The It-Girl Styling Trick That Costs Literally Nothing

These days, It-girl accessories don't typically come cheap. If you're going to get on board with Gucci loafers and Jacquemus mini-bags, it's going to set you back quite a bit (and by "a bit" we mean £500 to £1,000). But forget spending thousands of dollars for street cred, because there's one accessory picking up steam that will cost you nothing — all you have to do is grab an old sneaker and pull the laces right out. It may take you back to your high school days, but shoe laces are the outfit-completer your fall looks are missing.

It was Reese Blustein from @double3xposure that got our gears turning on the plethora of ways this little piece of string can be used to quite literally tie together an outfit. It comes into play for both practical and purely styling reasons — sometimes you just need it to hold up those too-big trousers, and other times, you need a little something to dress down a structured blazer and make it feel less stuffy. "I started doing this because I thought it gave an edgier look to a really simple or classic outfit. I love the contrast that a white shoelace can bring to any look," Bluestein tells Refinery29. "Everyone has shoe laces, so it's a really accessible item to add to any outfit without spending money."

Some brands may be starting to sell jeans with a string already in the belt loops, like this pair from Levi's Made & Crafted line, but you can definitely DIY it (if anything, this is proof that this easy styling trick is about to be everywhere). And sometimes, the best "f" word really is "free." Click ahead to see this low-budget styling trick in action.