Kim Kardashian's Style Secrets That Will Change The Way You Get Dressed
Whether you consider yourself a Kim Kardashian fan or not, the fashion world has embraced the businesswoman as an icon of style. From her 10 Met Gala invites (and the headlines she made with each and every dress), to her collaborations with legends like Dolce & Gabbana, to her founding her own shapewear line, the mother-of-four has risen through the ranks from mere reality star to fashion god. Even if you don't align with her personal style, there's no denying that Kardashian is more than qualified to give advice on the subject. And luckily for us, she's always happy to share her secrets.
Through a series of interviews, features, and snippets from her reality shows, Kardashian has made her golden rules of fashion clear. While some of them might be surprising — like the fact that she relies on help from others rather than coming up with all her looks on her own — many of them are already obvious from her style choices, and relatively easy to adapt to your own closet. Kardashian is the queen of a cool, less-is-more aesthetic (though she definitely hopped on the nostalgic Barbiecore fashion train in 2023), knows her strengths and weaknesses, and always lets her outfit express her authentic self.
Keep it simple
Kim Kardashian's style has evolved dramatically since she first landed in the limelight, but these days, her looks seem to lean more towards minimalist dressing. When she was with Kanye West, she developed a less-is-more approach to fashion which has, more or less, stuck. In a 2016 interview with CNN, the reality star and Skims founder revealed that she likes to keep things simple when putting together an outfit. "Before, I used to always think more is more and I used to accessorize and wear bracelets and earrings and necklaces," she reminisced. "I used to do it all. Now I definitely understand how much cooler it is just to be a little bit simpler."
A great way to implement this into your own style is to adopt the eight-point hack, highlighted by TikTok user Marissa Fair. Basically, you assign every item in your closet a point value, with most pieces having one point and more maximalist items — like bold prints and accessories — having two points. Then you build an outfit that adds up to anywhere between six and eight points. This ensures there's never too much going on with your ensemble. And if you really want to take on Kardashian's advice, you could aim for six points rather than eight. To further tone things down, keep your overall look simple and understated by sticking to classic silhouettes and neutral shades. Kardashian herself is a fan of black. "I think it's really chic and slimming and sleek," she told CNN.
Underwear can work magic
As the founder of Skims, Kim Kardashian obviously understands how important underwear, shapewear, and the associated accessories can be when it comes to the overall quality of your outfit. Featuring an extensive range of undergarments, Skims aims to "set new standards" and "provide solutions for every body." Pieces can enhance or minimize different parts of your body, and while altering your shape is by no means necessary to have great style, you'll certainly be taking a page out of Kardashian's book if you start with perfect shapewear. Wearing quality pieces, whether from Skims or another brand, will give you a smooth silhouette to make your outfit look picture perfect.
When it comes to enhancing and smoothing cleavage, in particular, the most valuable weapon in Kardashian's arsenal is body tape. Now she uses Skims tape, but prior to forming the brand, she was a fan of duct tape for lifting and holding her breasts. "I try not to go too much in by her neck because usually a dress comes in that way," she said on an Instagram story while demonstrating the lift trick on a model (via People). "You lift it to the desired lift. You try to not lift it too much to where it wrinkles." To use this trick yourself, take two pieces of body tape in a smooth, straight line from just beneath each breast up to the shoulder, pulling firmly. It's a great hack when you're wearing a plunging neckline and need a literal pick-me-up without a bra.
It takes a village
If you've ever felt like there's no way your clothing sense could ever live up to that of Kim Kardashian's, or of any other celebrity or influencer, know that the majority of fashion icons have teams of stylists at their disposal. In her CNN interview, Kardashian admitted that she used to get a lot of help from ex-husband Kanye West when they were together: "I love my husband's opinion, so I always ask his opinion on everything and he always helps me put together my looks." These days, she collaborates with a stylist called Danielle Levi, and in a 2023 episode of "The Kardashians," the Skims founder admitted that she relies on her more than people realize (via Us Weekly): "... she picks out my outfits and we go over our looks and she sources them ... I always need someone to confirm that this looks good."
Hiring a stylist might be out of the price range of the average person, but the general idea is to seek opinions and inspiration from outside sources. You might not have a personal stylist putting outfits together for you, but it costs nothing to peruse style pages on Instagram to stimulate your inner-muse. Seek opinions from those you trust to help you refine your looks, while at the same time learning to trust your own gut feelings. It's okay to take advice from others, but you should always get the final say over how you dress.
Have different styles for different moods
In a 2023 video posted to YouTube by GQ, Kim Kardashian starred in a feature called "Actually Me," where she responded to fan questions on the internet. When one social media user asked her, "How do you define your personal style?" Kardashian revealed that her personal style "has different moods and feelings." Rather than just having a stagnant wardrobe, she has different pieces on rotation to keep up with her own changing moods and vibes. "... sometimes I'm super glammed up and I feel like one way, and then sometimes I can just be like really simple and casual when I'm at home," she explained.
The key here is to let your wardrobe reflect your inner-feelings. Kim Kardashian may like a minimal approach, but that doesn't mean she won't rock an over-the-top pink dress with a train when she feels like it. You can express yourself by infusing more color into your wardrobe, or with different silhouettes, materials, combinations, accessories, and basically anything that speaks to what mood you're in. If you're feeling like you can take over the world, a powerful pantsuit might send the right message. Being in a fun and girly mood might call for pastel shades, while leather accents might feel right when you're having a rebellious moment. You might lean more strongly towards one kind of aesthetic, but you can always introduce new pieces that channel the different seasons of your life. You're wonderfully layered, and your wardrobe should be, too.
Know what works for you
While there's no doubt that Kim Kardashian is a fashion icon, she's never claimed to look good in everything. Instead, she has a keen sense of what suits her and what doesn't. This was clear in a 2017 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," where Kardashian tried to give sister Khloe a makeover. "I just think I can help Khloe have more simple style," she explained in the episode (via W Magazine). "Her body really is the accessory. For me, I am so curvy that if I try to put other things on it, I look like a joke." She touched on this further in a 2019 Harper's Bazaar video posted to YouTube, where she weighed in on different fashion trends and highlighted those that didn't suit her personally. "I do fight with Kendall over this," Kardashian said, "because she's so tall and she looks so good in a kitten heel. But not for me."
The only way to know what suits you is to experiment. Of course, there are general guidelines you can follow — don't bother with kitten heels if you're not tall, for example — but you might be surprised to find something works against the odds. Keep an open mind and take the time to play around with outfits before you actually have to wear them. Embrace styles that look amazing on you, even if they're out of your comfort zone, and don't be afraid to part with those that you don't feel your best in.