We’re not the type of editorial team that shrieks “all change!” as soon as a new season or new year comes along. We’re always keen to uncover trends, of course, but in reality, you’ll be much more likely to find us in a group DM discussing new ways to wear old things and how to shop the latest looks from vintage and secondhand stores or honing our classic fashion-finding skills to secure some long-lasting forever buys. And you certainly won’t discover content on Who What Wear that encourages you to carelessly ditch everything from last year just because the calendar has switched to 2021. However, if some newness comes free of charge, then that’s an altogether different and alluring prospect. But then again, that’s what styling is all about—taking items you own already and reconfiguring them for a fresh outfit. Sure, this concept may not provide the immediate thrill we’ve come to associate with a purchase, but it will provide longer-term satisfaction. I promise.
There are a few styling tricks that will bring your closet into the here and now, and I’ve been tracking their progress on Instagram—some particular outfit-building tweaks have been bubbling up from micro to macro status. A few may still seem a bit out there for you when January has barely begun and sweatpants are calling. However, I guarantee you that, slowly but surely, these little ideas will make a bigger impact as the months go on. Remember when you first felt silly shoulder-robing, wearing a crop top again, or trying the jumper-scarf hybrid (aka the scrumper)? It all starts somewhere… Keep scrolling to see the 2021 styling hacks I’ll be backing.
