How to Master a Classic Edgy Style

1. The foundation

Classics form the perfect foundation for any outfit composition. Consider them the canvas for your personal style.

The number and types of classic pieces you buy when building your foundation wardrobe is entirely up to you but a few pieces I like to have are:

A pair of straight pants.

A neutral skirt.

A couple of basic tops. 

A blazer.

A pair of pumps. 

And a simple belt.

These pieces can be built upon to create your own edgy outfits.

2. Balance

Mastering the art of balance is essential, it enables you to always look chic and polished.  

Balance should always be considered when choosing your basic wardrobe and adding to it.

I am sure you have heard the term, “dressing for your body shape”. This essentially means dressing to create a visual balance. It is important to determine what your body shape is so that you can learn to correctly build your ensemble. 

Let’s look at an example:

If you have narrow shoulders and wide hips, termed a pear-shaped body in the fashion industry, you want to create balance by adding volume to your shoulders and keeping your hip area simple. 

Above, I added volume around my shoulders in the form of shoulder pads and kept my bottom part simple with plain black pants. You could also add volume by wearing a shirt with detail in the shoulder area. 

Another aspect to consider while styling an outfit is balancing out your upper and lower body parts. Ideally, an outfit should be designed with the top taking up 1/3 and the bottom taking up 2/3 of the overall look.

So, if you have a long torso wear high-rise pants with shorter tops or tuck in longer tops.

If you have a short torso play with lower-rise pants and untuck your tops. 

Experiment with outfits to create a 1/3 to 2/3 balance. 

3. Style

Add items to your basic wardrobe in the style you prefer. You could buy a romantic dress or a masculine blazer. This is up to you.

But find a few pieces that you love that will enhance your foundation and give you that classic edgy style.

Here’s an example.

I started off with 3 pieces from my foundation wardrobe. A plain turtleneck, an A-line skirt, and black pumps.

Let’s make this classic outfit look more interesting by adding some of my favorite pieces. 

I swapped the turtleneck for a patterned shirt and duplicated one color from the shirt in a blouse that I layered on top. 

I took it to the edge by adding a completely different color to my shoes.

This outfit is classic but has been elevated with my style choices.

4. Elements

Now for the elements, here we're talking about patterns, colors, and textures. In outfit composition, these elements are crucial.

Patterns add so much interest but pairing them is sometimes difficult to achieve. 

To get this right, here are some tips:

At a basic level, you can pair two similar prints in different sizes.

A step ahead is to add a third or complementary color in different prints. 

If you want to take it to the next level, add a third print that is completely unexpected, that's an edgy move.

Colors can be tricky to style, especially bright ones, let’s look at a few ways to style bright cobalt blue pants.

My first look was to go simple and pair them with plain white items and accessories.

I added that edge with a striped black and white silk belt. 

With the next look, I replaced the neutrals with a printed, puffy sleeve top in the same family of colors as the pants and emulated the green from the print in my shoes. 

To give the outfit an even edgier look, I used color blocking. I put on a bright green top and added a yellow sweater.  

It can be daunting to play with colors but adding one color at a time and checking the outfit's overall balance will give it that edge you desire.

5. Accessories

Finally, we come to accessories, the finishing touch to any outfit. Here we are talking about items like jewelry, sunglasses and bags

I'm a big believer that accessories are the single element that reinforces your personality.

Large statement accessories will overwhelm a small frame and a modern blazer will look out of place with a soft and flowy romantic belt.

Make sure your accessories are well-curated and complement your style rather than clash with it.

Classic edgy style 

Those are my steps to mastering that classic edgy style. I hope you found this tutorial enjoyable and use my tips when composing your outfits.

Which tip was your favorite? Let me know in the comments.