Do you ever worry about losing that certain bit of fashionable flair that everyone covets -- and that few can harness? Have I got the solutions for you. While these tips don’t proclaim to solve your fashion-related problems altogether, they can definitely help you move in the right direction -- a better accessorized, more easily organized life with fewer worries about what to wear and when to wear it.
Dedicate a portion of your closet to never-fails: the clothes that you can always turn to in a pinch. For me, that’s a black pencil skirt, a dark pair of jeans, a chiffon blouse with buttons up the front, and a big brown hobo purse in leather.Black peep toes have recently found their way into the mix after an absence, too.
Tip: Don’t feel ashamed to admit that you need to revisit your basics or that you need to buy go-to pieces. They’re some of the best to have in that wardrobe of yours.
Have you ever researched what season you are? Do you know what colors flatter you most? Are you confident that your makeup and hair is updated enough to pass muster? When was the last time you went shopping, or window shopping, or asked people with critical eyes about what they thought of your style? If it’s been a while, try wading back in and seeing what the concensus is. While I wouldn’t recommend going shopping with friends and having them buy your whole wardrobe for you, I would try seeing what they think of the whole shebang, poll-style.
Tip: Don’t ask frenemies what they think of your ensemble -- ask real friends. While criticism can be good, you need the honest kind.
It’s so easy to fixate on details that you find unattractive -- details that aren’t just unattractive, but that you can’t change. Stop it, friend! Instead, focus on things that are absolutely, positively within your control, like hair color or perhaps nails. Stop staring at those cankles, because it won’t do you any good. Channel those fix-it thoughts to your wardrobe, beauty details, or other personal improvements.
Tip: If you can’t afford a hairstylist, go to a hairdressing school instead.
Style books are the key to dressing better when you are fresh out of ideas. Skip staring at the drawing board and instead crack open something like Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred, one of my new favorite books that always gets me thinking about the fast ways to good style. Review Elegance, a book of fashion photography from the 1930s, and then head back into that closet for another go-round.
Tip: Books are expensive. Are you using your public library the best you can?
Gain power and self-confidence through refashioning. Instead of thinking that you’re doomed as someone highly uncrafty, take a sewing class and get on it. Learn beading or start doing your own shoe repairs. Teach yourself how to iron. Learn shortcuts to annoying little wardrobe ticks that make you crazy. Ask people how they make the things you like. Get busy.
Tip: Look for independent jewelry courses.
I’ve started collecting scarves from a well-known fashion designer, and it has made me so happy. I don’t worry about how much I’m spending (because the total is so small), and I get so much enjoyment out of what I have. The prices I pay are a pittance, but my collection still fills me with joy -- now that’s successful!
Tip: Track your spending if you feel like you’re going to get out-of-control with your hobby.
1. Go back in.
Dedicate a portion of your closet to never-fails: the clothes that you can always turn to in a pinch. For me, that’s a black pencil skirt, a dark pair of jeans, a chiffon blouse with buttons up the front, and a big brown hobo purse in leather.Black peep toes have recently found their way into the mix after an absence, too.
Tip: Don’t feel ashamed to admit that you need to revisit your basics or that you need to buy go-to pieces. They’re some of the best to have in that wardrobe of yours.
2. Take a good look.
Have you ever researched what season you are? Do you know what colors flatter you most? Are you confident that your makeup and hair is updated enough to pass muster? When was the last time you went shopping, or window shopping, or asked people with critical eyes about what they thought of your style? If it’s been a while, try wading back in and seeing what the concensus is. While I wouldn’t recommend going shopping with friends and having them buy your whole wardrobe for you, I would try seeing what they think of the whole shebang, poll-style.
Tip: Don’t ask frenemies what they think of your ensemble -- ask real friends. While criticism can be good, you need the honest kind.
3. Embrace what you can’t change.
It’s so easy to fixate on details that you find unattractive -- details that aren’t just unattractive, but that you can’t change. Stop it, friend! Instead, focus on things that are absolutely, positively within your control, like hair color or perhaps nails. Stop staring at those cankles, because it won’t do you any good. Channel those fix-it thoughts to your wardrobe, beauty details, or other personal improvements.
Tip: If you can’t afford a hairstylist, go to a hairdressing school instead.
4. Read good style books.
Style books are the key to dressing better when you are fresh out of ideas. Skip staring at the drawing board and instead crack open something like Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred, one of my new favorite books that always gets me thinking about the fast ways to good style. Review Elegance, a book of fashion photography from the 1930s, and then head back into that closet for another go-round.
Tip: Books are expensive. Are you using your public library the best you can?
5. Teach yourself.
Gain power and self-confidence through refashioning. Instead of thinking that you’re doomed as someone highly uncrafty, take a sewing class and get on it. Learn beading or start doing your own shoe repairs. Teach yourself how to iron. Learn shortcuts to annoying little wardrobe ticks that make you crazy. Ask people how they make the things you like. Get busy.
Tip: Look for independent jewelry courses.
6. Start a collection (a reasonable one).
I’ve started collecting scarves from a well-known fashion designer, and it has made me so happy. I don’t worry about how much I’m spending (because the total is so small), and I get so much enjoyment out of what I have. The prices I pay are a pittance, but my collection still fills me with joy -- now that’s successful!
Tip: Track your spending if you feel like you’re going to get out-of-control with your hobby.