Long after we have stopped participating in academia, the ringing in of September still evokes a familiar back-to-school feeling. The summer months' carefree attitude gives way to the slightly cooler months' back-to-business attitude. There is an urge to shed the bad habits we developed under the sun, and this need is mirrored in the return of tailoring to our wardrobes.
Tailoring is a great autumn/winter tool in your wardrobe to add the most punch with the least amount of effort. Trusting in the silhouette of a tailored piece to give your looks a smart edge removes the mental labour of getting dressed and gives you the space to create more interesting outfits. Instead of opting for a pair of jeans with your vintage band-tee, switching this choice for a black wool pant makes your look more polished, and the contrast adds a nice tension to your outfits and makes them less one-dimensional.
The key with tailoring is to not fall into the trap of pairing only two contrasting style themes. For example, pairing a blazer, which is tailored, with a pair of jeans, which is casual, can feel awkward if you then round off the outfit with a loafer. Similar to makeup, where blending is necessary for a flawless look, blending different style themes when you’re getting dressed is essential to making outfits that feel less staggered. If you do go for a blazer and jean combo, opting for a printed mule instead of a loafer fits in with the polished look but leans more feminine instead of tailored, and this contrasting blend of various style themes adds more of an interesting touch to the outfit. Mirroring the multifaceted nature of our personalities when putting looks together leads to looks that are less siloed and seamlessly blend. The looks below show more examples of how tailored pieces can be introduced to your wardrobe without you looking like you are still wearing a uniform most days.
I adore a penny coat, as the classic piece is a solid staple during the colder months. This tailored piece dominates the style story of an outfit, so instead of continuing on this path, the snake print boots switch lanes completely and add more excitement to the look. It adds an air of modernity, and this juxtaposition takes the edge off the coat and makes the look more compelling. A tailored piece is great to add a polished base to an outfit, but going for a less obvious shoe or accessory choice then makes your outfits more authentic and adds your personality and humour into the mix.
With this outfit, a hoodie and sweatpants combination would have been the more obvious pairing. However, to make the style story more dynamic, the Cos tailored trousers smarten up the hoodie and make it less one-dimensional. For the shoes, a loafer of trainer would have been too obvious because of the lack of blend I mentioned previously, so the kitten heel is perfect to add sleekness to the outfit and contrast the pieces above.
Back to school season is an exciting time to add layers to your outfits, and adding tailored pieces to this mix will make for a more polished and hopefully disciplined winter season. I hope you have a great week and speak soon!
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