In this post I’m going to talk about mixing textures, listing popular clothing textures and how you can pair them for your best outfits ever. 

When I think of the outfits that stand out on fashionable bloggers or stylish TV characters, I realize that they are often unified by a common element: an unexpected, eclectic mix. Fashion mags talk a lot about mixing prints, but mixing textures can have that “wow” effect, too. 

Playing around with texture is a great way to mix things up in your wardrobe. 

Even a look that’s all solid colors, becomes eye-catching when the pieces are all of noticeably different materials. 

This may not be something you’ve thought about a lot, but take a moment to do so now. A cotton tee and a cotton hoodie? Boring. A cotton tee and a corduroy jacket? Now we’re getting somewhere.

This trick is not easy to describe in words; it’s the kind of thing that you should keep in the back of your mind and try out in your closet. But I want to provide some examples of mixed textures to get you thinking about the kinds of materials that look fashion-forward when worn together.

Below, I’ll list some of the most common clothing textures and some information on how to style each. Then, I’ll share a couple of outfit ideas to get your ideas going.

The whole idea is to put things together your normally wouldn’t – so while my tips will focus on texture, I hope your ultimate takeaway will be to take a risk and try something different with your styling.

Table of Contents

Corduroy 

Corduroy is the perfect textile for adding a subtle texture into your wardrobe. You can easily pair a variety of pieces with corduroy.