How do you make basic outfits look more put together?

[OneOpalOwl]

I wear a lot of very basic (boring) outfits - t shirt and jeans, cardi and jeans, jumper and jeans. All usually with trainers.

The items themselves are nice and fit me well, but the outfits are just so plain. I’ve been a bit lost style wise over the last couple of years and while I’m never going to be the most fashionable person ever I’d still like to look and feel a bit more put together!

I’d love to know how people manage to make basic items like these look like an actual intentional outfit?! What is the secret because I can never seem to get it right!

Instagram is good for fashion inspo. Find a couple of influencers who are your age and size and watch their videos. It will take you out of the comfort zone. Invest in some Atolea waterproof jewelery (gold is more In Style than silver). A disk necklace or similar. Chunkier earrings rather than dainty.You can wear it to shower and it saves you the faff of putting it on every morning.
wear a watch. Paint your nails and match your bag to your outfit (doesn’t need to be expensive!). New look and Primark are great.

The secret is being in good shape and staying well groomed.

Then you don’t need to overthink the wardrobe. So long as clothes are clean, uncreased and fit well, you can stick to plain and simple outfits.

I think often it's posture, hair and ironing. I have a friend who only wears very neutral, plain clothes, often matching trouser/top sets that would look like pyjamas on me. She makes everything look like a million dollars. I always ask where her clothes are from, and it's very standard high street shops. She holds herself so confidently, her hair is lovely, and she irons everything.

My wardrobe is i suppose you could say whimsical and eclectic- Stevie Nicks one moment, rock chick the next and perennially in gym wear due to my fitness job, and sometimes yearning for the days in my old career when I wore a sharp business suit.
As a student many years with little money I soon learned how to accessorise the most basic items . Nice jewellery and belts etc and for me personally a decent quality leather jacket (usually biker but do have other types) usually lifts jeans and t shirts for example. Admittedly I’m a bag obsessive and love my Mulberry and Alexander McQueen, Chloe etc, which I always source with sales and discount, and these lift my usually cheap Asda or Peacocks clothing ! And as like i spend most ot my time in my “scags” as I call my daily gym wear , my handbag makes me feel more put together while my hair is messy and my clothes functional.