5 styling tricks to elevate every basic outfit

A basic outfit is, by definition, always simple but no less insidious to compose. Just like on a white t-shirt even the smallest of spots looks magnified, even in a minimalistic outfit every little flaw become huge. The tricks to avoiding this faux pas are usually learned with experience, after all the secret always remains to know yourself, wear items that give tangible satisfaction when wearing them. But for those who want an accelerated course, here are 5 easy tricks to elevate every outfit. 

#1 Always have a statement piece

A statement piece is an item that says who you are, it's usually also the best piece of your wardrobe. In most cases, it's a vest or a pair of shoes, but even a trouser or vest can be a statement piece to combine with a simple and essential top and shoes. The basic idea is to have a single piece so noteworthy that it becomes able to elevate even a combination of jeans and a white t-shirt. The mistake not to be made, however, is to combine two items so confident and different from each other (especially if branded, but we will see this in the next point) to obfuscate each other. In a basic outfit, the statement piece is the only protagonist.

#2 Prefer small and discreet logos to huge ones

Premise: the problem is not the logos in general but the giant logos that end up devouring the entire surface of a fabric. Wearing a hoodie or t-shirt with a huge logo on it does not testify to your good taste, just the size of your wallet. Mega-logos are often used to hide a banal design and the most immediately commercial pieces of any brand. Think about how many extra-luxury sneakers are simple mega-logoed versions of a Stan Smith or Converse, how many cotton caps or t-shirts are the same as you'd buy from Uniqlo only under the name of a brand printed on top. When buying a luxury item, choose a truly original one: quality will emerge from design, materials and construction. Of course, if the logo is something discreet it represents a nice addition to a garment, it simply does not have to be the only protagonist.

#3 Use jewels and accessories

The right accessory and jewel can turn any look. They don't have to be worn all the time, but you must always keep the option open. Each accessory is a small touch that allows you to push a basic outfit in the right direction: it can be a belt, a pair of glasses, a hat, a pouch or a bag, a bracelet, a ring – the important thing is that they are not out of place. Accessories are also the part of styling where you can take more freedom, the only rule always remains to avoid conventions or solutions that are too obvious, obvious or already seen. 

#4 Pay attention to the fit of your trousers

90% of the problems of each outfit, regardless of the brand you are wearing, are due to pants and jeans that dress badly. In principle, worn trousers must always maintain their shape, even if it's baggy trousers, and must therefore leave you freedom of movement but maintain its structure. Jeans that are too tight on the thighs, with the horse too low or narrow, that folds when you sit or whose hem remains suspended several centimetres above your shoes has a bad fit. The issue of fit remains, however, the thorniest to solve as the finer details of the construction of each pant vary greatly from brand to brand: often the best solution is to go by approximation and then bring your pant to tailoring to fix it to your specifications. 

#5 Observe the quality of materials

If you had in front of you five white T-shirts produced by five different brands you would find many differences in fit and design but the most obvious would immediately emerge in terms of materials. You don't need to have a huge culture of fabrics – a pair of trained eyes will suffix: cotton that does not appear smooth and soft, that lets the texture see or that is too thin is always of poor quality. As in cotton as well as in wool and denim, a dense, compact, soft, resistant and touch texture is synonymous with a good product. The basic rule here is to wear the garment in question and let your skin judge.