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s you progress through your life, the way you dress often becomes a significant part of your identity. Maybe you like to add some flair to your look with a glittering necklace, or maybe you prefer to keep it simple with soft black leggings. Whatever you choose, everyone likes to feel good about what they wear. We’re here to talk about how to do just that in your late 20’s!

Dressing fashionably in your late 20’s can be tricky because for many people, it is a transition period in their lives. During this time, many of us are transitioning from our young adulthood lives to something more established.

To match this shift in our lives, it is only natural we would want to freshen up our wardrobes. Let’s talk about some ways to do just that!

Five women wearing fashionable outfits walking with one another.
For many people, fashion is a form of self-expression. For example, in the photo above, we can see five people wearing five very different outfits, likely in a way meant to best express themselves as individuals. Image courtesy of Breakfast With Audrey.

What Can Fashion Do For You?

You may be wondering, yes fashion is fun, but why would I care enough about it to restructure my closet in my late 20s? Well, for countless individuals, fashion is the way in which they show the physical embodiment of their personalities. This can be rewarding to experience.

Furthermore, how we dress impacts the way others see us. This is very important in our late 20’s when our careers are just beginning to really take off.

For these reasons above, it is important to have a wardrobe that accurately depicts your own personal style and personality, while also having a selection of professional pieces to choose from. Read on to discover how you can dress in this manner in your late 20’s!

Dressing in Your Late 20’s Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult - Just Follow These Tips and Tricks!

Whether you’re dressing casually, professionally, formally, etc., dressing in your late 20’s can sometimes seem like a chore. With this being a transitional period, it can be hard knowing what to pick out and how to pair the items together.

You face the challenge of wanting to dress cute and stylish, while also longing to be taken seriously.

In order to combat some of these challenges, check out the tips below!

- Pick Out Classic and Timeless Pieces

Your late 20’s is a perfect time to start buying some classic fashion pieces. Classic pieces are clothing or jewelry items that don’t necessarily fit a certain trend because they never go out of style. They tend to be more expensive than trendier pieces, but they are often durable so you can wear them for years.

Three different black dresses.
Black dresses are a great piece of classic fashion to invest in due to their versatility. Image courtesy of Cosmopolitan.

For example, a simple but elegant black dress is a great classic piece to invest in. There are numerous occasions in which you’d be able to wear simple but elegant dresses, such as family holidays, dinner outings, banquets, and more.

Another classic fashion piece that one could get a large amount of use out of includes a plain white tee. Depending on the occasion, you either dress it up by layering an eye-catching jacket overtop or dress it down simply by wearing a plain pair of jeans.

🖤 Shop the look with these affordable LBDs for ladies in their 20s:

LBD options for women in their late 20s

- Don’t Limit Yourself To One Style

There is a misconception among many that you have to select one style and stick with it. Never let that be the case! It doesn’t have to be all casual or all professional. Why limit yourself to one area when there is so much more to work with?!

Three women wearing much different outfits, however the outfits all feature flare jeans.
Experiment with different ways you can wear flare jeans like the women above. Image courtesy of British Vogue.

A great way to avoid limiting your style in your late 20’s is to play with different looks. Maybe one day wear mostly darks or neutrals, and the next choose some items with bright pops of color. Experiment with different types of pants, such as flare jeans or straight leg pants.

Even on days in which you are heading into the office, make sure to add your own touch to your outfit by adding a unique necklace or earrings you own to your look. Don’t misinterpret professional as boring, you can still have fun constructing these outfits by changing up your look every now and then!

🛍 Take different styles for a test-ride with these trendy statement pieces:

trendy dresses to try out as a woman in her late 20s

- Buy Items That Can Double As Casual and Professional

In your late 20’s it can sometimes be hard to shop on a budget. You not only have to worry about casual clothes, but you also have to buy professionally for a workplace setting. The best way to solve this issue is to buy some clothes that are appropriate in both settings.

A woman wearing a professional looking blazer paired with a fitted white tee, gold chain necklace, and blue jeans.
Above is a great example of dressing a blazer down. This is a great outfit you could dress in during your late 20’s. Image courtesy of Old Navy.

For example, a blazer is a great clothing item to do this with. Blazers are trendy and cute, and can either be dressed up or down depending on what it’s paired with.

For instance, we can wear a printed blazer with a pair of slacks and button up white shirt to make a great work-appropriate outfit. At the same time, we can also wear a printed blazer with the perfect pair of nice jeans and white tee in order to construct a casual lunchtime fit.

There are several other items you can do this with, such as plaid fitted pants, turtlenecks, long coats, etc.

💃🏻 Go from day to night in no time with these professional pieces that are cute enough to wear all evening, too:

professional but pretty blazers for women

- Find Accessories That Put the Fun in Functional

As an adult, you still have plenty of stuff to tote around with you -- but the Jansport that got you through college probably won't cut it anymore. In your late 20s, your bags should be practical enough to fit everything you need in it (sorry, micro clutches 🥲). But hey can still be cute, too!

For example, you can make your tote bag a statement piece or try out the crossbody bag trend with something sleek and professional. Treat yourself to a luxury laptop bag, or even a stylish briefcase to give your office outfits a little more professional edge.

👜 Your style is in the bag when you shop these stylish but cute accessories:

composite image showing backpacks and bags for women in their late 20s

- Mix In Some Vintage and Old Style Trends

Nowadays it feels like some type of vintage piece or older style trend is always back in style. I encourage you to incorporate some of these pieces into your wardrobe as it’s always fun to dress in a way that you may not have had the opportunity to otherwise.

One yellow and one black skirt and blazer set featured in the movie Clueless.
Fashion from the 90’s, such as these outfits above from the 1995 movie Clueless, are making a comeback. Image courtesy of Vogue.

Especially if you are in your late 20’s, you likely grew up during the time of Y2K fashion, which is quickly making a comeback of its own. Now is the perfect time to get in touch with your inner child and take inspiration from some of the clothes you wore back then!

Additionally, vintage fashion from the 80’s and 90’s is also making a comeback. And even more retro styles from the 60s, 50s, and beyond. Trying these styles as someone in your late 20’s may be even cooler as you were pretty young, or may not have even been born yet when these trends were popular!

🌈 Throw it back with some 80s, 90s, and 00s-inspired styles:

ideas for dressing y2k in your late 20s as woman

- Add In Statement Pieces

Of course you want to dress nice and leave a good impression in your late 20’s, but you may be wondering how to do that without dressing overly-fancy all the time. A great way to achieve this is by buying some statement pieces!

Five eye-catching statement coats paired with simpler outfits.
Statement coats, like the ones shown above, add a lot of flair to an outfit. Image courtesy of The Kelley Doll.

Statement pieces are items that pop out to the eye and immediately make an outfit more memorable. You can use these items to dress up more casual outfits.

A beautiful necklace or jaw-dropping coat can make all the difference in an outfit. Even an attention-catching pair of shoes can transform your look. It is all about finding something that is versatile and striking. This way you can wear it often as a way to spruce up more basic outfits.

💼 Keep your professional look fun with these office-appropriate statement pieces:

statement fashion pieces for women in their late 20s

Now Take What We’ve Learned and Apply it to Your Own Closet!

Now that we’ve discussed how to dress in our late 20’s, let’s put what we learned into action! Go ahead and scour your closet to determine what you already have of these essentials, what you don’t have, and what you’d like to give away.

Once you’ve done this, you can construct your own list of what you’d like to purchase for your closet with the help of this article. What are you waiting for?! It’s your turn to revamp your wardrobe!

Posted 
Oct 3, 2022
 in 
Fashion
 category

Elyse Endres

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How to Adult