We all know the feeling. You’ve tried on everything in your wardrobe and yet, you have nothing to wear. A whole new outfit could be closer to home than you think. Try raiding someones else’s wardrobe (with permission, of course) instead of reaching for the ASOS website – you might be surprised at how good you look in someone else’s clothes.
To get you feeling inspired, Stitch Up! challenged our editorial team and readers to steal the style of someone a little unexpected and rate what they found.
Styling my daughter’s wardrobe
Deirdre, 52
My daughter is 19 and is pretty stylish, in a 19 year old way – skimpy skirts, cropped tops, slashed jeans. I fully expected to look completely ridiculous in her clothes, although I was quite excited to try her Dr Martin boots.
I loved the black and white mohair sweater on the hanger, but it was quite unflattering. The black satin dress saved it and adding a very desirable vintage leather jacket elevated the outfit to very wearable. 9/10
I fully expected to look completely ridiculous in her clothes
The satin top with balloon sleeves caught my eye immediately. It was very flimsy but worked well over an equally flimsy slip dress with spaghetti straps. I liked this, particularly the top, but I’m not sure I would wear a skirt that short. 7/10
I’ve had my eye on this black-and-white dress for a while but thought that the high slit made it unsuitable. Happy to have been proved wrong. Will be stealing this one, I love how great it looks with the white converse. 10/10
Another dress with a slit, and a very comfy mohair sweater. I really like this combination and would not even consider trying these items on in a shop. I am beginning to think that my regular clothes are far too boring. 9/10
I really doubted that the jeans would go over my knees, but they seemed to have endless stretch. The skimpy tops were not flattering, so I will be giving those a miss. The leather jacket helped but, I will not be looking for these again. 5/10
The cat’s favourite: a slouchy jumper and ripped jeans. This was comfortable and made me feel like an ‘80s teenager. Good for gardening. 6/10
The green tube dress with six-inch heels was not a good look. It was also hard to put on, take off and move in. I am also not entirely sure why heels that size even exist. 0/10
Styling my girlfriend’s wardrobe
Sam, 25
I love my girlfriend. I love the clothes she wears. Whether I would love them on me was another matter.
First up was a bright orange short-sleeved T-shirt. The colour was a bit out of my comfort zone but with some neutral coloured bottoms it looked fine. The collar was quite oversized – a little John Travolta-esque, but I didn’t mind. 7/10
I was pleasantly surprised by how good the denim dress looked on me
I really took a plunge with the denim skirt. I wore this with a light grey hoodie: casual at the top, party at the bottom. The skirt is a bit movement restricting, but I think it looks OK. 7/10
The light blue denim pinafore dress was combined with a basic green T-shirt. I was pleasantly surprised at how this looked. I kept my jeans on underneath to preserve my modesty. 7/10
The long-sleeve shirt was a pretty easy option. The abstract swirly pattern isn’t something I would usually go for, but I definitely wasn’t opposed to it. I styled it over a green T-shirt and jeans for a casual look. 8/10
I squeezed on a black stripy bodycon skirt. Very short and very tight. This was a stretch (or not) too far for me. She can definitely keep this one. 1/10
Styling my dad’s wardrobe
Caitlin, 23
My dad is not the most fashionable human being. Most of the clothes in his wardrobe have been bought by my mum, my sister or me and follow a simple colour palette of brown, black, grey and blue. Having said this, the good thing about wearing your dad’s clothes is that they’re all already oversized.
I picked a peacock blue long-sleeved shirt. I love this shirt of my dad’s. I chose to keep it centre stage in the outfit and just wear black trousers and a black top. 8/10
The black blazer is a classic that can dress up any outfit
The Hawaiian-style patterned shirt was turned into a crop by tying the ends at the front. I kept it relaxed by having a couple of buttons undone at the top too. Pair with some wide-leg black trousers and you’re good to head off to the pub. 8/10
I styled the grey jumper over my dad’s blue shirt. When I see other people do this it looks cute and preppy, but it made me look like a geography teacher (no disrespect to geography teachers, obviously). 2/10
The brown fleece was very warm and comfy and I give it full marks for cosiness, but it’s a bit boring as an outfit. 6/10
The black blazer is a classic. This can dress up any outfit. I chose to wear it over a hoodie for the ultimate smart-casual vibe, along with some patterned wide-leg trousers. The blazer would also work well over a mini dress or midi skirt, or even with shorts and a T-shirt. 7/10