[huge_it_gallery id=”10″]

Now that your mom no longer does your laundry, you probably put it off until the last possible minute. This strategy’s issue is that when all your favorite clothes are in the laundry basket, choosing an outfit can seem like more of a chore than actually doing your laundry. At times like these, you have to summon your best sartorial skills and get innovative with how you put outfits together. As Tim Gunn, the esteemed Project Runway mentor, once said, “Limitation breeds creativity.”

Elevate it

Basic pieces look special when they are styled in unique ways. Add glamour and edge to a casual T-shirt with dressier pieces like embroidered shorts and crystal jewelry. You can make better use of a crop top by layering a longer shirt underneath. Choose tops with contrasting designs or colors to emphasize the juxtaposition.

Plain black tights can get boring. Break out a pair in sheer lace or Swiss dot to amp up a basic outfit. They add interest under shorts or skirts, but they’re totally unexpected layered under a pair of ripped jeans.

Mix it up

Think you can’t wear bold prints together? Think again. Print mixing is fun and definitely not as difficult as it seems. Try to keep the prints in the same color scheme by sticking to either bold brights, sweet pastels, warm dusty hues or dark romantic shades. Then anchor the prints with neutral colors like black and white.

Experiment with mixing different patterns like stripes, florals, checks and dots. The look is supposed to be cheeky and playful, so work the perfectly imperfect look with confidence.

Pile it on

Varying fabric textures is important when layering. You’ll get an eclectic look by incorporating chunky knits, stiff woven and sheer meshes all into one outfit. When layering many different pieces, let the textures and silhouettes do all the work, and keep the color scheme mostly neutral with just a few pops of color and print.

Button-up shirts are great base pieces for layering with other tops and dresses. You can try a bustier or peplum top over a long sleeved button up, or just let the collar of one peek out from under a dress or sweater.