How to Dress Like an Artist

You can dress like an artist anytime whether you're headed off to art school or just trying to update your look. Follow the tips in this article to unleash your inner artist.

Steps

Update Your Physical Appearance

1. Change your hairstyle. Choose a look that will make you stand out in a crowd. Consider these ideas for creating a look that's uniquely you:
   • Get a blunt cut from your stylist and ask him or her to add bangs.
   • Arrange your hair into dreadlocks
   • Dye or streak your hair with a unique color. If you're wary of making a major change to your hair color that you can't undo, then use a temporary dye.
   • Use a comb and other hair products to create a big hairdo with lots of volume.
   • Stop straightening or curling your hair. Let it return to its natural state.
   • Choose a style that explodes gender stereotypes. If you're a girl, go with extremely short hair. If you're a guy, grow your hair long.
2. Add piercings. You can pierce your eyebrow, your lip or your nose for dramatic effect. If you want something more subtle, pierce your ear cartilage.
3. Consider tattoos. If you consider your body a canvas, you might want to get tattooed in a way you find meaningful. Don't be thoughtless about it, though – you don't want to get a tattoo you'll regret.
4. Consider stopping shaving. You may want to grow out your facial hair or change your other shaving habits. Decide what you want, outside of social pressure. Shaving is a personal choice; some artists shave, and some don't.

Shop Like an Artist

1. Give up shopping at big box department stores. You can make exceptions for wardrobe staples like underwear, simple tank tops and jeans.
2. Build a basic wardrobe before adding trendy pieces. Think of the basics as a timeless blank canvas to which you can then add more unique pieces or accessories. Black and white are both good color choices that will bring the rest of your look together.
3. Wear stylish jeans. Your jeans can be ripped and faded. However, artsy guys should never wear ill-fitting or ruined dress pants.
4. Start shopping at thrift stores to buy unique styles for an affordable price. You can find retro and modern styles and then easily mix and match them.
5. Shop at vintage stores or at tiny exclusive boutiques. These stores may be more expensive, but you will find one-of-a-kind clothing.
6. Explore textures and colors to better express yourself. Ask yourself whether you're drawn to soft fabrics like velvet or to stiff, starched shirts. Also, consider which colors go well together or whether you like bold or subtle prints.

Add Amazing Accessories

1. Add a belt. Belting a shirt at your natural waistline (on girls) will pump up your artistic flair.
2. Choose a well-tailored coat. A trench coat can be a smart and artsy investment.
3. Look for unique jewelry that ties your look together. Look for pieces that are funky, foreign, expensive or well-made. Jewelry with intricate details or pieces that hark back to the '80s are also good artistic choices.
4. Buy unexpected shoes. For instance, you can wear patent leather boots with a knee-length skirt.
5. Wear a hat. A beret looks good on both guys and girls.

Make Your Own Clothing

1. Purchase a good but inexpensive sewing machine.
2. Decide whether you want to use a pattern. You can either create new clothing from scratch with a pattern or remake what you already have by improvising. For example, you can sew fabric onto jeans.
3. Buy fabric and thread. Choose material that is comfortable to wear. Also, choose colors and fabric patterns that appeal to you.
4. Try screen printing.
5. Use unique accessories. Find original buttons or add faux jewels to your clothes.

Tips

• Dress so that art can happen. Wear leggings that allow you to dance, or choose shirts that can be splattered with paint or charcoal.
• Understand that the world, including your clothing, is a palette for self-expression. Find what makes you feel happy or alive, not what others tell you is fashionable. If you throw yourself into your look with poise and self-confidence, then you will most likely carry it off. Believe you look cool and wear whatever truly appeals to your sensibilities.
• Match most of your outfit when you're putting it together for the day- and then choose an unexpected color for a smaller part of your outfit, plus a small item (like jewelry or purse/bag) that goes with the whimsical piece of your outfit. Most of all, relax and have fun while putting things together. If you're smiling, then the outfit will likely work just fine.

Warnings

• If you shop at a thrift store, make sure that you thoroughly wash clothes before wearing them. At the very least, professionally dry clean thrift store items before wearing them.

Things You'll Need

• A great hairstyle
• Piercings
• Clothing
• Belts
• Jewelry
• Shoes
• Hats
• Sewing machine
• Fabric and thread
• Buttons and other accessories