7 Reasons Your Outfits Look Off (And What to Do Instead)

One thing we can all agree is a game changer when it comes to elevating a personal style: full-length mirror selfies! Listen, I have no idea how it works. Why sometimes our reflection will appear fabulous in the mirror but when looking at the phone screen: bummer! Turns out the whole look is a sight for sore eyes...

When examining our outfit photos it is usually obvious when something in a look feels off. What is more problematic is pin-pointing the exact cause and how to fix it. With over 500 outfit photos saved to my phone folder I can attest to the struggle. Putting together a stylish outfit is a steep learning curve (and ironically it is even more effortful when the end goal is to look effortless..). 

This article is a guide to troubleshooting outfits that feel off to you. It contains a list of the 7 typical issues I have encountered when dressing and their workaround. You will find that some of these scenarios sound like speaking from annoying experiences (because it was). 

In any case I am not implying that dressing a certain way is wrong. Of course wear what makes you happy and confident. My intent is to help you put on your clothes so as to feel incredible. I hope the following strategies save both your time and your outfits!

1. Drowning

You are going for a relaxed outfit, snapping a quick mirror photo to confirm its utter coolness but surprise: on the screen it looks oversized and shapeless! Ugh... Now you get the feeling that you are wearing a sack and are drowning in your clothes. This happens because there is a lot of volume happening all at once. 

One clear solution is to replace either the top or the bottom with a garment that is more fitted, thus restoring the correct proportions of the look. There is not always enough time to go back to the drawing board, life is busy. It could also be that the pieces pair well in other ways (colors, prints,..) and it is worth working out how to make this outfit a win. Don't throw in the towel just yet! Instead try the following suggestions and see if any of them solves the issue!

Strategy: 

• Remove some volume from the silhouette by belting or tucking the top at your waist, creating definition. 

• Amplify the structure in the outfit via sharp or tailored accessories (a structured handbag, pointed shoes,...). 

• Showing more skin could also fix the problem. Roll up your sleeves, unbutton the shirt a little more or cuff the pants to show your ankles. Wearing your hair up can make quite a difference in an outfit because it diminishes bulk and defines your neckline.

2. Skin Tight

Here is another storyline that may or may not have happened to me *poker face*. You are inspired to wear a sleek and polished look but on the mirror selfie the outfit is so form fitting that you get self-conscious. It could also be that all the clothes are skin-tight and texture-less resulting in an outfit that looks basic or plain. This happens because in the absence of volume, texture and layer somewhere in the look: it inevitably falls flat. 

Strategy: 

When facing this situation a straightforward adjustment is to add either volume or depth (or both!). Doing so will immediately generate a lot of interest.

For example throw on a flowy layer, wrap yourself in a long scarf or wear a cardigan with a chunky knit or fuzzy texture. A more structured layer like a large blazer or a bomber jacket will also work. Basically any sort of layer will help as long as it is not fitted! Sometimes letting the hair down can also make a difference... for hair is? Yep you got it: texture and volume.

3. Shortened

You are wearing all your favorite clothes tonight and feeling like a million bucks! Alas the photo you just took of your outfit tells a different story: you appear to have shrunk two inches! This happens because in your outfit there is no vertical line that the eye can follow to travel up and down. To this wandering eye you are sliced into strips. It gives the illusion of being shorter. Rude!

This shortening effect is due to horizontal contrast. The pieces in your outfit are significantly darker or lighter than the adjacent ones (picture this: a dark scarf, a light sweater, dark pants and light shoes). It's not so much about the colors themselves than how dark they are. For example adjacent navy and dark brown clothes wouldn't look like strips because they are equally dark. Black and beige on the other hand? You are effectively sliced!

Strategy: 

Create a vertical line in your silhouette by pairing a top and bottom (or bottom and shoes!) that are comparably dark. By the way it works with skirts too: the shoes can be in a nude color emulating bare skin or they can match the tights for a long leg effect. What about the third piece you say? Top and bottom of a similar shade worn with an open contrasting layer will elongate you for days (the longer the layer, the more vertical the line). 

If you are confronted to the strips issue then maybe skip on waist definition. The horizontal line at your midsection should be blurred (not a good time to be wearing a belt, it would "cut your vertical"). Instead merge top and bottom to create the illusion that they are one piece. You can achieve this with an asymmetric tuck. Tuck the front of your tee, blouse, sweater.. and let it drape on the sides. Tuck only one panel of your button down shirt.

Other quick ways to get some inches back:

• Wear a high bun, a beanie or a ball cap (even better if the hat matches your outerwear) 

• Wear heels (but watch out for wide ankle straps as they will slice up your legs!)

4. Washed-Out

A soft sweater in a light neutral color. Is there anything more elegant? Beige, blush and taupe feel refined but sadly the camera disagrees: you look like you are ill! This happens because the color of the top is too similar to your skin tone. Or it could be that it is too muted and casting a greyish shade onto your face.

Strategy: 

Bring more color and luminosity on or around to your face in order to liven it up.

• Using makeup. Wear a lipstick or a blush that is on the brighter side (not muted! Things would get worse...). 

• Throwing on a scarf in a color that makes you glow. Usually shades of pink, berries, orangey-red,.. perform well. If you do not own a scarf that meets expectations how about throwing a glow-inducing sweater on your shoulders? As long as the right color is in proximity to your face this should work well.

• Wearing statement jewelry that is either colorful (see previous bullet point) or that is made in a luminous metal. The idea is for the golden or silver jewelry pieces to reflect light onto your face (large drop earrings, thick chain necklace,..).

5. Overwhelmed

Bummed down by an overcast day you reach for your most dazzling top with the intention of cheering yourself up. When you take a look at the photo of your outfit all you see is the bright garment you are wearing. Its color is so vivid (or its print so loud) that it has completely taken over your facial features. Same situation with a black top that makes you look severe. 

This happens because the contrast level in your facial features is not matching the contrast level of the clothes you are wearing. If your face has a lot of contrast (for example a paler skin with very dark eyes and hair) then brighter shades and louder prints will harmonize with you. On the contrary if you have less facial contrast (hair, skin and eyes are about the same shade) then bright colors, black and crisp white will overtake your features. That's a discord.

Strategy: 

• Tone down the harsh color by throwing a muted layer over it. 

• Brighten your face with the help of a lipstick or a blush so that it rises up to your top.

• Commit to the dazzling theme and pair with more bright colors. The resulting outfit will look playful and intentional instead of jarring.

6. Matchy

Feeling audacious you decide to go for neutral toned clothes and THE colorful pair of shoes. And it turns out that you own a handbag of the exact same color! Pops of a color for the win? Not really... In the photo these multiple touches of the same hue give off a scattered and/or dated look.

This happens because when accessories, nails, make-up all match in color what emanates from the look is: try hard! Also when looking at a neutral base sprinkled with multiple pops of the same color the eye doesn't rest. It jumps around trying to collect the pops and the outfit appears disorganized.

Strategy: 

Instead of matching accessories commit to a bold look and:

•  Dress head-to-toe in shades of the same color. It is no longer "matchy-matchy" when everything matches. No, fashion is not logical. Yes, that is the very reason why I'm writing this very tutorial.

• Wear a print featuring the color in question and match your accessory to that.

• If the previous options are not possible then maybe refrain from pairing accessories even though they are a perfect match (hard, I know).

7. On the Nose

It feels like the stars were aligning when you put together your look: all the clothes have the same underlying theme. "What a cohesive outfit!" you think and then...in the photo you seem to be on your way to a costumed party. Yes your outfit is put-together but it is also approaching caricature territory. 

This happens because all the clothes that compose your outfit have the elements of the same genre. The outcome of this equation is expected and does not look modern.

Strategy: 

One option is to take off some of the accessories that are "nailing down the theme". For example when wearing a Breton shirt these are: an anchor pendant, a rope belt, boating shoes,...you get the idea. In general if your outfit feels "too much" then removing some points of interest and wearing your clothes in a minimal way will probably solve the issue.

Another option is to go back to the drawing board and assemble a multi-dimensional outfit by telescoping elements of opposite genres. Go for an unexpected mix: wear the classic stripes with baggy cargo pants! After all refining one's style is about experimenting and having fun, isn't it? This is one of my favorite styling strategies to explore during wardrobe edit sessions with clients.

These are the 7 outfit issues I most often run into when getting dressed, along with the strategies that have helped me solve them. If you’ve noticed some of these happening in your own closet, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

As a personal stylist, I help you create outfit formulas tailored to your style, lifestyle, and figure. This is exactly what we do during my wardrobe edit sessions. I offer this service in person in the Boulder area and virtually worldwide.

The goal is simple: shop your closet and craft amazing outfits that work every time.