It’s Not Your Clothes. It’s That You Don’t Know How To Style Them. 5 Real-Woman Photos Of Clothes Vs Outfits
Make sense of the sea of clothes you hate.
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by Audie Metcalf
I peer into my closet and think I hate everything I see.
But it’s mostly because when I put things together they bore me, or they don’t look as interesting as I thought they would when I bought them, or I hate specifically how they look on me.
But after writing about clothes for a while, and therefore thinking about clothes and why they work or don’t work, and why they make us feel good or make us feel bad, I realized so much of our ire is from not knowing how to put things together in a way that makes us feel gorgeous.
Whether it’s because of color, shape, or whatever it is, that’s the rub. So I recreated 5 (ugly) basic outfits most of us throw on, with clothes most of us already have (in some form or another), and tweaked them ever so slightly to become flattering outfits I (and perhaps you) will love to wear.
I finally grew up and got professional and used a ring light and a timer with a clicker for my iPhone to take these (many) photos, which took about more planning and technical prowess than I usually like to muster. So the fact that you’ve made it this far is a good sign that you’ll read the rest of the article which makes me happy that I didn’t put in all this extra work for nothing.
Let’s begin, shall we?
O U t f i t O N E
Before: The Sweatshirt And Jeans
Why It Sucks: You have eyes so you likely don’t need me to tell you why this sucks. But I will anyway. The length of the jeans is the worst possible length that makes us all look stumpy. The oversized sweatshirt most of us wear to hide all our bits and bobs we don’t like about our bodies does no one any favors. And this sleeve length is a travesty.
After: The sweatshirt and jeans, just better
Why It Works: Those are the same jeans* but I cut them to expose my ankles. It’s a neat trick that weirdly makes the leg look so much longer. Go compare to the other photo. Scroll up. I’ll wait. Isn’t it miraculous?! The striped cropped blazer* is actually just sweatshirt material so it’s comf, but 987% more flattering. A wide belt like this* one can help mitigate the stomach pooch instead of just wearing a bag over your body like the before pic above, and those wedges* are both insanely insanely comfortable while also giving some height which is always the combo I’m looking for as someone whose body type seems to most closely resemble “corgi.” And the bag* because you know it’s my favorite, and the hard bangle* mainly because I’m trying to make hard bangle anklets “happen.”
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* Gifted products included
Another after: The sweatshirt and jeans, just more casual
Why it works: Same jeans*, new enormous bag* that fits everything but still looks so chic, this new hoodie I found which is actually sold out but I also love THIS* one for its similar fit. My favorite baseball cap* that I fear is out of stock in this exact color, and the most genius shoe collab* of all time—Favorite Daughter and Dr. Scholls. Wildly comfortable just like our old fully wooden clogs (I’m assuming you’re Gen X like me?) but 400 times more darling with the kitten heel. And of course the bangle* because I can’t quit it.
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O U T F I T T W O
Before: The Mindless Waiter
Why it sucks: White shirt. Black pants. So boring. We all own a white shirt. We all own black pants. But unless you’re headed to your dinner shift at Mexicali Grille, these two pieces should never, ever, ever be worn together. And I’m not even someone who likes rules. But just scroll up and look at the sadness of that outfit again. See? It’s deeply sad. It’s nothing. We shouldn’t dress like sad nothings. So here’s how to wear that white shirt and those black pants in a not sad, not nothing way.
After: Black on black
Why it works: The chicest possible pairing with black is … black. I’m sorry. It just is. And presumably if you’re wearing black pants you’re trying to be a leeetle bit fancy, yes? Black pants with a black blazer* is unbeatable. Supremely gorgeous black flats* don’t hurt, too. And by the way, these are the most comfortable-yet-flattering black pants on this or any other planet.
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Another after: Black on black but make it casj
Black jeans are actually a must. I’ve recently learned this. And these barrels* are superrrrrrb. The fit is beyond! Somehow even though they’re wide, they make me look … thin? And we have railed hard against the barrel in the past. See HERE. But we are big enough to admit we were wrong. See HERE. I tucked in THE viral cardigan we always write about, and added some splashes of brown with the boots* (which happen to be my favorite boots of all history and time because they have a small heel so they make me look tall but the comfort is absolutely unmatched) and the bag* sort of brings the black and brown together.
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* Gifted products included
The wild card: Ditch all black for all white
A pair of well fitting black pants is fine. A pair of well fitting white pants is life-changing. These pants* are soooo very good. Kind of like a thin canvas that never wrinkles, high-waisted, gorgeously voluminous legs, and paired with a crisp, white button-down shirt*, it sort of doesn’t get more classic and put together. Also this belt* - GOD it’s so good. I also feel quite strongly that there isn’t anything a slightly pointed black boot won’t solve—but I refuse to wear anything remotely uncomfortable on my feet. Refuse. These* are profoundly cushiony and I can walk all day. I wouldn’t. But I could.
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* Gifted products included
O U T F I T T H R E E
Before: Semi fancy dresses we never wear because our lives aren’t fancy
Why it sucks: It doesn’t suck. It’s gorgeous. And saying this BREATHTAKING blue dress* is a “before” is blasphemy and I am aware of that. We actually wrote about this dress in the brown and white polka dot version HERE but then I saw the blue one in store and had to have it immediately. Do I have an event that calls for such a dress? I do not. And I have many dresses. And yet dresses are so pretty and make us feel so good so we need to wear them more. So here’s what we do:
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* Gifted products included
After: Another dressed down dress
Why it works: To be fair this is a poplin cotton dress* which is definitely more casual. But it’s still easy to see a dress and be like WELL I’M NOT WEARING A DRESS but actually you should. Fling a denim jacket* over it (I just found this one at Free People and it has blessedly big arms but hits at the perfect length) and this old-school J. Crew bag* and yes, those clogs again. Sorry, I am in love with them.
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* Gifted products included
After: Oh look, another wearable dress
Why it works: Is there anything better than denim and side boots? I feel like maybe we all saw the same catalogue when we were all like 13 and somehow denim and suede boots created an indelible yearning all of us. I adore this happy and quirky flattering dress* but I realized I was “saving it” for special occasions so I swiftly created a cooler-weather look for it so that I can promptly wear it the moment the air turns even remotely crisp. The boots* are shockingly affordable. The exact leather jacket I’m wearing isn’t available anymore but we found its spitting image HERE* and at a not-too-bad price for genuine leather.
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* Gifted products included
After: The last dressed down dress, I promise
Why it works: This slip dress* is just so pretty and so flattering and so comfortable I forced myself to figure out how I could just wear it on a regular Wednesday. And this is what I came up with. Yes, there’s that perfectly cut denim jacket* again. And just some nude flips*! I stupidly didn’t show the straps on this dress but they’re whisper thin and gorgeous—and blessedly, I don’t need to wear a bra. Somehow the shape of the bust area is hoisty enough!
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* Gifted products included
O u t f i t F O U R
Before: mindless Barrel jeans
Why it sucks: As we established above, we used to detest barrel jeans and this is a great visual to illustrate why. Though actually, here is a better one:
But it turns out there’s 3 key elements to think about to take your barrel from blah…to bellisima. (That doesn’t feel like my writing it just seemed like what maybe Sassy magazine would have written about them in 1988 so I went with it).
After: The barrel with 3 magic elements
First, because the shape can tend to make us look squat, try to wear a shoe that’s roughly the same color palette or tone as the jeans. Second, since they’re very wide, we must do something more form fitting on top. This is that same not-cashmere-but-softer-and-better cardigan I talked about above and it’s perfect here. And lastly, the right pair of barrels is key. These* pink ones fit a bigger bum/smaller waist incredibly well, but my favorite fitting barrels of all time are…
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* Gifted products included
After: The black barrel with all 3 magic elements
Another day, another barrel. These are just so, so, so good. I can’t quite explain it but these jeans* almost feel custom made, they fit so well. And see how I did a black boot* here to elongate? And just wearing that same notcasj sweatshirt. Simple elements, feels nearly as comfortable as pajamas, nothing is boring, yet everything looks effortless. Sheer. Heaven.
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* Gifted products included
O u t f i t FIVE
Before: this waiter Thing again
Why it sucks: It sucks because it needs to be inverted. Don’t be scared. Black on top and white on the bottom is the single chicest way to dress with almost no thinking required. It just takes a small shred of boldness because we’re all terrified of white for A. Dirt and B. Cellulite. I KNOW. But I am hear to say gently, lovingly, knowingly … get over it. Buy things you can easily wash and fabrics that aren’t tight. Solved. Here we go.
After: Maybe not Carolyn Bessette level but getting there
Why it works: I’m wearing this floaty white skirt* with an insanely affordable cashmere boatneck* that I sort of hoist down to force it into off-shoulder submission. I threw on those boots* I talked about that have a lovely sleekness but are so walkable, and poof, it’s an outfit fit for a lady, except I feel like I’m in house clothes.
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* Gifted products included
After: Possibly the prettiest skirt in my wardrobe
Why it works: This skirt* is almmmmmmost a slip. But it’s not. And it’s just cotton so it cleans up nicely. It’s pricey but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more compliments on a piece of clothing. It’s hot as blazes out right now but with these suede boots*, this trusty bag* that fits only my phone, key, lip balm, and a single credit card, and a deeply flattering, form-fitting cardi*, you really must admit this inverted black and white situation is the hack of all sartorial hacks, yes?
SHOP THE LOOK
* Gifted products included
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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