Most people start with a top and work downwards. I've been doing the opposite for two years and my outfits got noticeably better. Here's the logic behind it — and the specific shoes making it work right now.
I Learned This Backwards
For most of my early fashion education, I started with the top. The blouse, the knit, the shirt — the piece closest to my face, the one that felt most like self-expression. The shoes were what I figured out last, usually under time pressure, usually leading to a compromise I wasn't quite happy with.
About two years ago, I reversed the order entirely. I've been dressing from the ground up since, and it's the single most effective change I've made to how I get dressed.
Why the Shoe First
The shoe determines everything that comes above it. The heel height sets your trouser length. The formality of the shoe sets the register of the whole outfit. The colour of the shoe anchors the palette. A loafer outfit is a different outfit from a sneaker outfit — and that difference travels all the way up to what you wear on top.
When you choose the shoe first, every other decision becomes a response to it rather than an independent choice. The
outfit becomes a conversation between pieces rather than a collection of things you happen to be wearing at the same
time.
How to Actually Do It
In the morning, before you open your wardrobe, decide on your shoe. Not based on what you're wearing — based on what you
want the day to feel like. Easy and casual: white trainers. Polished but comfortable: loafers. Slightly dressed: a
pointed flat or a low heel. Fully committed: a heel.
Then build up from there. Your shoe is your anchor. Everything else is making choices that complement it.
The Shoes Worth Building Around
White leather trainers: the most democratic shoe. They make almost anything look intentional and contemporary. Start here if you're not sure.
Tan leather loafers: the closest thing to a guaranteed right answer for most occasions. They elevate denim, they ground more formal pieces, they work in summer and winter.
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
The Day I Started Doing This
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
The Day I Started Doing This
Black pointed-toe flats: the evening anchor. They make trousers look dressed and dresses look sophisticated.
Strappy tan flat sandals: the summer version of the loafer. Minimal, versatile, and they photograph beautifully against almost everything.
The Day I Started Doing This
I put on my best pair of loafers before I opened my wardrobe. Everything I reached for automatically felt more considered. The outfit I assembled was better than my usual Tuesday outfit by a significant margin.
I've been doing it every day since.
"The shoe is not an afterthought. It's the foundation. Everything else is structure built on top of it."
Get the shoe right and the rest is mostly easy.
Sofia Laurent
Fashion Editor · Lumia Outfits
