Advice That Never Goes Out Of Style
Clothing goes out of style with the season, but some advice is eternal. Style isn't an instinct you're born with, but a skill you cultivate over time. If you want to cultivate a personal style you'll love, and will still love in a decade, these 20 tidbits of advice can set you on the right path.
1. Quality Over Quantity
There's a reason why capsule wardrobes are such a big deal, and it's not just because we're trying to counteract overconsumption. If you invest in quality pieces, you won't have to replace them every season. Additionally, you'll be able to find these staple items much easier if your wardrobe isn't cluttered.
Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
2. Don't Chase Trends
Trends come and go with the phases of the moon, especially with the rise of microtrends. Following these trends can lead to a loss of personal style and will easily date outfits down to the month in pictures. Chances are that those trends aren't worth it.
3. Make Trends Work For You
This doesn't mean that you can never follow any trend, even if you really like it. Rather, we encourage conscientious consumption. if you really enjoy a trend, adapt it to fit your personal style and make that trend go the distance.
4. Elegance Is Learned
Like the song says, money can't buy you class and elegance is learned. It takes time to develop a personal style. Be prepared for a few bumps along the road.
5. Don't Forget Details
A few minor details won't break a good look, but they can certainly make one. Your outfit should feel purposeful and complete. Tucking or layering your clothes in a certain way can elevate a simple look.
6. Avoid Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is everything wrong with modern trend cycles. It's cheaply made, exploitative, and terrible for the environment when it gets tossed in the bin after a couple of wears. You can do so much better than that.
7. Don't Over Accessorize
A woman known for her minimalism, Coco Chanel famously said: "before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." That doesn't need to be a hard and fast rule every time you style a look, but it can help ensure your accessories feel purposeful. Excessive accessories will muddle your look.
8. Labels Aren't Everything
Good personal style doesn't mean designer everything down to your underwear. Plenty of people use designer brands as a crutch, relying on brand recognition to elevate poorly-put together looks. You can be just as stylish on a budget, don't worry about brands.
9. Spend Wisely
However, if you do want to splurge on a few designer pieces, make sure you invest in them. We recommend statement pieces that won't get worn out and will really feel special. if you're a savvy spender, you can make even the most reached-for items in your closet last forever.
10. Stick To Basics
High-quality basics are the foundation of a timeless and flexible wardrobe. These pieces can be dressed up or down in any season and any context. Focus on what you'll wear weekly, not once a year.
11. Pay Attention To Fabric
Not every fabric is suited to every occasion. Natural fabrics are best for the environment and longevity, but they don't always breathe well for exercise. Fabrics also vary by season, with linen wicking summer sweat away and wool keeping you warm in the winter.
12. Keep It Neutral
A lot of people resist building a capsule wardrobe because they don't want it to be boring. While neutrals are the building blocks of a great wardrobe, they shouldn't be the entirety of your wardrobe. Timelessness doesn't mean boring grey, it means knowing where to start.
MohamadReza Khashay on Unsplash
13. Get It Tailored
Tailoring is the best-kept secret in the style game. You should fit your clothes to your body, not your body to your clothes. A good, flattering fit will make all the difference, even with basics.
14. Play With Color
Like we said, elegance doesn't have to be boring. A simple outfit can benefit from a pop of color on a dreary day. Or, a bold outfit with colorblocking or tonal dressing can guarantee that all eyes are on you.
15. Flaunt What You've Got
No matter what your body looks like, there are clothes out there that will fit it like they were made for you. Following body type guidelines can be helpful in learning what fits and styles are most flattering. However, if you know you have great legs or shoulders, dress to accentuate your assets rather than follow rules.
16. Embrace Your Natural Hair
For everyone who spent their teenage years flat-ironing their curls into submission, there's someone who spent hours barrel-curling their pin-straight hair every morning. Trying to change your hair's texture will only damage it in the long run. The natural look is best.
17. Take Care Of Your Clothes
Clothes fall apart over time, even the best-made ones, especially if they aren't taken care of. If you want to dress like a grown-up, you need to treat your clothes with grown-up care. That means steaming silks and linens; that means learning what laundry cycles to use.
18. Dress For Yourself
At the end of the day, you're the one wearing the clothes, not your partner who likes a different style, not fashion bloggers trying to sell you something, and certainly not your Instagram followers. Life is too short to dress like someone you aren't for someone you aren't. Wear things that feel like you.
Katsiaryna Endruszkiewicz on Unsplash
19. Stay Comfy
Whoever first coined the term "beauty is pain" was a) trying to sell you something and b) a liar. Beauty doesn't have to be painful; in fact, it shouldn't be painful. Your body is more important than the clothing covering it, keep it comfortable.
20. Confidence Is Key
You're never fully dressed without a smile. A good outfit can boost your confidence, but confidence can boost even the simplest of outfits. A sense of self-worth is the best accessory money can't buy.
