Most of you will have heard about the supposed “rules” of fashion – things like never wear white before labour day, or your shoes should always be darker than your hemline.
These sort of rules are notoriously broken, usually by some fashion forward model or celebrity. There are however a few basics that are essential to dressing stylishly, which from me means in a way that makes YOU feel fabulous and feminine.
- Get to know your own body shape and what will and won’t work for you. There is no point trying to dress like Nicole Richie if you’re shaped like Oprah. It simply won’t work. We are the shape that we are and the sooner we accept that the sooner it will be that we dress to suit our individual shape in a way that flatters and is comfortable. Not every style and shape of clothes will work for you. Get to know what will and won’t work for you.
- Play up your best features and downplay those that you don’t like. Everyone is different. We may have the same basic shape but I might like my butt a whole lot more than you like yours, or as is more likely to be the case, vice versa. Dress for you; how you feel comfortable and sexy, not to meet some stereotype or because that’s what you think looks good. Trust you own instincts. Half of looking good is feeling good.
- Get to know clothes, especially the cuts and styles that suit your shape. Learn what styles and fabrics and cuts work to add weight and those that work to take it off. For instance a monochormatic outfit will subtract weight if it’s in a darker color. It will also make you look taller, something you might want to avoid if you’re already tall and slender. Get to know what styles, shapes and colors work for you. Repeat as needed.
- Good underwear is the foundation of style. A good bra is just fundamental to style. Even the most expensively cut designer outfit will be ruined if you have saggy breasts or baggy briefs. It’s actually possible to go down a dress size just be putting on a bra that fits perfectly and works with the shape of your body, not to mention the wonders of support underwear. There’s a reason they call them magic knickers.
- Your size is the one that fits. Do not get caught up in what size the tag reads. No one knows if you’re wearing a size 8, 10 or 16 unless you tell them, so don’t let someone else tell you what size you are. The tags are only a guideline to distinguish between the different sizes of the same type clothes. What matters is that your clothes fit. No gaping necklines or shoulder seams that are halfway down your arms. You clothes need to fit all over. Never buy a size too small. Only ever buy a larger size if you’re going to have it tailored to fit properly.
- Buy the best cut and fabric you can afford: Think of your wardrobe in terms of cost-per-wear. A really fabulous pair of classic cut black wool pants that might cost $300 will actually work out a lot cheaper than an average pair of lycra blend that cost $50. The more expensive pair will last longer and if you wore them once per month for five years that’s $5 per wear, and you’ve looked fabulous the entire time. You might wear the lycra blend five times before they start looking a bit shabby which is $10 per wear.
- Do not buy expensive ‘trendy’ pieces: There is no reason to spend more than a few dollars on something that will be out of fashion at the end of the year, or even sooner in some cases. It’s a waste of money. See item 5 above re cost per wear. Certainly buy the trend if it suits you and you like it but make sure you spend you’re serious money on classic pieces that will stay in your wardrobe for years to come.
- Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise. What really sets the stylish apart is not so much their wardrobe as their accessories. A few simple, classic outfits that look fabulous can be dressed up, or down, and changed completely depending on what accessories you pair them with. Put together an eclectic selection of bags, shoes and jewellery and you’re well on your way to being a style queen. It’s much cheaper than buying lots and lots of clothes.
- Wear a V-neck shirt, top or dress. A v-neck will suit every woman because it dissects the middle of the body pointing toward your waist giving the illusion your waist is thinner than it really is.
- Use your natural beauty as the canvas for every outfit. Your skin, your shape, your hair, your gorgeous face. These are the basic building blocks of style. Use them, showcase them, but never overwhelm them. In one of her more reflective moments Paris Hilton said “you should always be more important than your clothes” and, though it pains me to say it, shes completely right. Style is about reflecting who you are, not wearing the latest outfit.
