4 Style Tips to Go From Basic to Chic

“The one that got away” for me last fall was a short COS wool swing jacket hanging on the sale rack. I tried it on a few times (it was a little roomy) and ultimately passed, not realizing what a unicorn piece it was!

Fast forward a year later, I come across this cropped swingy jacket on Amazon (FYI: shipping time now looks pretty long) and order it with low expectations. While it’s no COS jacket, it definitely scratches my itch for this look I’ve been admiring on European fashionistas! See my review below, and I’d still love to find a wool blend version that’s higher quality and petite friendly, so let me know if you have any recs!

For this particular look, I wanted to show how to subtly transform budget-friendly basics into an outfit that feels current and chic. Starting with a simple tee shirt and trouser combo:

1. Start with good basics

Looking at cut, fabric, and color, these Uniqlo trousers remain an excellent basic for the price point. The cut is classic, the fabric is pretty good and not very wrinkle prone, and it comes in a variety of versatile neutral colors. Importantly for petites, I also took advantage of the optional free hemming online and in-store.

The waist sizing runs a little smaller than brands like Ann Taylor / LOFT – my waist measures ~25″ around and the xxs is very snug on me, while the xs is a bit loose. I went with the xs for comfort! The original inseam was about 28,” and I got these hemmed to a 27” inseam to wear with mid heels.

2. Sandwich Style

When undecided about shoes and accessories, my default is the stylist favorite “sandwich method” where you match a component from the top and bottom of your outfit. Here, I did a darker neutral tee and shoes as the sandwich “bread,” and a contrast lighter colored pant in between as the “filling.” This concept creates visual balance and makes things easy when getting dressed!

3. Add rich color & texture via accessories

I’m smitten by chocolate brown and burgundies for fall, and the easiest way for me to incorporate these richer tones have been through accessories!

As someone who sells our own belts, I’m not often excited by other options but this Triple Keeper belt was love at first try-on. It’s a chunkier, weightier piece than my usual belts, and the chocolate burgundy suede and bold gold finish lends designer vibes. See what it does above for a simple tee + trousers outfit? I actually love this simple outfit alone, even without the jacket in the 4th step.

I’ve shared this bucket tote a few times already, but I had never imagined a daily laptop bag to be this stylish! When I got this bag the brown suede wasn’t yet available, otherwise that would’ve been an impossible choice. I did cut the strap shorter to minimize the extra length hanging out. I’ve heard rumblings of a sale this month that might include this bag, and will keep you guys posted!

4. “The Third Piece”

Another concept that stylists love is the “third piece,” or adding a 3rd garment to round off your outfit and make it feel more cohesive vs 2 pieces (excluding accessories). This can easily be achieved via a sweater tied over your shoulders, a vest, blazer or jacket. Alternative cozier “third pieces” I’d love with this base outfit are this chunky quince cardigan or this more sleek J.Crew sweater blazer.

I absolutely LOVE the look of this Amazon jacket find, though there are some less ideal aspects. Be warned that it’s quite cropped in length (I like it as someone 5 feet tall, but just FYI!), it’s made of a synthetic material instead of wool, and the sleeves are a little long on me and folded under. And personal preference – I didn’t love the dark brown buttons so snipped them off. But those considerations aside, the color and cut are excellent and make every outfit I try on with it feel a little more chic!