Several friends and clients reached out in the last few weeks to ask if it was possible to look stylish AND wear sneakers.
I love a good sneaker as much as the next gal and as we come out of lockdown they are definitely more popular now than ever. In fact, a friend and coach, Joy Chudacoff, recently sent me an article from the WSJ which talked about the ever changing landscape of style and how the “sales of high heeled shoes feel 45% in 2020…as women had no where to wear them.”
There are stylish sneakers, workout sneakers, designer sneakers and more! No matter which you choose, they can all work with your everyday outfits. The key to looking stylish while wearing sneakers is to make sure you feel pulled together and confident in your outfit and not “schleppy.”
For example, I was recently working with a client and when I arrived she was wearing sneakers, black pants, and a baggy top. I asked her how she felt in her outfit and she said that while she was comfy she didn’t feel pulled together. Everything was a little too comfy, casual, and oversized. As you know, I am a big proponent of wearing what makes you feel confident and you can have confidence, be comfy, and look pulled together. The key is all about finding balance with your outfit.
One easy way for my client to look stylish and wear sneakers was to swap out the top, that was too oversized, for a more fitted one. We also swapped out the heavy socks she was wearing and used a shorter, thinner, ankle sock. By making those two small changes to the outfit she went from looking and feeling “schleppy” to looking and feeling confident and pulled together.
You can look stylish and wear sneakers but know that when you put on those sneakers it may take your stylish outfit to a more casual level. If you want to up level your look think about more fitted and tailored outfits or try adding a layering piece like a blazer, cardigan or utility jacket. You want to think about and keep in mind the overall balance of your look. If the bottom half of your outfit is “loosey goosey” then make sure your top half is more tucked in and tailored and vice versa.
There are lots of different ways to tweak your outfit so you feel more confident and look stylish while wearing sneakers. As I mentioned, there are also lots of different sneakers out there like slip on sneakers, athletic sneakers, designer sneakers, and more! Check out some options below. If you’re not sure where or how to start to look stylish and wear sneakers, reach out! I am always happy to help. You can email me at elisa@turnkeystyle.com or text me at 650.799.7123. I would love to hear from you.