In her recent interview with US glossy Lucky magazine, Solange Knowles may have glossed over that elevator incident – saddening gossipmongers all over the globe – but she did introduce us to a brand new genre of dressing: casualising.
Well it wasn’t brand brand. The people’s choice, J Law, remarked way back in 2011 that she ‘normally find[s] a way to “casualise” anything too showy’. But it’s only now that it’s really caught our eye as a hot new buzz trend.
Colour-popping, print-rocking Solange may not seem like she is casualising much, but casual doesn’t have to be boring, galfriend! Casualising refers to the practice of knocking something a little ‘off’ so that your look isn’t perfect; introducing one or two elements, essentially, to ‘casual’ up your look.
It’s something that chimes with fashion’s current mood, which includes swapping stilettos for sneakers and tailored coats for bombers, to look effortlessly practicool. Here are some 10 easy tips to ‘casualise’ your look, quicksticks.
Swap the skinny for the jazzy
Where skinny black jeans would have paid good homage (and fromage) to *French Vogue’*s Emmanuelle Alt, what really elevates this sober black blazer/silk shirt and chelsea boot combo is the surprising dose of glitter, via the knees.
When all your other separates are smart and un-showy, why not throw some statement jeans into the mix and watch the whole thing become immediately low-key? Glittery knees are hard to find, sadly, but you can start with some knee patches.
Wear a jumper over your blazer
Genius tip from Norweigan blogger, Tine: put on your tailored slacks and your blazer, with your sling-back kitten heels, suuuure. But then whack a cropped jumper over the top of your blazer. Glorious proportions – cropped jumper, with some tailored blazer tails poking out underneath under slim-line trews – and a neat twist on a traditionally corporate look.
Whip the jumper off for important meetings, jam it back on for brinner (brunch and dinner – aren’t they all the same thing these days?)
Make your leather baggy
A crop top and skin-tight black leather trousers is badass, but very ‘done’/Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley at The Chiltern Firehouse (without those radiant looks.) For daywear – if you're going to wear a crop top at least – try some baggy leather.
They don’t have to be joggers, you can just take a normal pair of leather trousers and size up, like blogger Camille Charriere advises.
Tie a tee around your waist
Tying something around your waist is pretty much the hottest micro-trend this summer (and makes us realise how daft fashion trends really are.) Allow us to guide you towards one of our magnificient Debrief shoots, where we tied a breton long-sleeved tee around our model Grace’s waist.
For an update on an already trendy trend, try tying a longer shirtor trench coat around your waist – Nicole Richie aces it, obviously, by tying a matching long shirt around her palazzo pants.
Throw on a bomber
Bombers are the best thing to come out of the Cara-induced streetwear trend, if only because their boxy and inimitably casual air makes all other pieces of outwearwear look like they are trying so damn hard (C U L8er crombie coat).
A brightly patterned bomber immediately changes the tone of a knee-length skirt and heeled booties, removing the preppy and adding some offbeat.
Add some pastel into an ‘all black’ look
Blogger Lucy Williamsbreaks up the black with a pastel blue sweater tank – which swiftly changes the whole direction. Wear her wide leg Zara trousers and Isabel Marant Holden slides might have looked minimalist and work-ready, when paired with a black leather tote bag, a sweater vest like Blake LDN’s Imperialone (cut sexily low at the armpits) keeps it perfectly, casually seksi.
Add a baseball hat
Best way to wear a baseball hat? Backwards. (Unless you’re super kooky and then have fun with the sidey!) Wear it with something like a shirtdress and feel more like Leonardo di Caprio than a good girl.
Pair an XL shirt with some sheer
A sheer black skirt should really belong in the ‘clubwear’ category, but not when it’s coupled with a men’s striped button-down shirt.
Not only does blogger Courtney Trop’s boyfriend shirt look like it would make an excellent nightgown, it’s also the ideal transformative piece to take eveningwear into errand wear.
Try a sloppy sweater
A sweater so sloppy it basically functions as a sweater dress – but the kind you accidentally wore aged five, when you borrowed your older sibling’s one, rather than a fitted one – will make even your most vertiginious heels look casual.
This adorable model in her scarlet sweater is a case in point.
Put a shirt over your dress
The best thing about separates is that you can mix and match, which is why sometimes the ‘one-piece’ can throw us. What if you want to look smart on the bottom, but casual on the top? A DRESS JUST CAN’T HELP.
Well, why not sling a cropped shirt(or as seen here, add two, of varying lengths) over the top of a floral maxi dress and feel like Suki Waterhouse on a casual stroll with Bradley? Maybe.
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Pictures: Jason Lloyd-Evans, Fashioneaters.com, Rex, Fashionmenow.co.uk and Alwaysjudging.co.uk
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.