How to Make an Outfit Board

What is an outfit board?

An outfit board (or look board) is a collage of the pieces that make a complete outfit: top, bottom, outer layer, shoes, bag, jewellery, plus colour swatches and sometimes a mood image. Stylists use it to present a look to a client; many people use it to plan what to wear, to shop with a purpose, or to check what a new piece goes with.

What it is useful for

• Daily and weekly planning. Decide the week's outfits at once, around weather and agenda.
• Capsule wardrobe. A small set of pieces that all work together: lay them out to see how many outfits they make.
• Shopping. Place a candidate piece among what you already own before buying it.
• Seasonal style boards. Gather the colours, fabrics and silhouettes of a season in one reference.
• Styling and portfolios. Present looks to a client, a brand or a school.

Build the board step by step

• 1. Start with the occasion and the weather. A look for a rainy office day is not a look for a wedding.
• 2. Choose the anchor piece. The garment the rest of the outfit is built around.
• 3. Add pieces one layer at a time: base, bottom, outer layer, shoes, bag, accessories.
• 4. Use clean product images. Photos on a plain or transparent background (PNG cut-outs) keep the board readable.
• 5. Add colour swatches and a short note — fabric, occasion, fit — so the board explains itself.

Colour: keep it to three

A reliable guideline: base the outfit on one or two neutrals, add a second colour, and keep a single accent. Repeating a colour from a top in a bag or in shoes ties the look together. The 60-30-10 ratio used for moodboards works here too — see colour theory.

Flat lay layout tips

• Align pieces on a simple grid or a gentle diagonal, with similar spacing between them.
• Scale items realistically relative to each other — a bag should not be as big as a coat.
• Make the anchor piece slightly larger or more central.
• Leave breathing room around each item.

Outfit templates in plim

plim includes ready-made outfit layouts: an outfit sheet, four seasonal looks (spring, summer, autumn, winter), a seasonal style board, a capsule wardrobe and a weekly outfit planner. Open one from the Templates panel, replace the placeholders with your own pieces and export as PNG or PDF. More in the templates guide.