Wearing vs. Styling: See 7 Easy, TikTok-Approved Ways to Upgrade Your Look

These days, trends come and go at a faster rate than ever, which has made it a challenge to decide which ones resonate with you and can fit in your wardrobe for seasons to come. It's impossible to adopt every viral aesthetic, so we all need to find subtle, curated ways to refresh our style without changing it entirely. To help navigate this overwhelming cycle, a new TikTok trend called wearing vs. styling—which has people transforming classic pieces (like jeans, T-shirts, and black mini skirts) into distinctive, compelling looks—has emerged. This phenomenon encourages us to embrace our existing wardrobes and shop intentionally for timeless staples—without feeling uninspired. If you're wondering how to give wearing vs. styling a try for yourself and polish the looks you love with a few hacks, you've come to the right place. Keep reading for seven powerful ways to upgrade your style that require minimal effort, complete with insights from a personal stylist.

Meet the Expert

• Jordanna Sharp is a New York-based personal shopper, stylist, and the founder of Styled by Jordanna.

Deck Out Your Bag

The best way to style your favorite bag is to simply let it show signs of your life. We love Jane Birkin’s dramatically overstuffed, well-worn, sticker-covered Birkin, which was always covered in stickers, charms, and keychains and is now an icon in and of itself. On several spring 2024 runways including Miu Miu and Balenciaga, we saw odes to her well-loved bag in what felt like a timely tribute after her July 2023 passing. Mary-Kate Olsen is also known to wear her favorite bags—especially her Hermès Kellys—until they take on lives of their own.

Take from Birkin's playbook and deck out your purse over time: Hang lucky totems and clip bag charms onto the zipper pulls as you accumulate them, and clasp a special bracelet onto the handle. In doing so, you’re no longer just carrying a bag—you’re styling it. Loving and truly using your favorite staples is an inadvertent but effective way of styling a beloved piece into something all your own.

Be a Jewelry Maximalist

There’s wearing jewelry—i.e. wearing a tennis bracelet on your wrist or a classic pair of stud earrings—and then there’s styling it. You should feel free to layer your favorite and most standout pieces to your heart's content, whether it be necklaces, rings, an earscape, or the "arm party," a term coined by Leandra Medine Cohen for styling bracelets to the max. The idea is to layer and mix lots and lots of jewelry, and to do so intuitively—there are no rules. Nothing should match or be overly considered, so mix strings, meaningful gifts, your most prized and expensive pieces, gold, silver, dashes of color, and anything else that speaks to you. You can even buy multiple versions of a piece you love and where them all at once.

The possibilities are endless, and even in the current era of quiet luxury, a stirring mix of jewelry is thrilling. If you prefer to keep it simple, consider mixing silver and gold, which will bring depth to your jewelry story. Although it’s nothing new, it feels personalized and modern.

Add a Belt

“My favorite way to style is with the use of a belt," says New York City-based personal stylist Jordanna Sharp. "If [you’re] wearing simple jeans and a sweater, a belt can really [elevate the look]. If possible, tuck a sweater into denim (this is known as a French tuck), and add a belt. I would [make sure] that the color of the belt matches either the [color of the shoe or the handbag so that the entire look feels] cohesive and put together.”

Belts can make jeans and a T-shirt look more intentional, polish a pair of trousers, and bring texture to a dress. Bella Hadid has even repeatedly worn multiple belts at once, which adds interest if you already wear belts every day or are looking to stand out.

Be Intentional with Your Color Choices

Sharp also emphasizes the power of focusing on colors: “I always suggest having no more than two colors present in an outfit," she says. "The shades can vary a little, but this [tip] prevents the look from appearing messy. For example, pair a black sweater with faded black denim, brown boots, a brown handbag, and a brown coat. Pairing two colors together prevents a look from reading as boring, without going overboard.”

Give Them the Warm Shoulder

One of the simplest styling tricks can make you look instantly pulled together—and it’s also incredibly practical. Tying a sweater around your shoulders is a classic prep move that creates a multi-layered effect. You can also experiment with different ways to tie—throw one arm over your shoulder and tie the other from underneath your other underarm for a crossbody tie, drape a sweater over your shoulders without tying, or tie a sweater around your shoulders in the traditional manner, but then shift the loop so that it hangs off one shoulder. Tie a sweater around your waist and it can serve as a belt that alters your look's silhouette.

Pair Socks with Your Footwear

Whether you love a trending pair of "ugly" shoes or are super into ballet flats, a good pair of socks can make your footwear—and entire outfit—look more intentional. Loafers always look cool, and with socks, they look a bit dressier and academia-inspired. You can also make kitten heels or pumps look toned-down, professional, or casual by wearing them with sheer socks that hit just above the ankle.

When you’re going on a run or walk, try swapping your invisible socks for a crew length—look closely and you’ll notice that white athletic socks are a crucial aspect of Princess Diana’s infamous bike shorts and sweatshirt outfits. Socks are also a great way to introduce a small and powerful dash of color to a neutral outfit. A hint of red, sky blue, navy, forest green, or metallics—delivered by way of your socks—can take your look from wearing into styling territory.

Get Creative with Your Layering

Layering is perhaps the oldest and easiest trick in the book—and it never fails to make an ensemble more interesting. Wear a button-down over a slim-fitting turtleneck, as a jacket, or under a sweater vest. Layer a camisole over a t-shirt à la Cher Horowitz at P.E., or add a denim jacket over a chambray shirt. A sheer dress over a tank top and trousers, a blouse under a cashmere hoodie, or multiple layers of outerwear can take your look to the next level.

When it comes to layering, we love the idea of coordinating colors and textures to really tie the look together, plus the philosophy can go beyond your basic tops and bottoms. Layering perfume to create a scent that's only yours or wearing multiple handbags at once are just a couple ways to breathe new life into your outfits.

The Final Takeaway

When it comes to styling your outfits as opposed to simply wearing them, the options are truly endless, and a few intentional choices can bring your favorite pieces and basic staples into personalized, trend-forward territory. While the above hacks can get you started, they're far from be-all, end-all, so we definitely recommend getting creative whenever the inspiration strikes. Before you know it, you'll be channeling your inner Charlotte York or Rachel Green and finding putting together outfits each day to be a fun-filled highlight that makes you stand out.

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Read the original article on Byrdie.