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The sweater might feel like a pretty standard garment. Wear it with a tee or collared shirt underneath it. Maybe throw a jacket or coat on top, and you’re ready to head out for the day. But believe it or not, there are actually a variety of unexpected ways you could style your sweaters to look like a street style pro, whether you’re throwing it over your shoulders, styling it as a dress, or implementing another of the outfits on this list.
What’s great about a good sweater outfit is that it can be ultra-cozy without hindering your style. It is incredibly easy to layer, including those tricky items you have in your closet. It can match with your most sparkly mini, a fully sheer maxi, and all your edgiest shoes. Chances are, you haven’t been fully aware of the myriad possibilities of the sweaters in your closet. Until now, that is.
If you need more inspiration to for the cold weather seasons, or if you’re running out of ideas to style your good ol’ sweaters, ahead, we’ve compiled 12 ideas for sweater outfits that are anything but boring.
Over the Shoulders
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You may have already seen this popular styling technique. But it’s well-known for a reason. It looks like a scarf, but it’s way cooler, thanks to the fabric draping down your back. In this case, the light gray sweater is a near-match to the tan trench, so it gives a cool layering effect without drawing undue attention to your shoulders.
As a Shawl
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The cooler, edgier alternative to the “sweater around the shoulders” look is the “sweater off the shoulders” style. This looks more like a shrug, delicately draped on your arms to keep them warm. If you’d rather a more secured style, you can throw it up over your shoulders or slip one arm of the sweater under your arm and the other onto your shoulder, then tie the sweater diagonally across your body.
Around the Waist
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If you’d rather channel a relaxed ’90s vibe (or you’d rather not draw attention to your shoulders, for example), consider tying a sweater around your waist. If you tie it high, like in the photo above, it takes the place of a belt and cinches you in at the waist. If you wear it lower, it looks a little more Y2K, drawing the eye downwards as if you had on a low-rise pair of pants. Experiment to see what looks right for the outfit.
As an Outer Layer
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A sweater vest is a versatile garment. You can wear it on its own, certainly, but you can also strategically layer it over a simple tee, like this. When you’re using the item to layer, it can help to buy it a size above what you normally wear so you don’t feel too constricted. The same rule applies if you’ve got a short-sleeved cardigan: play around with layers, even in the summer, for a messy-but-thoughtful feel.
As a Mid-Layer
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This is a version of the “shirt sandwich” (i.e., a lightweight shirt, a knit over it, and a shirt or jacket on top) that looks like a cool and thoughtful set of layers. Here, the cropped knit sweater sits over top of the button-down shirt, making the white layer underneath look more cohesive with the rest of the outfit. Playing around with different lengths and allowing your bottom layer to poke out of the bottom is a cool effect.
As Part of a Matching Set
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Matching your sweater, cardigan, and skirt isn’t as boring as it sounds. In the look above, for example, the skirt has a high hemline, allowing the outfit to carefully balance polished and daring. If you don’t have something that’s as perfectly matching as this, opt for pieces that are all the same color and look like they belong together.
As a Dress
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This graphic, oversized sweater is cool on its own (as in, you could easily style this with jeans and call it a day), but a nice up-level is wearing it as if it were a minidress. Here, the graphic tights and slides keep the whole outfit casual, but the leather bag adds a little structure back into the outfit. It’s that balance that helps keep the look from looking too casual.
For Some Visual Interest
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A hoodie peeking over a more structured jacket, like this, is such a cool look. The looped drawstring of this particular sweater, which looks kind of like a necklace, is just enough visual interest to complement the extremely shiny skirt. This is a tricky balance to obtain, so experiment with your clothes to see what matches.
With Something Sheer
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Much like wearing a sweater as a dress, you can also style it as a cover-up over some sheer clothing. Since sheer skirts can feel a bit intimidating because your underwear will be visible, this can be a good full-coverage styling alternative. Plus, the sweatshirt offers some built-in contrast with the softer, more delicate lace.
In Place of a Collared Shirt
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If you’ve ever been deeply bored by your work suits, try wearing a casual sweater instead of an Oxford shirt. Technically, this is a leather jacket and matching pants, but it would be easy to recreate the same effect with a blazer and trousers. Just make sure the fabric of the sweater is thin enough so it doesn’t look bulky tucked in.
Over the Shoulder x2
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If you think layering a sweater over your shoulder is so last year, why not try wearing two? Sometimes the coolest outfits are all about surprise. You wouldn’t expect to see the over-over-layer of the blue pullover tied expertly on top of another sweater and a collared shirt. But that’s the beauty of it. If you have a sweater you love and have worn in all the traditional ways, start thinking outside the box in your styling.
