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Deciding on what to wear every day is kind of like trying to figure out what to make for dinner. “What do you mean I have to put together an outfit again—did I not just do that yesterday?” The routine of dressing can get old fast; we can only text our group chat that we’re wearing going-out pants and a top so many times. Luckily, #FashionTok has an endless stream of inspo (if you’re on the right algorithm, that is), and their latest and greatest hack is one of the best. Enter: The Sandwich Method.
I know, yet another food-related trend name, but hear me out: I’ve been testing the Sandwich Method for months, and it’s cut my “I don’t know what to wear today” mornings of chaos down to almost zero. The best part? You can apply it with all of the basics you already have in your closet. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Sandwich Method?
Source: Ashley Cassidy
The sandwich is simple: You match an element of your top half (a top or jacket) to an element of your bottom half (pants, a skirt, or shoes), and sandwich a contrasting item in between. For example, if I were wearing a brown sweater and blue jeans, I’d opt for a pair of brown shoes. Essentially, I am “sandwiching” the denim (the meat of the sandwich) between my two brown pieces (the bread of the sandwich).
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The viral trend can be traced back to stylist Lydia Tomlinson, who demonstrates that the sandwich method can go deeper than just color by focusing on fabrics, textures, and proportions, too. For example, she shows an outfit that looks proportionally off-balance due to every piece—a sweater, jacket, pants, and boots—being oversized. When she swaps the relaxed pants for tighter ones, the outfit is immediately balanced and transformed.
The hack can be applied more thematically, too. If you’re wearing a delicate blouse, sandwiching a more substantial pair of pants between it and strappy, feminine shoes creates a visual interest that head-to-toe matching wouldn’t.
Why I Love the Sandwich Method
While I love applying the sandwich method to the colors within my outfit, I don’t stop there. I like to “sprinkle” my sandwiched outfit by matching my pieces of “bread” to my accessories, too. I’ll match my purse and belt to my shoes and top, as well as any hair accessories if I’m wearing them that day.
Adding this type of “sprinkle” lends to my outfits looking intentionally styled and gives them an element of looking complete that you sometimes can’t quite put your finger on but that the eye recognizes instantly. Why? While applying the Sandwich Method, you’re making conscious, purposeful additions to your outfits rather than haphazardly throwing them on.
While I use the Sandwich Method most days, I find it most helpful if I’m in what I like to call an “outfit rut” (when, no matter how many outfit combinations I put on, I simply can’t figure out what to wear). Right before I lose all hope with the contents of my entire closet strewn on the floor, I pick a piece and sandwich others around it. Since discovering the Sandwich Method, the difference in my style is obvious, but getting dressed has never been easier.