5 Easy Ways to Dress Up An Outfit

Trying to figure out how to dress up an item in your closet? These are four simple formulas to do it.

Why would you want to dress up an outfit?

A few months ago, I did a post about dressing down an outfit. You can read it right here. Today we’re going to talk about how to dress up an outfit!

Reasons why you may want to dress up an outfit: 

1. To feel more polished
2. You’re heading to date night and want to step up your casual outfit a bit
3. It’s girls night and you want a little more special outfit
4. You’re heading to a baby or bridal shower and want to elevate your outfit
5. You’re going to a business casual event

There are lots of other reasons, but those are a few that come to mind.

Are you dressing up a casual outfit? Or trying to make a dressy outfit feel more dressy?

These formulas for dressing up an outfit can apply to your most basic jeans and t-shirt outfits, but also take a dress or skirt outfit to the next level and make it feel even more dressy.

5 easy ways to dress up an outfit

1. ADD DRESSY SHOES

This is one of my favorite ways to dress up an outfit – just add some dressy shoes!

The trick is to choose dressy shoes that make sense with the rest of your outfit. A pair of stilettos may not look right with a basic t-shirt dress. So choose your dressy shoes wisely.

Three easy dressy shoe options:

• Wedges
• Block heel sandals
• Dressy flats

I’ve linked some great options below:

2. ADD JEWELRY

Jewelry is always my go-to for making an outfit feel finished and polished. It also can definitely dress an outfit up a bit, since it adds some sparkle and kind of an expensive feel (as long as your jewelry doesn’t look cheap/costume-y).

Here are some easy jewelry options you can try that will dress up your outfit

• Statement earrings
• A stack of bracelets
• Layered necklaces

Here are some options below that would be fantastic with a casual or dressy outfit.

3. ADD A DRESSY JACKET 

I recognize that it’s summer time! So the weather doesn’t always allow for a layer over the top. But it’s not always summer, so this has to be mentioned.

A jacket, whether it’s dressy or casual, just adds dimension and structure and a little more purpose to a casual outfit and makes it feel dressed up a bit more.

Here are some great jacket options you could try: 

• Denim jacket (super casual, still adds a dressiness factor)
• Leather jacket (always a fun, edgy choice)
• Blazer (adds a sophisticated dressiness)
• Suede jacket
• Wool jacket

A denim jacket is really the only one I’d wear during the summer. I’ve linked a few good ones below!

4. ADD A DRESSY BAG

I usually wear a casual bag, like a leather tote or crossbody bag. But a dressy bag instantly elevates your outfit.

I’ve linked some great dressy bags below:

5. DO YOUR HAIR AND MAKEUP

You can have a great outfit on, but no makeup and crazy hair can derail that nice outfit really fast.

You don’t need tons of makeup, or a fancy hair-do. But some purpose to your hair (even pulled back in a super basic low bun) and some blush and mascara will do wonders for helping your outfit feel more elevated.

I’m keeping my makeup super simple this summer – you can see what I use right here.

I’m doing another episode of Get Dressed With Merrick on my Instagram stories today — hop over and watch me share these tips live! If you missed it, watch it below:

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE POSTS

• 4 ways to dress down an outfit

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• Finishing an outfit with easy accessories