What Would Holley Wear: Five Free Tips from a Stylist 2nd Edition

Welcome to our second edition of “Free Styling Tips”!  We hope you love the idea of making the most with what you already have in your closet and repurposing your clothes and accessories!  

“The more you have…the more you are occupied, and the less you have…the more you are free”.

Isn’t this true when it comes to fashion?  If you have a closet crammed packed with clothes and accessories…it not only occupies your space, but it can also occupy your spirit.  

So, let’s get started and talk about some ways to repurpose our stuff and free our spirits at the same time.  Have you thought about wearing a scarf as a belt? This is a cute and fun way to add style to some of your spring and summer outfits.  Another idea is to tie a scarf on a belt loop, which adds color and flair. For a classic look, tie a scarf around a handbag handle or your ponytail, and a scarf tied around your neck is so classic.  For a trendy look, try tying a scarf around your wrist or ankle!

Spring and summer are a great time of year to roll your jeans.  To do this, fold your jeans up one or two inches, then fold again leaving a peek of the hemline visible.  How easy is that? The jean roll is a fun way to show off a cute pair of shoes, and it also makes your boyfriend jeans look a touch more tailored.  Be sure to check out the hem-roll tutorial on our Pinterest board.

Did you know there is an art to tucking your shirt?   Here are some tips on how to tuck your shirt: The front–tuck works best with long shirts and blouses. Tuck the front in and leave the back untucked.  This also looks great with blazers. The half-tuck is my favorite.  It’s so easy…just tuck in the buttonhole side (left side) of your shirt into your jeans or pants and leave the button side hanging out.   Go to here for 16 Ways to Tuck, Tie, Roll and Twist your Clothes like a Stylist on our Pinterest board including the snappy way JCrew styles their sleeves!

And then there’s the twist-tuck with 4 easy steps:  1…Unbutton the five bottom shirt buttons. 2…Tuck the side with the buttons into the opposite side. 3…Cross and fold the button-hole side over the buttoned side and tuck it in, and 4…If you like, unbutton the remaining shirt buttons so the shirt doesn’t bunch.  Be sure to check out the easy tutorial on our board.

The easiest way to define a waistline without a belt is by knotting or tying your shirt or blouse in the middle.  I have to admit this just happens to be one of my signature looks, especially in the spring and summer. A cute vacation look is to wear a button-down shirt off-the-shoulder, unbuttoned but tied in a knot.  Such a cute way to repurpose an old shirt into a swimsuit cover up….just add a pair of flowy pants or maxi skirt! Don’t you just love free styling tips that are fun and creative?

Speaking of fun and creative…another stylist secret is tying a knot in the hem or middle of a maxi or midi skirt.  This is a great summer style that looks so light and breezy worn with sandals, and in the fall… just trade your sandals for boots.  It also makes for a great resort or poolside look….such a frugal way to repurpose a skirt you were thinking about giving away. And one more thing, it costs nothing to tie a knot…right? Unless, you are tying “the knot”…now that can be very expensive.

With air conditioning, it can be freezing inside in the summer. That’s when you will want to add a jacket or light sweater. A classic way to style your summer jacket or sweater is by draping it over your shoulders.  A draped jean jacket will definitely give you the cool factor! And when you warm up, just tie it around your waist. Classic and cool…can’t beat that!

I don’t know about you, but I love how being content with what I have frees my spirit to be stylishly creative!  

Holley Williams is a personal stylist specializing in closet inventory, seasonal shopping, closet organization and wardrobe consultation.  Contact Holley at [email protected].   Be sure to check out Holley’s updated Pinterest board here.