First of all, y'all are not "dummies" if you struggle with putting outfits together. Just a silly goose title for the post. Secondly, welcome! This post is a very basic, beginners guide to choosing pieces to make an outfit, or at least how I choose my outfits. Take the advice with a grain of salt, as there are countless ways to style clothes together! This is just my opinion on how I like to form outfits from my closet & the shop's closet:)
Step 1: FOCAL PIECE
This may be a hot take, or a freezing cold take to some, but I firmly believe that there should be one focal piece to an outfit. If there is more than one, the outfit may look 'loud' or disproportionate. In order to avoid this, I like to stick to just one piece that the eye is drawn toward. This may be a colorful pair of sneakers, a big cozy coat, a pair of pants that have an interesting design/pattern on them, a bright colored beanie to keep your noggin' warm, etc. Now, there are pieces that could be a focal piece in one outfit, but an accent piece in another. It all depends in the silhouette of the outfit, the color palette at play, and/or the goal of the outfit. Sometimes it looks good to have a 'loud' outfit and it works for the occasion.
Step 2: ACCENT PIECES
Once the focal piece is chosen, now the actual "building" of the outfit comes into play. Say the focal piece is a bright green coat that you wear in the colder months, and you are struggling to match it with other pieces because of the color. Don't overthink it! I would personally pair a bright green coat with lots of darker shades around it. This will make the color of the coat pop even more, without drawing the attention away from the coat. Let's say a black pair of pants (jeans, sweatpants, slacks, etc), a dark grey sneaker, and a dark green beanie (considering it is a cold day outside, which warrants the big green coat).
Another point that I try to avoid in my outfits, mismatching textures/designs. Sometimes it can work, but if I am wearing a cable-knit sweater, I would not pair it with some checkered wool dress slacks. This is a case-by-case matter, however. Sometimes patters/textures do pair well together.
This outfit example is subtle enough to get the point across that the loudness provided by the bright green coat is not an eye-sore. This also allows you to not worry about looking like a sixth grader who just discovered that they make lime green shirts AND shorts to match. Trust me, I was this kid for a short period of time in middle school...
Step 3: RULE OF THIRDS CHECKLIST
The "Rule of Thirds" in fashion is actually something I learned about within the past couple years. I feel like I just implied the concept while getting dressed, but never had a name for it. Those into photography may be aware of this rule as far as snapping photos, and this applies very similar. Think of your body evenly split into three sections starting at your head and ending at your toes. The Rule of Thirds, basically, is that you don't want to split your body in half at your waist, but rather into thirds to fit your body shape.
I am a taller guy with an athletic build (although I am a washed up collegiate athlete now, the body stuck around for a while). My legs are quite long, and this allows a lot of my outfits to be taken up by 2/3 of whatever pants I decide to wear and 1/3 of my top. This can be switched up sometimes when I wear a baggier/longer top, switching the 2/3 to my top (say if I were to be wearing my peacoat) and 1/3 to my pants.
Now, this rule is just a tool for YOUR body type! Take it as you will, and utilize it to try out some new dimensions for your outfits! I have been toying with the concept for the past year or so, and it makes the creation of the outfit meticulous and more thought-out.
Step 4: CONFIDENCE
WEAR THE CLOTHES DON'T LET THE CLOTHES WEAR YOU! Some people are confident in full suit & tie, while others will rock the crap out of some sweatpants and a hoodie. At the end of the day, the confidence and the person inside the clothing is what makes an outfit. Wear what you enjoy; what makes you happy; what makes you feel most like yourself (situation pending. I don't advise sweats to a formal wedding haha).