Welcome to Day 1 of “The Ideal Wardrobe.” For today’s topic, I want to start at the beginning. We can’t become stylish unless we know what style is, right? These are the components of good style:
1. Modesty
You will never be stylish if your clothes make you self-conscious and others uncomfortable! Clothing should cover the body without hiding it. We look our best when we feel our best; nobody on earth ever felt good in a thong bikini! Most of the clothing made today, especially for teens, is far too skimpy and often bordering on vulgar. Ladies, don’t believe the hype. Nobody will respect you unless you respect yourself.
2. Elegance
A stylish lady always strives to look polished and feminine. Make an effort everyday to dress in an outfit that shows your graceful style, rather than moping around in old sweats and sneakers. If you don’t usually wear skirts or dresses, try it! If you like to dress casually, that’s ok, but there’s no need to fall into the jeans-and-tee rut either. Even at our most dressed-down, we can add elegance through accessories. Elegant style icons of yesterday include Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly. Modern Day elegance is expressed by Kate Middleton and Taylor Swift.
3. Current
To be stylish, one must dress for the current times (within reason)! This is usually more of a problem for older ladies who are emotionally attached to what they wore when they felt young and pretty. Style knows no number! We can be fashionable at every age. The pants you wore in 1990 probably won’t look good now. Things that were popular decades ago should remain in the past. I read once that if you took part in a fad the first time around, don’t try it again. Good advice!
4. Flattering
Stylish clothing is flattering. It fits the body you have, not the body you wish you had. Clothing should gently skim the body without being tight. The goal here is to emphasis our feminine shapes. Color is also a key component. If you haven’t read Color Me Beautiful, buy or borrow a copy. Depending on your hair/eye/skin color, certain shades will look better or worse than you. I personally have dark hair and eyes and a very pale complexion which puts me in the Winter category. I look best in black, white, and strong jewel tones. (My favorite is purple.) I would never wear yellow, orange, or brown.
5. Occasion Appropriate
A stylish outfit suits the occasion. If you work in an office, wear a pretty suit. Put on a cute skirt for a dinner date. Wear a nice turtleneck to Temple. You don’t have to be the best-dressed lady in the room, but please make sure you’re not the worst-dressed. In the picture above, this lady is shows how to wear a striped blouse 3 different ways, for 3 different occasions.
How do you define style?