Sami Miro Vintage Clothing Styling

Stylist and vintage aficionado Sami Miro shows off five different levels of integrating thrifted pieces into your everyday wardrobe.
Wear Your Clothes In An Unexpected Way
When things don't work out in the conventional sense, Miro is a major proponent of playing around with them until they do work.

I don’t like to style very simply, she says. I’m actually wearing this bustier backwards. It's really beautiful [the detailing is sheer and nude with black sequins on it], but when I put it on the proper way, it ended up going down almost to my hips. Since I wanted to show the waistline of the pants, I turned it around.

This isn't the first time she's done this, either; Miro says she actually finds herself wearing shirts backwards regularly.
Monochromatic looks are very in right now, especially with nudes, grays, and neutrals, she says. But, there are two different ways to go about it: If you’re going to do a monochromatic look with any color, you can go the route where everything is the exact same tone and the exact same texture, and there’s not much variation.

That ends up looking very clean. Or, you can go in the opposite direction: If you’re wearing one color, you can incorporate different shades and materials. The latter is what I did in this look (here, there are two different kinds of leather — the fringed skirt, which has a shiny finish; and the jacket, which is pretty matte and has a little more of a pinky hue to it).
If you can't imagine wearing just one color completely, accessories are the perfect way to break things up. For jewelry, in particular, Miro suggests going vintage (the necklace she's wearing was purchased at a thrift store in Savannah, GA) or D.I.Y.

I actually made the choker I'm wearing, she explains, citing that she crafts almost almost all of her chokers herself. It’s red velvet, and the emblem on it belonged to my great-grandmother. That's one way to make something old feel new again.
Since a bodysuit can be a very neutral piece, it's a perfect foundation for an array of loud pieces, patterns, and styles. Two things I love right now are: 1. animal print (which is where the boots come in), and 2. plaid skirts. I was recently in Japan and every girl there was dressing like a schoolgirl, so I came back with a whole bunch of vintage skirts.
Sure, piling on so many shades and prints may seem like something reserved for fashion risk-takers. Miro insists that anyone can go all out with their look: With anything in life, and in your outfits, try to push yourself and push the limits — but always feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, she says. Never wear something because it’s on-trend or because you saw your favorite celebrity wearing a certain piece. Only wear it if you actually feel comfortable in it. Because if you’re looking uncomfortable, it definitely shows. Clothes aren’t that important [Laughs]. Even though they are important to me, at the end of the day, you should feel comfortable and confident in everything you wear.
Tailor Everything
The ultimate key to making vintage work for you, Miro says, is altering the fit so that it, well, fits. I alter almost everything I have in some way, she says, whether it’s cutting it with scissors or getting it professionally done. That’s the thing with vintage: because the clothing is so old and used and abused, it often doesn’t fit. A lot of people don’t realize that you have to see the beauty in the uniqueness of the fabric or the color — the most important parts — and that you can always change the fit. You just have to be able to see the future in what that piece can be.

Vintage pants, top, jacket, choker, jewelry, and beret; Amanda Gregory shoes.
Miro has, of course, found beauty in so many different pieces, like these floral bell-bottoms (which she describes as very Coachella), her top (which she purchased on , a place she describes as one of her favorites in the world), pearl choker purchased in Japan, and a vintage beret (which she says is definitely a signature of mine).
Wondering how you can discover these one-of-a-kind gems, too? For vintage newbies, Miro offers up her words of wisdom: It’s always intimidating to people who aren’t used to vintage to walk into a big store that's all dusty and gross and smelly, and they don’t know where to begin, she says. But I always tell people: Start with one specific item — so, if you’re looking for denim shorts, a T-shirt, or a leather jacket, start in that section. And if you feel like you can venture out a little bit when you're done, go from there. Or, you can easily just stick to that one area, and move to another one next time. Taking things one step at a time is key — how else would you be able to take note of those hidden treasures?