my go-to outfit formulas

0:00Listen, there's nothing I love more than going into my closet and putting together an outfit that I've never worn before. Something fresh, something new, something exciting.

0:11Emma Chamberlain:There's nothing I love more than balancing silhouettes and coming up with a unique color palette and accessorizing in a way that's not too much but also not too subtle. There's nothing I love more than this process. It's wonderful. and it's kind of a hobby of mine. However, this is a time-consuming process. It doesn't take like 10, 20 minutes to put together a brand new outfit. No, it takes like an hour. And here's the deal. I usually don't have an hour to get dressed. I'm somebody who likes to push getting ready to the last minute, notoriously. I usually give myself like 15, 20 minutes max to get ready.

0:52And that also includes time for hair and makeup, which takes at least 10 minutes. leaving me with 10 minutes on average to get dressed every time I'm going somewhere. So I can't always go into my closet and put together something brand new because that takes time. And if I rush that process, I end up wearing something that I'm not 100 % confident in. And over the years, I've realized that that doesn't work for me. Because when I'm not wearing something that just works, it's all I think about. I can't enjoy myself. I can't live in the moment. It's all I'm thinking about. It takes over. And so I rely a lot of times on outfit formulas when I get dressed.

1:35It's the solution for me. I have a handful of outfit formulas that I have stored away in my brain for those moments when I have 10 minutes to get dressed and I want to feel good. And so today I thought I'd share with you all my go-to outfit formulas. Not necessarily because I think they're the answer for you, but to perhaps inspire you to come up with your own outfit formulas that sort of work for your style and your wardrobe. Because I do think it's a really helpful tool to have a mathematical equation that helps you get dressed. Because here's the deal. When we look good and we like our outfit, we feel good.

2:20We smile more. You know what I mean? And we're really able to live in the moment. And so I think outfit formulas are the perfect strategy to feel good and feel fashionable and feel stylish, even when we don't have the time to put together something brand new. So without further ado, let me share with you my go-to outfit formulas. And if you don't know what an outfit formula is, it'll make sense to you really quickly. Just trust me. I briefly interrupt this episode to let you know that this episode of Anything Goes is presented by Walmart. Sure, technically it's still summer, but mentally I'm already starting to think about fall fashion.

3:07And you know who has everything to upgrade your fall wardrobe? Walmart. Walmart has all the pieces you could ever need. We're talking about cozy sweaters for apple picking, casual staples for carving pumpkins. We're talking about cool sneakers, cute boots, and the price is right. Shop major fall trends and new drops at walmart.com slash shop slash women's dash trends. That's walmart.com slash shop slash women's dash trends Now back to the episode Let's start with my most used outfit formula And and this is one that is not unique to me A lot of people use this outfit formula But that's for a reason because I think it's one of the best and it's one of the most foolproof Okay When I need to look classy and chic Like perhaps I'm going to a nice dinner or I'm going to an event, but I have no time to think at all.

4:12I'm going to wear all black, head to toe. Okay, let me give you some examples. If it's perhaps a warm evening, I might wear a tight black tank top with black dress pants, black loafers, and a black pair of glasses. Classic. All sort of, you know, it's kind of hard to tell what's going on when you look at the outfit, but the silhouette is sharp on the top, tight on the top, looser on the bottom. There's a structured shoe. It looks good, but it's so simple. Another example, a dressy black top of some sort, perhaps a tunic or like, I don't know, some sort of blouse with black capris, black flats, And again, black glasses.

4:56That's perfect for like an afternoon event, maybe like a brunch or something, a fancy brunch. Another example, perhaps a black turtleneck with a long black skirt and tall black boots. And again, black glasses. There's something about all black that just always looks good. I would say the only struggle I have with all black is finding black pieces in my closet that match. Because I have like t-shirts, for example, that are sort of a washed black. But then I have skirts that are a super dark, super well-dyed, like pitch black black, you know? And then my accessories like belts and bags and shoes, those are almost always pitch black.

5:50Some of the pieces in my closet were pitch black when I bought them, but have since faded after wearing them and washing them time and time again. So it is sort of a, it's not like the easiest outfit formula, because I have to sort of think about how I'm balancing my shades of black, whether I'm, you know, wearing all the exact same shade of black, like all pitch black,

6:14Emma Chamberlain:or I'm sort of adding in some washed black into it. You know what I'm saying? It is a process. You know, I have to pay attention to the materials and the washes, but once assembled, it's really good. And I will say, because this is an outfit formula that I gravitate towards often, I've collected enough black pieces in various materials, in various shades, with various undertones to be able to sort of effectively put together cohesive, monochromatic, all black outfits. successfully. But if you don't have a lot of black in your closet, this might not work for you. It might not make sense. But for me, I'm obsessed.

6:57And I've actually become even more obsessed since cutting my hair and bleaching it. There's something about the super blonde, almost white hair with an all black outfit and even better with a pair of black glasses on. It just looks good. and I would say this formula, I have to think about the least, even though there is that little element that I have to think about, it's still one of the easiest, but also most elevated looking. It's like the least effort, highest reward, I would say out of all of these formulas. And again, it's like, I'm not reinventing the wheel here,

7:37Emma Chamberlain:but it's classic for a reason. There's something about how I feel when I wear all black. It's my favorite. It might be my favorite. I love it. I feel the most put together. I feel the most elegant and chic. It's kind of addicting, honestly. I have to really motivate myself to wear color because of how good I feel in a monochromatic black outfit. I really have to look at myself in the mirror and say, Emma, you can't just keep doing that. You love clothes too much. you love fashion too much, wear your other pieces of clothing. And it's also bled into like what I wear to my workout classes. Like I wear all black workout clothes.

8:21Emma Chamberlain:That's also for function because any other color of workout clothes will show sweat stains. But it's classic and it just looks good. And I often wear all black. On top of that, I'll wear an all black sweatshirt, some sort of chic sweatpants set. You know what I'm saying? It's just a go-to for me. Okay, next. Because that was like boring. But we had to get that one out of the way because it's one of my favorites. Next, when I want to wear something classic, timeless, and sharp, perhaps I'm going to a work meeting. It's the daytime. I don't want to wear all black. It doesn't make sense to wear all black, I'll wear black and white.

9:04Okay. Black and white to me feels very different from an all black outfit. It's like all black to me feels very, it feels very fashion. Whereas black and white feels very traditional.

9:20Emma Chamberlain:There's something about all black that feels more like dinner party event. Whereas black and white feels more like business meeting. Does that make sense? Not that I only wear black and white to like go to a business meeting. I wear black and white all the time. It's like a go-to color palette for me. I mean, it's very obvious. It's like, okay, it's one of the most obvious color palettes you could choose, but it just always feels sharp and timeless. But what I like about it though, is that it does have a bit of dimension. Like you can see what's going on when you were all black. You can't really see what's going on.

9:56Emma Chamberlain:It's kind of a blur. Whereas when you add some white in there, suddenly you have dimension. And what I really like about wearing black and white outfits is that I can very easily add a pop of color, more so than if I'm wearing all black. If I'm wearing all black, that's it. That's the end of it. All black is it. If I randomly throw on a red bag, it looks weird. Whereas if I'm wearing black and white, I can throw on a red bag and it looks balanced. Do you know what I'm saying? It doesn't just look like, oh, she's wearing all black, but then why is she wearing? It doesn't look intentional. Whereas black, white with a pop of color is classic and it always works.

10:35I'll give you some examples. Okay. A black and white staple for me, white collared shirt with a black top layered on top. I love it. I wear that combo all the time and it looks, it always looks good. So, okay. example outfit white collared shirt black top layered on top perhaps like a tang top with black capris or maybe a long black skirt with white socks black flats or perhaps a kitten heel if I'm feeling very chic with black glasses okay classic outfit interesting to look at has dimension because it's not just all black there is some white sprinkled in there but really cute fashionable font.

11:19Okay. Now, if I really wanted to, I could swap out the black glasses for like a pop of red glass, or I could swap out the black capris or the black skirt for like some sort of fun colored capri or skirt. It's very easy to add a pop of color. I think it just needs to be done in a way that feels right. Like when you look in the mirror, you should be like, okay, that works. That pop of color works. Sometimes you look in the mirror after adding a pop of color and you're like, oh, that actually does not work. It definitely comes down to intuition. Like I have to really be intuitive with it. Another example of a black and white outfit, perhaps a dressy white top or blouse or tunic with a long black skirt and white socks and black shoes of some sort, perhaps a flat or a loafer, if it makes sense.

12:13Black glasses in a bright, colorful bag, maybe a red bag, maybe a bright yellow bag, whatever. Or maybe a fun pop of color in the shoes. Perhaps replace the black shoes, the black flats or loafers with a red shoe, a red loafer. Does that even exist? Let's say a red flat, because a red flat definitely exists. A red loafer, I haven't seen that, perhaps for a reason. Because as I'm imagining it, it actually sounds quite ugly. Unless it was like an oxblood, like dark. Why is it called oxblood? Ew. I don't want to talk about blood right now.

12:54Emma Chamberlain:So I'm actually going to call it maroon. Maroon, you know, like a dark maroon leathery, you know, that would be cute for a loafer, but not bright red. But you get the idea. Another example would be perhaps a white top with a black cardigan on top with a pop of color pant. Okay. Perhaps a pair of green dress pants, like olive green dress pants, or I don't know, you could even do a pop of like khaki. That doesn't really feel like a pop because khaki is still a neutral, but if you're wearing all black and white and then you throw like a khaki pant in there, that to me does kind to feel like a pop of color because compared to black and white, it is kind of a pop of color.

13:40And then pair that with like a white sock and a black loafer or black, you know, flat or whatever, black glasses, you know, little white bag or something cute. There's just something about starting with black and white that is so foolproof to me. And the way that you can just add a pop of color and it almost always works is really fun. I don't know. I love doing that. And I think it's particularly strong when a white colored shirt is involved in some way. Like the second I put on a white colored shirt, I know things are about to be sharp and chic. I think the reason why black and white reads so timeless and elegant is because the classic tuxedo is black and white.

14:27And that's like a symbol in our minds of being dressed up. And so you might not necessarily want to look like you're wearing a tuxedo. You might not necessarily want to be that dressed up. But there's something about the way that black and white reads that it just, it feels timeless and it feels elevated. Okay, next. When I don't want to feel dressed up, when I don't want to feel overdressed, perhaps I'm going to a game night at someone's house, or I'm going shopping with friends. And it feels off to me to wear like a collared shirt, you know?

15:02Emma Chamberlain:It feels off to me to wear like a skirt with a blouse and flats. Like it feels like too much. My formula is classy bottom, meaning like a nice pair of dress pants or a nice skirt, or perhaps a pair of capris or, you know, dressy shorts with layered basic tops on top. Okay. I love the look of layered basic tops. That could be two tank tops layered on top of each other or a short sleeve t-shirt tight with a tank top on top or a classic long sleeve tight shirt with a boxy t-shirt on top. I love the look of layered basic tops. It is incredibly casual, but it's classic and it is fashionable and cool.

15:56I just love it. I think you can't go wrong with it. And there's something about it. It balances casual with fashionable so well. And when I don't want to feel overdressed, but I still want to feel cute, I'll start there. I'll start by layering tops in a way that is exciting and makes sense for the weather. I'll start there. And then I'll pick out a chic bottom half so that it doesn't go too casual, right? Because it's like, if I'm wearing, you know, layered tops on top and then like sweatpants, that's a little bit too casual for me. Like I don't feel confident in myself in that. I feel like I'm wearing my PJs.

16:35So it's nice to counteract the casualness with sort of a chic pant, like a dress pant or a sharp skirt or something like that. I'll give you some example outfits.

16:47Emma Chamberlain:Long sleeve with a boxy t-shirt on top. Classic combo. Can't go wrong with it. Always looks good. I love it. I reach for that a lot. perhaps with a boxy but sharp dress pant and a flat or a loafer and a structured purse or bag. You'll notice everything about this outfit is actually pretty classy and pretty sharp. You know, there's a sharp dress pant, a flat or a loafer has a lot of structure and then a structured purse or bag. And then sunglasses and glasses, I feel like always add a shakeness. So perhaps you could add some glasses as well. but the top is casual. The top half is casual. And there's something about that that creates a really cool vibe.

17:35If you want to go really Pinterest mode, you could add like a cute baseball cap. That's very, that's actually a very common, trendy, like business casual sort of outfit. Maybe it's a little bit more casual than business casual. I think it is. But that's like a common outfit formula that you'll see online. All the girly pops are doing it. But for a reason, once again, because it is a really balanced vibe. You're casual, but you also look put together too. Another example, perhaps a t-shirt, like a short sleeve t-shirt with a tank top on top of it, Paired with a classy pair of capris or a classy short.

18:23Like I have a bunch of long pairs of shorts that are made out of like dress pant material. So perhaps something like that. With a flat or a kitten heel in a structured person bag in a cute pair of glasses. Again, everything about the outfit is actually very chic and classic, but the top brings it down to a casual level. Perhaps pair that with like a cute little beret or something. cute. And the tops layered on top of each other. Keep it cash. I briefly interrupt this episode to let you know that this episode is brought to you by Hotels.com. Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Hotels.com could help you level up your vacation.

19:03So if you sign up for free, I might add, you save up to 20 % on select hotels. Yep, up to 20%. That's actual real money back in your pocket, which means yes to massages, yes to room service, yes to those little extras that make a trip feel extra special, head to hotels.com to book now. Now back to the episode. Okay, moving on. When I'm particularly craving comfort, like when I'm on my period and my

19:31Emma Chamberlain:stomach is killing me and I don't want to go outside, or if I'm going to have a long travel day, perhaps I'm going to the airport or going on a road trip or something like that. but I still want to feel fashionable. Comfort's the number one priority, but I still want to feel fashionable. My outfit formula is boxy top, boxy bottom. Okay. I don't know if you remember when everyone on the internet was talking about, this was a while ago. This was a while ago. It was like tiny top, big bottom, like wearing like a, you know, a cropped shirt or a really tight shirt with baggy, boxy sort of bottoms, okay?

20:12Emma Chamberlain:And then there was also, I think, baggy top, little bottom, where it was like, you'd wear a big t-shirt with like a little pair of shorts or whatever. And those were like trendy outfit formulas. I mean, they're very simple. They're very self-explanatory. They're very obvious. It's like intro to balancing silhouettes, right? Well, imagine that, but neither of those, okay? Instead, it's boxy top, boxy bottom. Now, let me explain to you what boxy means through comparison. Okay. Let's take a white short sleeve t-shirt, for example. There are two silhouettes. There's a tight one that's tight to your skin, tight to your arm.

20:52There's no gape, right? Like it's just on your body. Okay. And then there's a boxy t-shirt. It's not oversized. Okay. Because that would be an oversized t-shirt. Boxy means it's loose. It's not form fitting, but it fits you

21:09Emma Chamberlain:properly. It's not like the seams are all placed in the right places. It cuts off right at your waist, but it's a boxy fit. You know what I mean? It's not tailored. It's boxy. Same thing goes for pants, right? You have tight tailored pants, perhaps like a leather pant or a pair of jeans that fits you perfectly and is really, really tight and lifting up the booty. But then you have a boxy pair of pants. That might mean like a boxy skirt, right? A skirt that's not super tight, not super tailored. Might mean a boxy pair of work pants. Super straight leg, not super tight on the waist. Might be a boxy pair of jeans.

21:52Again, not too tight, loose around the butt. And if you were to squint at these pieces while they're hung up, they would look like a square. You wouldn't see curves or, you know, it wouldn't look tight. Looks like a box. OK, I love wearing boxy on boxy. I don't think that that's for everyone. Some people don't like that look because I will say, like, there's no like shape.

22:17Emma Chamberlain:You know, it's not necessarily flattering. Actually, I wouldn't say it's unflattering, but it's not like flatter. It's not accentuating your beautiful body shape, which is a lot of times something that we want to do, right? We want to wear a tight pant so that we're showing off the booty. Or, you know, we want to wear a tight top because it's giving us a nice shape. It's showing our shape through the clothing, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing sometimes. But it's like, that isn't always the vibe. and I think when I'm feeling uncomfortable because I'm on my period and I don't want clothes touching my body or if I'm about to be sitting on an airplane for 10 hours flying somewhere, you know, I don't want to wear something tight and then it get all stretched out or whatever or I just, I'm going to go to sleep so like I want to look cute in the airport but I don't care about looking cute once I'm on the plane because I'm just going to go to bed, whatever but I don't want to like go change my outfit.

23:12Emma Chamberlain:I've never understood people who can like, get on the plane, and then change into PJs. That's too much for me. I'm going to sleep in my outfit. And I always sleep on the plane, but I'm going to sleep in my outfit. So I want something boxy and comfy. I'll give you some examples. This is one of my favorite go-tos, okay? Boxy t-shirt, boxy skirt, socks, and flats. It looks cool. It doesn't look, listen, it's not sexy. It's not sexy, but that's not the point, okay? Also, it's funny that I'm saying that because I'm like, the least in my personal life, I really rarely am like, let's go sexy mode tonight.

23:52Emma Chamberlain:It doesn't happen to me a lot. I'm usually going for, I don't know, more so though, as I'm getting older, I'm actually weirdly like, wait, I kind of want to feel hot tonight. You know, like it's starting to happen more and more and I might need to start keeping my eyes peeled for some less boxy items because I have a lot of boxy items in my closet. But anyway, that outfit is not necessarily going to be sexy. You're not going to be feeling hot, but you're definitely going to be feeling cool. And that's great. There's something about the boxy t-shirt, boxy skirt that does have a really fucking cool vibe to it.

24:29Emma Chamberlain:And if you have like, you know, a chic bag with like, you know, a big pair of glasses on, you look like you don't give a fuck, but you look fashionable and you look cool. And if you're going to the airport or you're on your period, it's like That's all you could ask for at least to look cool and like you don't give a fuck, right? Okay, let me give you another example a boxy sweater. Okay, there are some sweaters that are super tight Some sweaters that are super oversized. I'm talking about a boxy sweater. It's boxy. Let's keep this in mind. Okay Boxy work pants like a vintage work pant or like a dicky, you know something like that something boxy With a flat boot a cute little flat boot.

25:09Okay. That's again, comfy, but cool. Another example, a boxy button up sort of over shirt, right? There are button up shirts that are supposed to be worn tight to the body, right? That's supposed to be the first layer or maybe even the only layer that you wear.

25:29Emma Chamberlain:There are boxier button up shirts that are meant to go on the outside of clothing. I'm talking about that type of button-up shirt, okay? Boxy button-up shirt that goes over another shirt, perhaps with a boxy pair of dressy little shorts. Maybe it's like something boxer short adjacent. Maybe it's a dress short made out of like dress pant material with a sock and a loafer. Boxy, comfy, but in this case, kind of preppy and cute. there's something so satisfying to me about boxy on boxy. I'm into it. I'm into it. Okay, next. When I want to wear a bit of color, but I don't have the time or energy to figure out a complex color palette.