Anytime I put an outfit together there is an element of texture I like to add. I often say that this is something that can make an outfit feel more put-together, more interesting, more complete. And it’s true! If you just wore a cotton tee, and cotton pants, there is going to be something missing to the outfit.
And a way to make that outfit feel a little more elevated, and styled, is to add texture. Texture can come in many different pieces, options and beyond. Depending on the season, you can rely on certain textures over others.
So if your outfits have been feeling a little blah lately, and you’re not quite sure what to do, let’s dive into adding a bit of texture. Here are a few ways you can do that the next time you are putting an outfit together.
How To Add Texture To Your Outfits
And Why We Want To Add Texture
It Adds Interest
Textural elements in an outfit do one major thing, and that is add interest. It complements those smooth or neutral fabrics like silk and cotton. You create balance and interest by incorporating a bit of texture through accessories, or bolder pieces like jackets or pants, to an outfit.
Whenever I am thinking of ways to make an outfit feel more put-together, it’s usually adding an element of interest. And while that can be in something that’s super structured, or metallic, or in color, an easy default can just be adding texture!
It Makes Your Eye Move Around The Outfit
An outfit can appear a bit flat if you are in all one fabric. So having different fabric elements helps to keep the eye moving around the outfit creating interest. This can be achieved by adding more than one textural element to your outfit.
It Makes Your Look Feel More Special And Intentional
I think one of the easiest ways to make an outfit feel more special and intentional, is to add texture. You’ll hear me say this a lot anytime I am styling a matching cotton or linen set that it is ALL about the styling to feel like it’s an intentional outfit and not pajamas. And usually what I’m adding are textural elements. A textured bag, an interesting shoe, and chunky jewelry.
Texture Can Also Be Smooth
I don’t want to over complicate things, but yes smooth is also a type of texture! I would say for the most part though, our outfits are usually missing a textured piece over a smooth piece. But let’s say you’re wearing a knit dress that has super intricate detailing, or a crochet top and bottom set, the way to contrast that bold texture is with a smooth one. So a smooth leather bag or shoe would be how I’d balance that out.
Sure you can go maximalist with your style and just add all the bold textures to one outfit. However, I think we are oftentimes looking to create more balance and synergy, and keeping your overall balance of textures (both smooth and bolder ones) is key to achieving that.
Don’t Make Everything Textural
There’s no need to add a million textured pieces to your outfit to achieve this look. Sometimes it really is just about adding one piece to your look that can make such a difference. I find this is the case when an outfit just feels a little too casual or not interesting enough, that it just requires swapping one thing out (usually a bag, or belt, or adding a third piece like a jacket) that has texture can really turn a boring outfit to a great outfit.
Having contrasting textures too is great. Having silky soft silks paired with suede is a nice bit of contrast. Or chunky knits with woven leather. It’s fine to mix it up and add different elements. But don’t overthink it if you are only adding one or two things that are more interesting in texture over others.
Types Of Texture To Add To An Outfit
Texture For Spring And Summer
For spring and summer, my go-to elements will usually be a woven bag of some sort. A rattan bag, a woven bag, straw, you name it. That natural fiber has natural texture in it that instantly looks visually more interesting than say a smooth leather bag or a nylon bag.
Another type of bag to try is a woven leather. This woven leather tote in today’s look is a great example of how it can add some interest with a bit of texture. Swapping out your smooth leather bag for one with texture is a great swap to make.
The same goes for belts and shoes in the summer time. Lots of natural fibers can feel a bit more special than a flip flop or canvas sneaker.
Crochets, openworks and knits are a great way to add interest and texture. As you can see in this outfit, the top has a knit to it that has instant texture. It pops against the beige linen trousers.
Texture For Fall And Winter
In the fall and winter, a few textural elements you can add include chunky knits. This is an easy way to add texture and layers to your look. This is the most common texture we think of for the season. But there are really so many more options.
Try suede for a textured leather option. This can be in a bag, belt, or even a more bold piece like suede pants or a jacket.
There are tons of other fabrics you can explore in the cooler months to achieve the textured vibe. Try brocade, tweed, corduroy, velvet and jacquard. The fall and winter months really have tons of fabric options to choose from. This is a reason why I think people tend to feel that their summer wardrobe feels a bit less interesting. Less fabric, combined with fewer texture options, can lead to outfits feeling a bit boring.
Examples Of Adding Texture To Outfits
Texture In Spring And Summer
You can see in the above outfits a few variations of texture being added. Through openwork sweaters worn over the shoulder (the act of wearing one over your shoulder alone feels like a textural layer) and the fabric helps to achieve this goal. Or a woven or rattan bag or shoe.
In the lilac blazer outfit, I’ve added the linen blazer that has a bit of texture to it, the white tank underneath it is ribbed and the rattan bag. Not all texture has to be super intense, sometimes even just a bit of ribbing can be a touch of texture in the grand scheme of things. These things help to make your outfits feel more interesting and it’s one of my favorite little hacks to elevate a look.
Texture In Fall And Winter
In the cooler months, it’s simply just easier to add texture so it was hard to narrow down a few examples. But these are great options to showcase how suede, leather, wool, quilted materials, and chunky knits can play a role.
Take even just my cotton sweatsuit set. I’ve added interest here by adding a quilted coat, suede sneakers, and a very smooth bag in a contrasting color (not textural, but smooth is it’s own texture so we can consider this too if we’re wearing something like a knit dress).
And to contrast a silky maxi skirt and cotton tee, a knit sweater and suede bag add some contrast to the smooth fabrics in the outfit. You can see how mixing smooth and textured pieces is a way to play on fabrics for interest.
There you have it, a comprehensive guide to adding a bit of texture to your outfits to make them feel more interesting. A great option if your looks have been falling a little flat, especially in the warmer months. Texture is an important aspect of putting outfits together and I hope you find some new ways to incorporate that into your wardrobe.
