How to Make Ugly Clothes Cute

Co-authored by Kalee Hewlett

Last Updated: April 26, 2021 References

Everyone has at least one ugly item of clothing hanging up in their closet! Whether it’s the color, the style, or the way it looks on you, these clothes just aren't the best. Learn how to mix and match your wardrobe to create a flattering new outfit, alter clothes to fit you better, and even dye your clothes to come up with a totally new look for your ugly clothes.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Pairing with Other Clothes

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Wear a jacket over it. If you’re worried that your clothes are too garish or too revealing, try layering a jacket over them. Longer, slim, fitted jackets will look bests with most outfits, but you can try a variety of outerwear. Try pairing your ugly clothes with a casual hoodie, a leather jacket, a blazer, or a long cardigan.^{[1]
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Dress it up with great shoes. A great-looking pair of shoes can make any outfit look chic and put-together. Try pairing your frumpy pants, ugly sweaters, and shapeless dresses with your favorite heels, dress shoes, and bright sneakers.^{[2]
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Pair it with a contrasting color. Sometimes ugly clothes benefit from a contrasting color. Take a look at a color wheel and try pairing your ugly clothes with their exact opposite. For example, wear a fitted navy blue button-down shirt with your hideous yellow slacks.^{[3]
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Tie a belt around the middle. If the problem is bagginess, try belting your outfit in the middle. This works best for dresses and pants, but you can also belt an oversize shirt. Try looking for a decorative belt in a fabric or color that stands out from your outfit.
- You can also try suspenders, especially for pants that don’t have belt loops.
5
Try mixing fabrics. Sometimes mixing two very different fabrics can have a chic, fashionable effect that makes the whole outfit look great. Try wearing a leather jacket with an ugly lace skirt, or wearing a chunky sweater with silk trousers.^{[4]
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Kalee Hewlett
Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 20 April 2021.}^{[5]
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Add flashy accessories. Fun accessories can distract from your ugly clothes. Try matching them with a straw hat, a statement necklace, or huge sunglasses for a cool bohemian effect.^{[6]
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Match baggy clothes with tight clothes. Mixing and matching fits can also look great! If you have an ugly baggy Christmas sweater, try pairing it with cute tights or a snug miniskirt. For ugly tight clothes, throw a baggy crochet or mesh shirt over them.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Altering Your Ugly Clothes

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Take the clothes to a tailor. Try bringing your ugly clothes to a tailor to see if they can be altered to fit your proportions. They can tell you if you’ll need to take in the clothes, widen them, or give up on altering them altogether.^{[8]
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- Widening your clothes will depend on if the seams have enough fabric to let out, or if matching fabric is available.
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Have it shortened or hemmed. Shortening the length of a garment can instantly upgrade it from hideous to fabulous. If your pants are dragging on the ground or a midi-length skirt makes you look stumpy, raise the hemlines up a little bit. You can have a tailor do this or try it yourself.^{[9]
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- Some fabrics, like leather, sequins, or tulle, will require special sewing supplies or may need to be done by professionals only.
3
Alter the sleeves. Many clothes are ugly due to their outdated, unattractive sleeves. If the sleeves on your garment are the big thing holding you back from wearing it, try changing the sleeves. You can tighten baggy sleeves, shorten the sleeves, or even just take the sleeves off altogether.^{[10]
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Make the leg holes smaller. Baggy pants can be easily updated to a modern straight-leg cut. This alteration requires taking the entire pair of pants apart, so be sure you’re comfortable with sewing or know a good tailor.^{[11]
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Add decorations to it. Adding decorative elements like a fringe or lace to the edges can help fix ugly clothes. Try adding leather fringes to the sleeves of a jacket, putting a lace edge on a plain skirt, or even embroidering a design on your clothes. You can sew on designs yourself, ask a tailor to do it, or even buy iron-on designs.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dyeing Your Ugly Clothes

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Check the label. If you’re interested in changing the color of your ugly clothes, check the label first to be sure the dye will take. Natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and silk will almost always take dye. Heavier fabrics like leather or velvet will probably need to be taken to a specialist. Polyester, acrylic, and most other synthetics may not take dye at all.^{[12]
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- No matter what the fabric is, you won’t be able to go from a darker color to a lighter color without bleaching or stripping the dye. This can ruin the fabric if done incorrectly, so don’t try this on your own unless you have experience.
2
Use a wash-in dye. Liquid or powder wash-in dyes are by far the easiest to use. You simply soak your clothes in water, put them in the washing machine on the hottest setting, and add 1 cup (240 ml) of salt and a package of dye instead of detergent.
- One package will be fine for up to 1 pound (0.45 kg) of clothes. For more, simply add another package.
- Wear gloves when you remove the clothes to avoid staining your hands.
- Let the clothes line-dry before washing them again on the mildest setting to set the dye.
3
Tie-dye your clothes. Tie-dyeing is a fun, creative way to jazz up a plain, ugly outfit. This is also a fun project to do with friends, so call around and see if anyone else has some ugly clothes to tie-dye!^{[13]
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Try a dip dye for an ombre effect. Ombre is very popular and it’s a great way to improve your light-colored, ugly clothes. Using dip-dyeing techniques is the easiest way to get this at home. For best results, keep your dye in the same color family as the original garment. For example, if you have an ugly light blue shirt, dip-dye it in dark blue dye.^{[14]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How can I make old clothes look stylish?

Kalee Hewlett
Image Consultant
Kalee Hewlett is a Celebrity Stylist & Confidence Coach with almost two decades of experience helping clients build confidence and ‘dress for success.' She works with her clients to transform their sense of self 'from the inside out’ by merging her expertise in image consulting with Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Kalee’s work is rooted in science, style, and the understanding that ‘identity is destiny'. She uses her own methodology and Style To Success Strategy to create positive identity shifts. Kalee is a fashion TV host and appears regularly on QVC UK sharing her fashion expertise. She also was appointed as the head judge and host of Fashion One Network’s 6-part TV show 'Design Genius.’

Kalee Hewlett

Image Consultant

Expert Answer

Try pairing the clothes you don't like with other fabrics that you don't wear as often. You may discover a new look that you enjoy.
Question

What if my ugly outfit is a dull uniform I can't alter, like hideous khaki pants and a green polo shirt five sizes too big I have to tuck in?

Community Answer

Use the dullness to your advantage to bring out a brighter but smaller part of your outfit that will claim more attention. Perhaps wear eye-catching earrings, carry a small, bright purse or even match both of them.
Question

How do I make the same outfit look unique and different on a different day or special occasion?

Community Answer

A simple jacket or cardigan can completely change an outfit! You can also use different accessories, or maybe add a belt.