Here’s how to use “Contrast Dressing” to improve your style
We all know the feeling of trying on a myriad of different outfits and none of them feel quite right. When you’re tempted to give up and reach for the same old jeans and top remember that style is a muscle that needs to be exercised, and luckily there are tips out there that make getting dressed in the morning more intuitive—and fun!
“Contrast Dressing” is our new fave styling hack developed by Allison Bornstein, the stylist who brought us the “Wrong Shoe Theory”. Not only will “Contrast Dressing” make you immediately more stylish, but it’ll also help you create balance for pieces that seem “stuck” in one specific style.
Bornstein considers “Contrast Dressing” as an expansion of the “Wrong Shoe Theory”. Creating contrast is (as the name suggests) at the core of “Contrast Dressing”, and the best way to create contrast in an outfit is through juxtaposing styles, textures, or accessories.
Here are five examples of “Contrast Dressing” that we just love.
Pairing masculine bottoms with a more feminine top and vice versa is a great way to give dimension to an outfit, and also makes those baggy jeans feel much more grown-up and polished. The good tension between masculine and feminine is also at the core of the Blokette aesthetic making rounds on social media right now.
On
Cloud 6 White
£140.00
On
Charles & Keith
Octavia Front Flap Top Handle Bag Brown
£89.00
Charles & Keith
On
Cloudpulse Next Black
£120.00
On
-4%
HOMCOM
Shoe Storage Bench With Cushion And Flip-Drawer 62x26x47.5cm - Green | TJ Hughes
£48.00
£50.00
TJ Hughes
-60%
Citizens Of Humanity
Ayla mid-rise wide-leg jeans Blue
£152.00
£380.00
Mytheresa
Tommy Hilfiger
Claire High Rise Wide Leg Jeans Blue
£95.00
Tommy Hilfiger
Another perfect style pairing for “Contrast Dressing” is formal/casual. Pairing high and low elements gives you an effortless and super-chic outfit. Try styling your favourite joggers with an oversized blazer and elevated shoes and accessories for the perfect off-duty-model look.
-20%
Norma Kamali
Oversized faux leather blazer Black
£284.00
£355.00
Mytheresa
-80%
Claudie Pierlot
Tailored Blazer Blue
£429.00
£2,145.00
Claudie Pierlot
-75%
Jacquemus
LA RAPHIA Oversized Blazer DHOMME size 42
£199.49
£797.95
GLAMOOD
Tommy Hilfiger
Blazers, female, Blue, M, Oversized Blazer
£260.13
Miinto
-64%
Maison Ullens
BOTTOMWEAR - Trousers on YOOX.COM Orange
£73.00
£204.00
Yoox.com
Needles
Technical-jersey Track Pants - Mens - Green Multi - M
£225.00
MATCHES
Le 17 Septembre
Knitted track pants - Gray - FR 38 Grey
£275.00
The Outnet
Varley
Slim Jersey Track Pants - Womens - Taupe - XL Grey
£95.00
MATCHES
Playing with textures is a great way to do “Contrast Dressing”, even if it might not be super intuitive at first. One of the easiest texture pairings to achieve is shiny/fuzzy: just pair your fuzziest knit (mohair is a great option here) with a shiny silk slip skirt.
-55%
AllSaints
Mohair/Wool Kit Relaxed Fit Jumper, Size: M White
£80.10
£179.00
AllSaints
-36%
Costume National
Lightweight Jumper with Embellished Asymmetric Design Grey
£174.21
£272.75
Miinto
-28%
AllSaints
Polyamide/Mohair Chain AllSaints Embroidered Jumper, Size: XS Green
£128.70
£179.00
AllSaints
-40%
La DoubleJ
Picket wool-blend polo sweater Red
£282.00
£470.00
Mytheresa
-30%
Velvet
Eza velvet maxi skirt Purple
£192.00
£275.00
Mytheresa
-20%
Max Mara
Silk Midi Skirt Blue
£217.15
£271.44
Miinto
-40%
Joseph
Striped cotton and silk maxi skirt Beige
£225.00
£375.00
Mytheresa
Juxtaposing “hard” and “soft” materials is another great option for “Contrast Dressing”. Leather jackets, skirts, or trousers make perfect examples of a “hard” material, while lacy, light, or see-through tops and dresses make the perfect “soft” component.
-55%
AllSaints
Womens Goat Leather Balfern Belted Suede Biker Jacket, Size: UK 16/US 12 Grey
£165.60
£369.00
AllSaints
-30%
Fat Face
FatFace Bethany Burgundy Red Quilted Biker Jacket
£139.00
£199.00
FatFace
-37%
AllSaints
Leather Clo Pleated Leather Jacket, Size: UK 4/US 0 Black
£219.60
£349.00
AllSaints
-50%
Diesel
Vegan Leather Jacket L-SUZA-R with Zip on Sleeve size Xxs
£152.61
£305.23
GLAMOOD
AllSaints
Polyester Arlea Tulle Maxi Skirt, Size: UK 14/US 10 Black
£199.00
AllSaints
-42%
Fat Face
FatFace Black Lotus Embroidered Midi Dress
£52.00
£90.00
FatFace
-55%
AllSaints
Womens Linen Skye Floral Asymmetric Hem Midi Dress, Size: 6 White
£116.10
£259.00
AllSaints
-50%
Self Portrait
Bow-detail embellished lace midi dress Green
£210.00
£420.00
Mytheresa
Lastly, accessories can definitely help you add contrast to your look. This look featured in Valentino’s Haute Couture FW23 show Un Château is a perfect example of how a statement earring can add some spice to a simple look. Also, as Bornstein reminds us, having two similar elements at the top and bottom is useful to create a cohesive look: in this case, the silver earrings “connect” with the silver slippers tying everything together.
Monica Vinader
Sterling Silver Siren Muse Large Hoop Earrings
£150.00
Monica Vinader
-30%
Amina Muaddi
Begum Mini embellished earrings Silver
£280.00
£400.00
Mytheresa
-38%
AllSaints
Brass Laio Spike Earrings, Size: One Size
£34.20
£55.00
AllSaints
-20%
Monica Vinader
Sterling Silver Teardrop Gemstone Ear Charm Turquoise
£32.00
£40.00
Monica Vinader
-30%
Charles & Keith
Metallic Pointed-Toe Slingback Flats Silver
£38.50
£55.00
Charles & Keith
-40%
Tory Burch
Reva Travel leather ballet flats Silver
£165.00
£275.00
Mytheresa
-28%
AllSaints
Leather Sandy Metallic Fringe Loafers, Size: UK 4/ US 7/ EU 37 Silver
£135.90
£189.00
AllSaints
Charles & Keith
Sequinned Crossover Mary Jane Flats Silver
£59.00
Charles & Keith
