Karla Welch on How to Dress With Style

Karla Welch is a Los Angeles–based stylist known for styling celebrities including Justin Bieber, Olivia Wilde, Tracee Ellis Ross, and many more. The New York Times and Hollywood Reporter have called her one of the world’s “most powerful” stylists. She takes a progressive approach to fashion, employing timeless, effortless looks that favor fit, take risks, and aren’t bound by fashion trends.

In addition to styling celebrities, Karla is also the founder of The Period Company, which focuses on providing absorbent, inexpensive, and reusable underwear for people who menstruate. She also partnered with clothing brand Hanes and ThredUP, an online consignment shop.

“[There’s] no hard and fast rules,” Karla says. “Or at least not for me.” When developing your personal style, Karla says to worry less about what’s right and wrong and simply to “have fun, express, enjoy it.” Here are some of Karla’s style tips that she uses in her personal life and with her clients:

1. Imitate people whose style you like.
Karla recommends starting your style journey by searching for outfit ideas you love and curating a mood board. “Find people you love on Instagram, on TV shows,” she says. “Tear pictures out of magazines.”

Fashion bloggers can be a great source of inspiration. Karla also recommends writing down your inspirations: “Keep a journal, write it down. Say, ‘Oh wow, I loved that color combination of red and purple. I would never have thought it.’”

2. Organize your closet.
“A great way to discover your own style and start your own style journey is to clean out your closet and to organize it,” Karla says. She recommends separating your closet into zones based on the type of garment and then breaking it down into categories. “Section everything off,” she says. “And even within those sections, put everything in colors. So your black blazers, your tweed blazers. . . your white button-ups, maybe your blue button-ups.”

When you organize your closet, you’ll start to notice patterns and gaps, and maybe rediscover some gems hiding in the back of your closet.

3. Get thrifty.
According to Karla, “thrifting is such an amazing way to develop style.” Buying second-hand clothes is a more sustainable way to shop, budget-friendly, and fun. “The key to thrifting, though,” Karla says, “is being very open to magic, and seeing what you might find. If you think you're going find one specific thing, thrifting is not for you.”

4. Focus on fit.
Karla’s not one to harp on fashion rules, but she urges you to wear clothes that fit your body shape properly. “‘Make sure it fits’ is a pretty major rule,” she says. “Does it feel right on your body? If it doesn't feel right,” she says, “and if you feel like you have to ask the question, ‘Am I trying too hard?’ The answer is in the question.” Look for a good tailor who can alter clothes for your body type.

5. Pretend it’s a pair of jeans.
Life is too short to save your favorite clothes for special occasions. “A lot of people have beautiful clothes,” Karla says, “and they’re saving it for another day. Well, don’t save it for another day. You’re alive. Wear it today. It’s as simple as that.”

Karla’s “hot tip” for “getting outside your comfort zone” is to pretend that special item is a pair of jeans. “We all wear blue jeans,” she says. “It’s the uniform of our generation and of our society. So I say wear it like you wear a pair of blue jeans. Put on a pair of pants that aren’t jeans. Put on a dress. Put it with any kind of shoe you want. And then just [don’t] think about it. Just wear it.”

6. Rethink the classics.
Karla recommends curating a capsule wardrobe of fashion staples in neutral colors. However, don’t conflate classic with boring. Choose classics that reflect your personal style. Among Karla’s fashion classics are the dress, blazer, blue jeans, trench coat, white T-shirt, and leather jacket.

Developing your fashion taste can go a long way toward building your confidence and helping you feel comfortable in your own skin. Discover Karla Welch’s approach to becoming a fashion stylist, building wardrobe essentials, and finding your personal style when you sign up for a MasterClass Annual Membership.