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IG Girlies Love “Styling with Friction”—But Does it Actually Work?

Here’s how to copy the trend

styling with friction UNI
Abby Hepworth for PureWow

Instagram and TikTok are chock-full of hacks that claim to do everything from test the strength of your relationship to achieve sparkling clean  floors with dish detergent. And one category with seemingly innumerable tricks, tips and hacks—always with an adorably quippy name like The Big, Slim, Skin Principle or The Sandwich Rule—is fashion styling. The latest one to come across my feed is “Styling with Friction.” But what exactly does that mean? And does it even work? As a fashion editor, I think it’s definitely something worth trying, but requires a bit more effort than these viral videos suggest. Here’s the full breakdown on how to Style with Friction like a pro.

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What is Styling with Friction?

I learned the term from stylist and fashion influencer Angel Edme, aka @angel_edme, who posted a series of videos demonstrating the styling trick in all its various forms last fall. As she explains, “You take two opposing items, you put them together and it makes magic.” Or, put another way, combining two items you think should cause friction against one another can actually make fashion magic.

Her first video uses the example of a pair of classic, gray, tailored trousers. Your first instinct might be to pair them with something equally polished—a button-up shirt, a blazer, a silk shell. But if you instead opt for something more casual—a denim button-up, an oversize shirt, a sweatshirt—then it transforms these office-appropriate pants into something much more interesting.

As Edme points out, this is the exact same idea behind The Wrong Shoe Theory. But as I found when I tested that viral styling hack in 2023, Styling with Friction is not quite as simple as pulling any two random opposing pieces and throwing them together into one outfit. There needs to be some connecting thread or feature, some unifying idea that ultimately gives you a reason to put those two items together.

One way to think about Styling with Friction is to see it as a twist on The CST Rule, which suggests that to make your outfit “interesting” it must either draw attention to the color, the shape or the texture. “If the outfit isn’t interesting in color, it must be interesting in shape. If it’s not interesting in shape, it must be interesting in texture,” reads the voiceover that accompanies thousands of social videos demonstrating the styling hack. And Styling with Friction plays on this very same idea.

styling with friction dos and donts
Christian Vierig; Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

For example, both outfits pictured above are comprised of opposing pieces, but I’d argue only the one on the left really works. In that instance, we have a vibrant blue blazer worn over purple snakeskin Bermuda shorts. The blazer might traditionally be paired with trousers instead, to play up those office apparel vibes, while the shorts feel pretty rock-and-roll, making them an obvious choice to layer under a graphic tee or leather moto jacket. But the reason they work when worn together is because they’re both very structured, tailored pieces. And as an added bonus, they fit into a similar color family. Even those feather-trimmed sandals pair back to the color of her jacket, adding yet another point of style friction to her outfit.

As for the look on the right, I think it has too many conflicting pieces with no real connecting line. We’ve got a vintage-inspired faux-leather bomber jacket paired with sporty lilac leggings and neon green pumps that would blend right in at a rave. The colors don’t relate to one another, there’s not enough of a proportion difference to add interest on that front, and there are far too many aesthetics and references happening here. The black-and-white bowling bag also does nothing to band these three items together, leaving us with an outfit that feels entirely random and mismatched, and that misses the “fashion magic” that Styling with Friction promises.

how to style with friction
Daniel Zuchnik; Edward Berthelot; Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images

How to Style with Friction

So, how can you embrace styling with friction while avoiding looking like you got dressed in the dark? I suggest starting by choosing just one element that introduces friction, and one element of connection. For example, pairing together a crisp, cotton button-up and a crochet midi skirt combines two opposing textures. But opting for styles that both incorporate blue stripes gives them a way to relate to one another.

As for the middle look pictured here, the button-up shirt and pleated skirt are both giving traditional office-apparel vibes, while the silk strapless top layered over the top feels much more like cocktail- or party-attire. This gives us our point of friction, while the connecting thread comes from the structure of all three pieces. They each have a similar weight or heft, and all three have a clearly tailored frame, despite their differing vibes.

Lastly, layering a swingy, sequin minidress over wide-leg jeans works because both pieces have a lot of volume.

Bottom Line

Styling with Friction is a great tool for putting together interesting and unexpected outfits, and for potentially getting more use out of all the pieces in your wardrobe. But it’s not as simple as pulling just any two items from your closet and tossing them on willy-nilly. It takes a bit more work to really understand the nuances of how Styling with Friction adds interest to your outfits, but if you’re willing to put in just that little extra bit of effort, I’d say this is one fashion trick that’s absolutely worth learning.



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Editor

  • Covers fashion, trends and all things running
  • Received certification as an RRCA run coach
  • Has worked in fashion for over a decade