7 Simple Clothing Hacks To Spruce Up Any Outfit

Looking fabulous doesn’t require the help of a professional stylist — nor do you need to break the bank on expensive clothing. In fact, a few inventive tips and tricks can improve the fit of your existing wardrobe and elevate your style to a whole new level. Are your sleeves too long? We’ve got you covered. Are your jeans too loose? There’s a solution for that, too. And say goodbye to those unsightly wrinkles that you notice right as you’re walking out the door. There’s a quick and clever remedy for that as well. Grab a few elastic hair ties, some loose shoelaces, and a couple of ice cubes, and try these simple clothing hacks to spruce up your look.

Roll Up Sleeves With a Hair Tie

If you have a shirt or blazer that fits a little too long in the arms, take a couple of elastic hair bands (or even some rubber bands from your desk) and roll them up over the sleeves. Once you’ve rolled the elastics to the upper part of your forearm, roll your sleeves up and over the hair ties until they’re completely hidden. Be sure to use larger hair ties so they don’t squeeze around your arm too tightly.

Tighten Loose Jeans Using Shoelaces

If your favorite jeans are feeling a little loose, and you don’t have a belt handy (or just don’t want to wear one), take any shoelace and run it through the loops at the back of your waistband. Then tie them together until the jeans fit snugly, and tuck the exposed portions of the lace down the back of your pants. Your jeans will look like they fit all along, and people will be none the wiser with the shoelace completely concealed beneath the waistband

Fit Into Tight Pants With Hair Ties

If you have the opposite problem, and your jeans are a little too tight around your middle, take a hair tie and loop it through the buttonhole above the fly. Then hook both ends of the hair tie around the front button to secure it. The elasticity in the hair tie will give you a little extra breathing room so you can wear your favorite pants even when you’re extra full or a little bloated. Be sure to pair the pants with a shirt that drapes below the waist to cover up your makeshift fastener.

“Iron” Your Clothing With Ice Cubes

Setting up an ironing board and heating up the iron can be a hassle when you’re in a hurry to get rid of unsightly wrinkles, but if you have a few ice cubes and 10 minutes, you can get similar results with much less work. Take any wrinkled clothing, plus three or four ice cubes, and toss it all in the dryer for around 10 minutes. During that time, the cubes will melt and create moisture that in turn helps remove the wrinkles. It’s not quite as effective as actually ironing, but it’ll make you presentable in a pinch.

Hide Bra Straps Using a Safety Pin

Anyone who’s ever worn a bra knows how annoying it is to have to constantly adjust the straps so they don’t show or slip down your shoulder. Some shirts and dresses have little tabs that snap over the straps to keep them in place, but for the ones that don’t, you can use a safety pin. If you’re wearing a tank top, pull the bra straps toward the center of your chest and secure them in front with a safety pin so they cut in to form sort of an “X” shape. Alternatively, use a safety pin to secure the straps at the nape of your neck.

Use Hairspray To Prevent Makeup Stains

We’ve all been there: You put on a white shirt after finishing your makeup, and despite your best efforts to not let your face touch the material, a little bit of foundation or lipstick rubs off on the collar. Fortunately, you can create a protective barrier against those stains using hairspray. Before you put on that white shirt, spray the neckline with a bit of hairspray to coat the fabric and prevent makeup from transferring. 

Tuck Your Shirt Into Your Underwear

When you tuck your shirt into pants or a skirt, there’s always a concern that it may come undone and expose your midriff. For added security, buy shirts that are long enough to tuck into your underwear. The underwear’s elastic band will cinch around the shirt and prevent it from riding up and popping out. As long as the rise of your pants or skirt is higher than the rise of your underwear, nobody will be able to tell just by looking at you.