Outfit Sandwiching: TikTok's New Key To Mastering Capsule Wardrobes

Oct 30, 2023

A capsule wardrobe is an affordable and efficient way to keep your personal style succinct. Working with such a limited number of pieces, however, can make it challenging to create a variety of balanced outfits that fit every possible occasion. As usual, TikTok has come up with a hack to make your life easier: outfit sandwiching. Sandwiching your outfit means coordinating two matching pieces — the "bread" — with one piece in a coordinating color — the "meat."

If color isn't a struggle, but you still can't seem to put together an outfit that looks polished, you can also apply the concept of sandwiching to balancing proportions or bulky textures. We've curated the following collection of examples of flawlessly executed outfit sandwiching to get you started. Choose your favorites to use as inspiration, and soon, you'll be able to pluck a perfectly balanced outfit out of your capsule wardrobe in two minutes or less!

A champagne silk button-down paired with distressed light-wash jeans and strappy champagne heels demonstrates outfit sandwiching on multiple levels. First, one piece of a coordinating color is sandwiched between two pieces of another. Secondly, there is a fun balance between formal and casual; one very casual piece is sandwiched between two more formal pieces, creating a rebellious look.

Outfit sandwiching can also be applied to the world of accessories. Build a basic outfit, then add a main accessory with the same color and-slash-or texture as your shoes. Limit your accessories to the upper half of the body, such as a statement necklace, backpack, or crossbody bag. This creates a balance between the two "bread" pieces.

Despite what you may have been told, any shade of brown clothing can mesh with any color, including black. If you're in the mood for an easy, low-key outfit that still looks perfectly put together, try sandwiching black pants between a tan or beige shirt and shoes. Dress up or down as you please.

Outfit sandwiching doesn't require a high level of contrast between colors. If you prefer to wear all light or all dark colors, you can still do so while using the hack to balance your outfits. If you're in the light colors camp, combine a white tee and crisp white sneakers with baby blue pants or ultra light-wash jeans.

If you tend to view khaki pants as work attire, get ready to think again. Sandwiching a pair between a silk or lace black shirt and some killer black heels elevates khakis to a level you'd never dream of. Since khaki is so neutral, you can swap out black for any other color — just consider skipping red if you're headed to Target.

Outfit sandwiching isn't just a hack for managing colors. Sandwiching shorts, a mini-skirt, or skinny jeans between layered shirts and a bulky shoe strikes the perfect balance, rather than leaving the upper or lower half of the body to appear bulkier and more weighed down than the other half.

You can apply outfit sandwiching to patterns as well. Next time you match a shirt with bold stripes or polka dots with solid pants, look for a pair of shoes or socks with the same pattern and make it a sandwich. Once you've followed the formula a few times, outfit sandwiching will become second nature before you know it.