The professional environment can be one of the most stifling to fashion, dominated by black, navy, khaki, and the occasional gray. There’s only so much you can do with a pencil skirt, collared shirt, and blazer, right?

Actually, there are plenty of opportunities to make a look more fashion-forward, fun, and interesting, without compromising on professionalism. The key is to avoid basing your outfit on the same “look” all the time. There’s a distinct difference between throwing more accessories on your same old shirt and skirt to “add interest,” and thoughtfully introducing pieces to add depth to your style.

How? Well, fashion is a subjective science, so as always, it depends on your individual style preferences. However, here are some helpful universal concepts to consider when crafting your outfit (and yes, it is a form of artistic expression, so think of it as such).

Layer

This isn’t about wearing more things on top of one another. It’s about understanding how to incorporate colors, patterns, and shapes into even the basic elements of your outfit. To achieve this, consider the “anatomy” of your outfit.

The skeleton comprises the basics; your top and bottom, shoes, and maybe a jacket or sweater. The common misconception is that you have to add onto this skeleton in order to make it “stylish,” using jewelry, belts, and scarves. But it’s actually okay to stick to working with basic elements.

In fact, it often looks much classier when your outfit is very simple, but still has visual interest. The key to making your outfit stylish is varying the colors, patterns, and shapes of the main elements you’re wearing, not necessarily adding more on top of those elements.

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