Layering Brands Is the Ultimate Fashion-Person Styling Trick

Unless you have a signed contract with a brand, you’re probably not wearing just one all the time. We pick favorites, sure, but there’s no way to buy everything you need from one place forever, at least when it comes to fashion. And why would you want to? Every brand offers something different, and as my financial adviser loves to say, “You’ll never regret diversifying your portfolio.” The same goes for your closet.

I’m by no means trying to tell you to bypass your go-to labels just for the hell of it. But sometimes, instead of always wearing one brand, adding another to the mix can add to your outfit’s appeal rather than distract from it. I like to refer to it as brand layering, and it’s a styling trick that people in fashion utilize to keep from looking like a mannequin or walking brand advertisement. There’s a reason good “What are you wearing?” videos often involve outfits made up of at least two different labels. Wearing a designer from head to toe might sound cool, but it rarely leads to interesting, thought-provoking outfits.

This mentality also has a tendency to help you save money. Yes, you can buy basics like T-shirts, tank tops, and sweaters from your favorite designer brands, but you’ll be spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more on them than you probably need to. There are more affordable alternatives that layer well with your go-to labels that no one has to know aren’t hyper high-end. Think an Aritzia sculpted tank worn with Alaïa barrel trousers. It might not be quite as sculpted, but it’ll also cut your monthly spend dramatically. In the photo above, my go-to creator for all things The Row, Neelam Ahooja, styled her comb cord necklace and Estelle bag with khaki-colored Banana Republic pants. Without her kindly tagging the brands in her Instagram post, no one would ever know that her pants aren’t just as designer as her accessories, because the two labels pair well together. Ahooja is a master layerer—brand layering included—and it shows.