Dress up Your Pair of Flats with These Easy Tricks

We know that heels usually steal the show when it comes to dressing up, but flats can make you feel just as fancy. Plus, your feet will thank you at the end of the night for choosing flats over stilettos—anyone who has spent more than a few hours in high heels can attest to that. So, let’s look at some ways to keep your feet happy and satisfy your craving to be fashionable at the same time. It’s all about knowing which flats pair well with what clothing items and how to take your look to the next level.

First you have to know that not all women’s flats are created equal, and different styles will obviously give you different looks.  If you’re new to the world of flats, you might automatically think of ballet flats. But flats are actually any shoe that doesn’t have a high heel. Some hit below the ankle, like Converse, loafers, flip-flops, and mules. There are also many styles that hit above the ankle, such as ankle boots, sandals with ankle straps, combat boots, and high top tennis shoes.  There are dozens of ways to wear all of these flats casually or dressed up, but for now we’ll just focus on how to dress them up.

Keep Your Body Type in Mind

When choosing a pair of flats to wear and what to wear them with, keep your body type in mind. If you are on the shorter side, choose a pointed toe flat, and pair them with skinny jeans that hit right at the ankle to elongate your leg line. Nude-coloured shoes are subtle and will allow the focus to be on your outfit rather than your feet, and they also tend to make your legs look slimmer.  If you are tall, pair some ankle boots with leggings and a loose top—this will give your long limbs an elegant look. And if you’re curvy, wear strappy sandals with sun dresses or skirts that hit above the knee so you can accentuate your naturally feminine silhouette.

Pair With a Cute Outfit

Knowing which flats to wear with what clothes is a great help when dressing up.  Skinny pants are easy to wear with any type of flat, from loafers to ankle boots. If you do wear the boots, be sure to tuck your trousers into them.  If you want to make your legs look longer, consider wearing boots the same colour as your trousers because it prevents the shoes from visually dividing your leg into sections.  Wide-legged and bootcut trousers will also work with any type of flat, but never tuck them into your boots because the fabric will bunch around your ankles.  Pencil or A-line skirts look best with pointed toe flats or cute flat sandals to show off a casual and floaty style. If your dress hits below the knee, wear knee high boots and aim to not show any skin between the bottom of the skirt and the top of your boots.  All of these looks are great for the office, a formal event, or a night out with friends.  Just add a blouse or slouchy sweater and you’re good to go!  In the cooler months, you may want to add tights if you’re wearing a skirt or dress above the knee.  Nude tights work or you can try to match them to your shoe colour.  Just remember, tights with close-toed shoes are preferable!

Don’t Go Overboard

When you’re focused on dressing up, don’t go overboard— you don’t want “fancy overload.”   Some flats are definitely more formal than other, like pointed toe flats. Remember to also think about how the material plays into the dressiness of a show. Fabric flats are generally more casual than those made from patent leather or metallic materials, and need a little more effort to be dressed up.  If your flats are pretty dressy on their own, then don’t go too formal with your outfit. Same goes for the opposite. If your flats are simple, then dress up your outfit a little more with a fancy top and cute accessories. If you go too formal with your outfit and your shoes at the same time, the resulting outfit will look too busy and overdone.  You want your clothing and shoes to compliment each other, not compete.

Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be a pro at dressing up your flats in no time! No matter if you have to find a dress for a wedding or an outfit for a fundraising gala, you can absolutely make flats work for formal occasions.

This is a collaborative post