Here Are The Five Street Style Tricks To Update Your Wardrobe – Without Spending Any Money

It’s slap-bang in the middle of summer and a strange old time to go shopping. The sales are still in full swing, summer stock is depleted, but it's far too warm and way too early to consider buying a coat yet (although, we applaud your organisational skills if you have).

But here’s the good news. There are ways to update your summer look without so much as stepping into a shop if you don’t feel inclined. We’ve been keeping a carefully-trained eye on the street-stylers at Paris Couture Week and the revelers at Glastonbury, and noticed several styling hacks that you can easily mimic using pieces already hanging in your wardrobe - think new way to wear rather than new thing to wear.

Take the coterie of influencers and Insta-stars at Miu Miu’s cruise show. The temperatures in Paris might have soared to unbearably sticky heights last week, but that didn’t stop the assembled guests wearing socks with their platform sandals. One brave soul even wore knee-highs - knee-highs! - with hers. Speaking of sandals, this just in: there’s officially a new way to wear them so that the ankle-ties are laced around your trouser hems. Interesting, no?

Here are the five micro trends that are perfect for shaking up your summer wardrobe - and some hero products if you do have the urge to hit the shops.

Unbuttoned shirt

There's a specific way of wearing - or should that be not wearing? - your shirt doing overtime with the streetstyle set right now. You simply do up the top buttons, but leave the ones underneath your chest to the bottom undone. The shirt gracefully billows in the summer breeze and - voila! - you’ve basically fashioned yourself a new top.

Ankle-ties

Five minutes ago tucking your baggy trousers into your boots was all the rage - summer’s update is wrap ankle ties around the hem of the trousers. It started at Bottega Veneta, has now graduated to the street style set, meaning you can expect to see this happening on a street near you any day now. Plus, it does mean you can even give your barely-there sandals a whizz in the rain, without fear that your trousers will drag in puddles.

Swimsuit as bodysuit

You splashed out on a new swimsuit at the start of summer and only got to wear it for one week on a Greek island. It doesn't have to be this way. The influencer Camille Charriere turned a leopard print cossie into a bodysuit to gallivant around Glastonbury. Tuck yours into anything from a ruffled midi skirt to longline shorts, and your top half will be fully prepared for summer showers should the heavens open.

Socks and sandals

Wearing socks with sandals used to be something only embarrassing dads and tourists attempted in earnest. Not any more. Everything from neat white ankle socks to elegant black knee-highs were present and correct on the Miu Miu front row. Keep the look unfussy by sticking to a platform sandal and avoiding patterns.

Dresses over trousers

The concept of wearing a dress over trousers has previously been too ‘fashion’ for most people, but it’s time to get on board. A bit of layering never goes amiss when the weather’s indecisive as you can always whip the trousers off if the temperature spikes. Look for tunic-style dresses that hit just above the knee and style over flared or ankle-cropped trousers.