I posted these 15 tips for dressing well on my old blog, but I think they are so good I'm going to post them again. These tips are universal and can be applied to any body type, any style, and any age. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for them even though I want to. I found them in the October issue of InStyle Makeover. There are 50 of them, but I don't feel like listing them all so if you want to see them all let me know and i'll get them for you. Alright, here we go!
1). Accessorize in Brights: Bright accents make any neutral outfit go from "meh" to "what up?! I'm awesome." Pick a brightly colored purse, scarf, piece of jewelry, or pair of shoes and you are good to go. They can be paired with a white t-shirt and jeans with very little thought or emotional distress for you.
2). Know Your Stretch: This one was somewhat new to me, but super helpful. The secret to perfect fitting jeans that don't lose their shape is at least 2% lycra. Stretch is good, but don't abuse it!
3). Show Skin Strategically: This is key to not accidentally looking like a street-walker. If you are wearing shorts or a shorter skirt/dress, don't show too much skin up top or vice versa.
4). Consider the Wear and Care: Decide how much effort you are willing to put into caring for your clothes before you buy that really beautiful top that needs to be dry cleaned. Be honest! If you are not really going to go to the dry cleaner or hand wash things that need to be dry cleaned or hand washed, don't buy them. You'll wear it once and then not be able to wear them again when and if you get it dirty.
5). Embrace Your Shape: This should be the first tip on the list. Seriously. Find out how to dress your shape and you will feel great all the time. The tough part about this is that sometimes you will have to pass up trends because they don't look the best on your shape. If you are petite and shapely, avoid column shapes or billowy maxi dresses even if you love them and they look so good on tall people. Look for dresses with a defined waist and a fuller skirt. You'll love how tiny your waist looks and how the skirt flows over the areas you might be insecure about. If you are unsure how to dress your shape, just ask me. I would love to help you!
6). Make a List Before You Shop: This is like your grocery list but in reverse. Instead of making a list of what you don't have, make a list of what you do have. Write down your favorite pieces of clothing in your closet (or take pictures of them!) so when you are shopping you can be confident that what you're buying will fit perfectly into your existing wardrobe.
7). Hit the Dressing Room Prepared: When shopping for a special occasion bring the proper undergarments with you. This will ensure that you buy the right size. I've bought a fitted dress in one size and then brought it home and wore it with those awesome things that suck you all in and the dress was too big. Bummer right? Also, you'll love the way you look in the dressing room instead of hoping that it works once you get it home.
8). Always Check Out the Rear View: Don't leave the house until you love how you look from every angle. If you don't love it, fix it or it will drive you crazy all day.
9). Round Down in Denim: We've all stood in the dressing room going back and forth between two different sizes of jeans wondering which ones to pick. Fortunately, I have the answer. If it has at least the minimum amount of stretch that I mentioned before it will stretch out a little so go with the smaller size. Now, this is only if they fit! If they won't button, that is not the size for you. However, if both size fits but one is just slightly tighter go with the tighter one and you won't have that saggy butt conundrum.
10). Edit Your Closet: Don't cram your closet so full that you can't see everything you own. I am NOT good at this. If you have questions about this, check out my sister's blog www.twentypieces.org. Her and her friend Julie will tell you all about editing your closet.
11). Open Your Mind: Don't just assume that something won't look good on you. Try it on, but be honest with yourself on how it looks. You might be surprised with what you find!
12). Own At Least One Thing That's Leopard: Yes. I said it. Leopard! It's awesome and a really fun neutral. You can do leopard shoes, a leopard belt, or even a leopard sweater or shirt. Please don't wear them all at the same time though. Only one piece at a time!
13). Never Buy a Boring Coat: Outerwear is a really easy and fun way to spice up an outfit, so take advantage of it!
14) .If You Have a Limited Budget, Spend it on Accessories: Buy classic clothing and have fun with accessories. You can buy cheap accessories that look great and add a major punch to your wardrobe.
15). Create Your Own Lookbook: I thought this was a really good idea. If you put together an outfit that gets lots of compliments, take a picture and save it on your phone or computer. That way when you are trying to recreate that look or create another one you can remember what you did that everyone loved so much.
So, there you have it. Fifteen of the fifty tips from the magazine. These were the best in my opinion and I hope they help. Just remember, shopping or getting dressed does not to be emotionally scarring. If it is, just call me and i'd love to help. I hope you find these tips helpful! Just remember, have fun and dress the way you are comfortable. Don't wear something simply because it's trendy, wear it because you love it and it looks good.
1). Accessorize in Brights: Bright accents make any neutral outfit go from "meh" to "what up?! I'm awesome." Pick a brightly colored purse, scarf, piece of jewelry, or pair of shoes and you are good to go. They can be paired with a white t-shirt and jeans with very little thought or emotional distress for you.
2). Know Your Stretch: This one was somewhat new to me, but super helpful. The secret to perfect fitting jeans that don't lose their shape is at least 2% lycra. Stretch is good, but don't abuse it!
3). Show Skin Strategically: This is key to not accidentally looking like a street-walker. If you are wearing shorts or a shorter skirt/dress, don't show too much skin up top or vice versa.
4). Consider the Wear and Care: Decide how much effort you are willing to put into caring for your clothes before you buy that really beautiful top that needs to be dry cleaned. Be honest! If you are not really going to go to the dry cleaner or hand wash things that need to be dry cleaned or hand washed, don't buy them. You'll wear it once and then not be able to wear them again when and if you get it dirty.
5). Embrace Your Shape: This should be the first tip on the list. Seriously. Find out how to dress your shape and you will feel great all the time. The tough part about this is that sometimes you will have to pass up trends because they don't look the best on your shape. If you are petite and shapely, avoid column shapes or billowy maxi dresses even if you love them and they look so good on tall people. Look for dresses with a defined waist and a fuller skirt. You'll love how tiny your waist looks and how the skirt flows over the areas you might be insecure about. If you are unsure how to dress your shape, just ask me. I would love to help you!
6). Make a List Before You Shop: This is like your grocery list but in reverse. Instead of making a list of what you don't have, make a list of what you do have. Write down your favorite pieces of clothing in your closet (or take pictures of them!) so when you are shopping you can be confident that what you're buying will fit perfectly into your existing wardrobe.
7). Hit the Dressing Room Prepared: When shopping for a special occasion bring the proper undergarments with you. This will ensure that you buy the right size. I've bought a fitted dress in one size and then brought it home and wore it with those awesome things that suck you all in and the dress was too big. Bummer right? Also, you'll love the way you look in the dressing room instead of hoping that it works once you get it home.
8). Always Check Out the Rear View: Don't leave the house until you love how you look from every angle. If you don't love it, fix it or it will drive you crazy all day.
9). Round Down in Denim: We've all stood in the dressing room going back and forth between two different sizes of jeans wondering which ones to pick. Fortunately, I have the answer. If it has at least the minimum amount of stretch that I mentioned before it will stretch out a little so go with the smaller size. Now, this is only if they fit! If they won't button, that is not the size for you. However, if both size fits but one is just slightly tighter go with the tighter one and you won't have that saggy butt conundrum.
10). Edit Your Closet: Don't cram your closet so full that you can't see everything you own. I am NOT good at this. If you have questions about this, check out my sister's blog www.twentypieces.org. Her and her friend Julie will tell you all about editing your closet.
11). Open Your Mind: Don't just assume that something won't look good on you. Try it on, but be honest with yourself on how it looks. You might be surprised with what you find!
12). Own At Least One Thing That's Leopard: Yes. I said it. Leopard! It's awesome and a really fun neutral. You can do leopard shoes, a leopard belt, or even a leopard sweater or shirt. Please don't wear them all at the same time though. Only one piece at a time!
13). Never Buy a Boring Coat: Outerwear is a really easy and fun way to spice up an outfit, so take advantage of it!
14) .If You Have a Limited Budget, Spend it on Accessories: Buy classic clothing and have fun with accessories. You can buy cheap accessories that look great and add a major punch to your wardrobe.
15). Create Your Own Lookbook: I thought this was a really good idea. If you put together an outfit that gets lots of compliments, take a picture and save it on your phone or computer. That way when you are trying to recreate that look or create another one you can remember what you did that everyone loved so much.
So, there you have it. Fifteen of the fifty tips from the magazine. These were the best in my opinion and I hope they help. Just remember, shopping or getting dressed does not to be emotionally scarring. If it is, just call me and i'd love to help. I hope you find these tips helpful! Just remember, have fun and dress the way you are comfortable. Don't wear something simply because it's trendy, wear it because you love it and it looks good.
Good tips, Ellie. I like the one about never buying a boring coat. I bought my first non-boring coat this year, and thought I might regret it because it wasn't "practical" enough. But I love that it doesn't make me feel frumpy, and I still get to be warm!
ReplyDeleteThat's great Emily! You always look cute, so I'm surprised you haven't bought a fun coat before! I love them. My favorite winter/fall coat is a bright yellow long pea-coat I found at TJ Maxx last year.
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