These 6 Outfit Templates Will Make You Look Younger (But Not Like You’re Trying To Look Younger)
by The Candidly Team
Right, so maaaaaybe we mis-titled this article. Because rest assured, none of this is gonna be about some sad effort to dress young. No one’s about to suggest you start wearing pigtails and knee socks and hoodies that say “can’t adult today.”
What it is about is NOT wanting to look older because of how we dress.
Clothes are powerful in that way. Small choices we make in front of a mirror in the morning make a huge difference in terms of whether or not we age ourselves down or up.
So while we’re not going to introduce some convoluted system or monstrous effort that involves wearing dumb things like barrel jeans or injecting ourselves with painful potions, we are gonna break down some very easy, very good ideas about how to dress in a way that evokes a fresher sort of chicness. An uncontested coolness. And okay fine, we’ll just come out and say it - a youngness.
There are 6 templates that, because of how they fit and flatter and feel on our bodies, work a little magic in making us look younger.
Here we break down exactly what those 6 looks are and the exact pieces that help us to achieve them. Some you will whiz past. Others you will love. All of them will look good on you. That we can’t explain. They just will.
1. This Foolproof Leather Jacket Look
Why It Works: The way a sleek suede or leather jacket, an ankle jean, and a lace-up boot come together is like a teeny tiny symphony of coolness. But it’s all still luxe and understated enough to keep us feeling like our chic and sensible selves. The trick is to pick pieces that fit us exceptionally well, the scarf adding loads of softness and the leather making everything look 3X more expensive.
The Pieces: Since this outfit is about layers, we start with THIS exceptionally flattering tank, mainly because our chests and waists have never been as well framed. We don’t shut up about THIS suede jacket because while it’s perfect and lasts forever, it’s literally $150. We’ve been talking about the incredible fit of THESE jeans which glide over curves. And they hit at just the right spot to wear with THIS chic pair of lace-up ankle boots. To polish it off, we wrap ourselves in THIS buttery soft scarf that goes on for days but the fabric is thin enough to not add bulk.
SHOP THE LOOK
2. This Date-Night Outfit
Why It Works: We first saw this look when binging Nobody Wants This, a show with outfits we wanted so much we had to find them all HERE. But the lightbulb moment really sprung from this particular outfit’s sheer simplicity. An all-black top and jeans broken up only by a chic belt, and yet, it’s the perfect date-night/ going-out ensemble. The cut of the top makes it jusssst a wee bit sexy … and it still has arm coverage - the dream!
The Pieces: THIS is the easy black top that sort of made us believe in the going-out top again. We pair it THESE incredibly flattering, dark jeans (unreal on curves) and THIS belt, which we recently discovered elevates everything we wear.
SHOP THE LOOK
3. This Cool Girl Denim Look
Why It Works: There’s already something subtly daring about pairing denim on denim, but add that pop-of-red lip, and we felt like we’d stumbled on brilliance. The reason is less flowery than it sounds. Elevating classic, casual things we wear daily like a chambray button-down or straight-leg jeans with something a bit more exciting like a red lip color or a sleek, heeled sandal is a way to make it more youthful. More joyful. Dare we say even a little sexxxxxxier. Eek.
The Pieces: THIS is best chambray button-down we’ve found. It’s soft and comfortable but also falls in a flattering way that isn’t stiff or hard to tuck. And then THESE Levi’s are so satisfyingly high-waisted and just better than designer jeans that cost 2-3x more.
We’re pretty over the moon about the comfort level of THESE block-heeled sandals, which still read very strappy despite their cushioned support. Also nothing pairs as well with blue jean than that creamy tan color, which is one of the reasons we’re also mildly obsessed with THIS bag. The final step is of course that pure, poppy red lip we all spend our lives looking for. Well, search is over?? It’s THIS.
SHOP THE LOOK:
4. This Off-Shoulder Smoldering Sweater Look
Why It Works: Shrouding ourselves in a cozy sweater might not feel like the epitome of youth. But we’re not prepared to sacrifice comfort, and when a sweater dips just a touch off shoulder and is paired with a curve-loving pair of jeans, we feel cozy and covered up without looking frumpy. Once more, it’s all about balance, and here’s how you do it.
The Pieces: Start with THIS cashmere sweater. The moment you feel it on your skin, you will struggle not to wear it everyday. Half tuck it into THESE jeans. They are our favorite fitted pair on curves. Add the aforementioned perfect black BELT, then slip on THESE unbelievable ballet flats to complete the entire comfy-chic ensemble.
SHOP THE LOOK:
5. This Elevated Look For Us sweater-and-tee ladies
Why It Works: At first glance, we may not realize why this simple look is so effective. Once again, the answer is the fit. How many times do we do basic tees and boring jeans and frumpy sweaters and slip-on sandals and call it giving up? A few small tweaks and select choices completely transform it into something intentional and of the moment and waaaaaay less old and sad.
The Pieces: It starts with the perfect-fitting, whisper soft tee - THIS tee. Stop buying the bad ones. Your life will change. And then instead of an unfortunate itchy, fraying, bulky cardigan, choose something long with clean lines. THIS knit (yes, knit) coat is another season-defying piece that feels like a dream and makes us look 17x more put together no matter what we wear under it. Also, it costs less than $50.
When done well, a stretchy skinny jean is still pretty damn flattering and butt-and-belly-complementing and just plain makes us look younger. THIS pair is unreal on curves. Unreal. We balance them with THESE leather slides - the only elegant slide being made. And we’ve been wearing THIS subtle opal chain daily, because it makes our most basic things (like t-shirts and jeans) come to life.
SHOP THE LOOK:
6. This Effortless Skirt Look
Why It Works: This is the kind of effortless, street-style look that looks good on every body type, but it’s especially good on us over-35 women, because it hits that sweet spot between casj and chic that sort of ages us backwards.
The Pieces: We start with THIS blazer because it’s stretchy and flattering and wildly on sale. We pair it with these MAGIC pants that we wrote an entire article about HERE (complete with try-on photos), because they’re the ideal everyday pant we’re always searching for. We wear it with THESE sneaks are practically orthopedic despite for us achy-footed ladies, despite going viral with the kids on TikTok. Finish off with THIS light, layered scarf and that tank we spoke about before, and POOF, you have yourself the laziest “cool girl” outfit known to man.
SHOP THE LOOK:
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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