Forget a Full Wardrobe Refresh—These Two Overlooked Accessories Are My Secret to Staying Current

The right shoes and glasses can recalibrate a look.

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Published In Buying Guides
A collage of outfit pics from Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses
(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

If you read fashion magazines, you are no doubt interested in fashion, and part of that is staying current. Knowing where the silhouettes have shifted plays a key role in understanding the current fashion mood—but the secret to modern dressing isn’t always in a 30-piece wardrobe refresh or an entire reinvention of your style. I hate to keep being the arbiter of less is more; however, sometimes the smallest tweaks can be the most impactful. One of my best styling tricks, which is far more subtle, is choosing the right shoe and the right pair of glasses. These two accessories, often overlooked, are what can truly make an outfit current, polished, and let others know that you know.

My grandfather always used to say you could tell someone’s character by their shoes. What he meant was, even if the suit looks fancy, if the shoes are scuffed and uncared for, the fancy suit no longer matters. I find this resonates today, but in a slightly new form: a carefully curated outfit can be greatly skewed by the choice of shoes and glasses. Swapping out your pair of shoes or glasses for a newer, trendier style is such an easy way to immediately recalibrate a look.

For instance, style last year’s tailored coat and jeans with this year’s sleek sneaker trend, like Puma’s OG Speedcat.

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

Take your chinos or tweed skirt in an updated direction with Miu Miu or Madewell boat shoes (extra points if you include colored laces).

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

And while in years past, oversized, chunky reading glasses signaled something irreverent and slightly nerdy in a good way, now is the time for bookish, sleek-looking reading glasses—a nod to ’90s fashion in the best way; minimal, slightly dainty, and extra functional.

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

Sunglasses have a little more flexibility these days. The black oval (worn slightly lower on the bridge of the nose), like the Selma by Corlin Eyewear, has been having its moment for a while. However, I’m also really loving the extreme opposite sunglasses trends that are hitting the scene—extra large, aviator silhouettes, colored lenses, and shield/bug style glasses are quickly becoming my go-tos.

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

a photo of fashion content creator Larissa Mills wearing trendy shoes and glasses

(Image credit: Courtesy of Larissa Mills)

Reinvention is always key, and it’s part of what makes fashion and getting dressed every day so much fun. Learning how to make sharper edits can make even the most familiar outfit Fashion Week-ready.

Larissa Mills
Larissa Mills
Contributing Editor

Larissa Mills is a content creator, best known for her viral TikToks alongside daughter Ella Potter. Dubbed "TikTok's Coolest Mom," Larissa is a former makeup artist, fashion buyer, and PR consultant.