thought of throwing this black jacket over it, but when I did, I loved the combination. I’ve added a bit of colour by pairing this outfit with red converse chucks. I’m a sneaker girl and I tend to wear my sneakers with almost everything. But if you’re not a sneaker fan, don’t worry. You can always style an outfit like this with a pair of smart gladiator sandals, ankle booties or even cool wedges.
WITH SHORTS
If I were going to a music concert or festival this would be my outfit of the day. It’s easy, cute and perfect to be dancing around in. I’ve styled the jacket with a crop top from Forever 21, denim shorts from a thrift store in New York and motorcycle boots from an online website called NastyGal.com.
WITH BOYFRIEND JEANS
I love wearing my boyfriend jeans – they are loose, comfy and look amazing when styled with my black jacket. If I were meeting friends for dinner, this is what I would be wearing. If you want to go for a cool monochrome effect, change the blue denims to a black pair.
I had so much fun putting these looks together and I hope you enjoyed them as well. Now that I’ve shown you how easy it is to style a jacket, I would love to see what you guys come up with. Pick a piece of clothing from your closet and show us and our readers how to style it in multiple ways!
Leave us a comment if you have cooler styling tips or just send us a picture of your favourite jacket and how you love to style it by #BandraRoad or @BandraRoad and definitely follow us Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.