I visited France during the summer and here are bags I kept seeing on the streets of Paris they are great travel bags.
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Hello everyone,
Are you wanting to bring in a little bit more style into
your classic wardrobe and look effortlessly chic and put together? Well, I have
some tips that are automatically going to make you effortlessly chic. Today's
post is going to be tips on how to always look chic regardless of your budget
with your personal style in mind. And, I encourage you to have a look at
shopping second-hand because you do get a lot more for your money. Every single
time that you leave the house you should feel chic but also it shouldn't look
like you tried too hard.
Clothes, Statement Pieces, and Accessories
One way to obviously look chic is to iron your clothes reaching for fabrics that are a little bit less prone to wrinkling. So, wear a little bit more luxury fabrics like silk and poplin which have a little bit less tendency to wrinkle.
Of course, accessorize with a third piece, and if you have jeans and a shirt on try to find one more piece to go with it. If it's a hat that's great or wears a nice jacket or duster or cardigan. And that extra third piece is going to make you stand out a little bit more from the crowd and it certainly doesn't take a lot of effort. Use a more neutral color scheme just because it makes life a lot easier and most of the colors match automatically. That's just kind of how to get an outfit to look cohesive especially when it comes to blazers. However, it is one of the biggest elements even if you were going to style a casual off-duty outfit that perhaps you might have otherwise styled with a pair of jeans you're wearing and some trainers. If you immediately add perhaps a pair of slacks or work trousers, tailored trousers, or a blazer or both, and then keep those trainers on it immediately makes that outfit both casual but also very chic. You perhaps work in an office environment where you do have to wear tailoring and you would class them as your work clothes and the last thing you want to do is be wearing your work clothes on your days off. I would advise having specific clothes for work and then perhaps some different tailored pieces that you can wear on those days off that you can style up a little bit differently.
Always think about what jewelry to wear because it is one of those transformation pieces that could take a basic outfit and elevate it to be something else entirely. The key whenever shopping for accessories is it could be jewelry, it could be hats, scarves, or bags. The key here is to find versatile pieces so that you could wear that same purse or jewelry piece every single day and that could be a signature piece of your style.
Necklaces, the key here is to have ones that are sort of at different lengths. It's great to not forget about jewelry it's such an easy way to elevate your style. It’s the number one way that makes you look more put together and a bit older. If that’s what you're looking for it can make you look so chic and how much time does it take to put on some rings. It doesn't take any time at all.
Bold Accessory
A statement accessory, you're wearing everything simple, but you have that one necklace like a choker, or you have a bold belt in a bold color maybe you have a scarf on. One element of interest that is really talking about making your outfit could also be a pair of shoes so with that one accessory over a classic outfit that'll just get eyes to come on to you.
In one scenario, you’re looking at your closet in the
morning and don't have too much time to plan out an outfit. The one thing to
reach for is a jumpsuit but also the same thing applies to a dress or something
monochromatic. The idea is with a jumpsuit you don't have to plan matching
pieces it's all just one color, it automatically looks chic. So, there are just
a few things to dress it up and it really depends on where you are going for
the day. But out of the box, it's already ready to go.
Tip number 1 -View clothes as a confidence booster
Don't let your wardrobe overrun your life. Don't let your
clothes shallow you up and don't let them speak for you. Your clothes should
complement who you are. What you wear shouldn't be for anyone else except
yourself. So, use it as a form of expressing and sharing positivity, and love
it. Be confident in what you wear what you want, and you'll be stepping into a
new world.
Tip number 2 - Balance and Alignment
You want to wear a loose top and tight fitted bottoms or
vice versa. Something fitted on top and loose on the bottom. It's going to
automatically make you chic. And of course, you want to make sure that if you
do wear that loose top you want to tuck it into the front so you can have a
little bit of that balance going on and maybe finish it off with the belt.
Tip number 3 - Contrast / Similarity / Line
Try to limit yourself to one accessory that has a purpose like a nice watch. A watch can be useful as well as stylish and have a clean effortless look. Lines and contrast can be the key to making a fantastic first impression whether it's being for a job interview or a first date. Simple gold and black watch with an all-black outfit will look stunning. And the pop of metal or steal against a quality fitted garment says nothing else but so effortlessly chic. A tiny little change makes such a big difference.
An easy way to create an effortless look is to put together a plain outfit and then add a big statement piece on. This can be a big chunky piece of jewelry and an eye-catching color or a killer pair of shoes. Your showstopper piece can also be your hairstyle, or your makeup just remembers that statement pieces can also be an integral part of your look and change the fit of the clothing. Like how a pink and change your neckline.
If you have something a bit sheer these are a great option.
For that, you can wear them in addition to a bra. It's just a great option
especially if you have a little bit of a neckline showing.
Tip number 4 - Emphasis / Dominance / Color
Classic colors and prints: stick to a classic and minimal color palette. So, we're talking neutrals, so whites, beige, camels, garage taupe, and pretty much anything else in between black, navy, and then also khaki, however, you would like to pronounce that one technically falls under the realm of neutrals. But blue will always be in the form of denim. Now there's nothing to say that you can't also mix in some prints into this otherwise very basic and muted color palette.
Really classic and versatile prints: so we're talking things like stripes, are always a good call leopard if you want something a little more, and then also checks especially in things like suiting blazers tailoring. All that kind of thing so, even if you have a few very basic pieces you can find that you will have multiple options just with those items and there are a few color combinations that are just so classic you can never beat them. So camel and black, tan, and navy, black and white, beige, and black are also a good color combo.
Try wearing nude colors the match your skin tone or any color amount of spectrum will always make a statement. Pairing a brown or ten items of clothing with black or as something with the same shade will heighten your sense of fashion. It's amazing how something so simple can really make a big impact, not just how you view yourself, even fashionistas will turn your direction.
Try and keep things as basic and minimal. This is just so much easier on the eye and it's also so much easier to put together a minimal outfit especially if you have a lot of classic basics within your wardrobe. Now another little mini tip is also the three-color rule and that's to stick to only three colors per outfit. Now I’m not saying that they have to be exactly the same colors you could have a neutral beige of some form and they might be different shades of beige but you could have a beige a black and then perhaps a white if you wear in trainers or it could just be two colors black and camel, as I’ve already said earlier that's a really good color combination.
A maximum of three colors per outfit is always going to make for something super have a classic and simple base some outfit examples of this might be denim on the bottom and then a knitwear piece on top like a sweater. Otherwise, I could do something like a skirt with a classic tee. These are very simple basics that I’m always going to have in my closet they're never going to go out of style and the key here is that they need to look tailor-made for you. They shouldn't look too bulky or as you got it off the rack it should look like it fits you properly. So even if you're not going out and shopping for new pieces look in your own closet and see which pieces you could really tailor to fit you properly. Just try not to over-accessorize either too much of a good thing is too much so just keep that in mind. In addition to layering, at max three necklaces that are on the dainty side but all one color or just wear it a watch is a really great way if you're in a rush; a really nice watch that can be so quick that just makes your whole outfit look more put together
One-color outfit
One-color outfits can create a statement that no pattern would ever be like all white any all color can make you stand out of the crowd. One-color outfits can be appropriate for any setting. They can speak for you about yourself and your interesting style. This includes all accessory pieces as well. Nothing else is really needed to complete the look. Such a time-saver wearing outfits of all one color is such a chic look that most people are afraid of trying. All right, outfits are so polished, clean, and crisp. Just be careful when wearing white, you don't want any coffee staying on anything on your white clothes then it's not going to look polished anymore and truly nothing is. Chicot on an all-black outfit, a color flattering for all skin tone and body types. This not only will make you look good but save you tons of time when you're getting dressed rather than wasting time picking out different tops and bottoms that match each other then we all know how stressful that can be just choose one color and go for it. One accessory can truly make a huge impact on your outfit.
Monochromatic
Walk out the door with an all grey outfit, all white, all
black is just going to say automatic chic from head to toe. One-color super is
chic. With every outfit this used to be a design trick used all the time and it
really led to some sophisticated looks and you can do this with your own
outfit. The key here is to stick with something that could be as simple as
black and white, then adding another color so that could be something. If you
really like color and you don't want to feel too limited. You could add red to
that or you could add something like a brown or a neutral. So it could be even
something like black, white, and grey the key is to stick to three colors. And
that's going to help you just run out the door so much faster in the day
without putting too much time and effort into creating the perfect outfit.
Tip number 5 - Form / Shape = Function
The next way, that you might be looking a little bit shabby
without realizing it, is never giving your outfit some shape, somewhere on your
body it could be so there could be so many different ways that you do this. So,
for example, the before, or as the bad outfit, it’s just boring, it's kind of
boxy on the top and the bottom, it's loose. Again, there's no shape anywhere on
my body
Or throughout the outfit. So, a little simple change is to
just throw on a pair of skinny jeans, instead. Again, it gives some shape to my
legs, a very simple change, but makes a big difference. Another example is a
jumpsuit, but by itself, it’s kind of, boring and again, no shape so, to fix
that, just tie a rope belt around the waist. It doesn't have to be crazy tight,
it can still be very flattering, but it gives some shape to the outfit. Wear a
belt that makes a statement. You're covering up seams, adding curves, and shape
into your outfit. Only the fashion gurus are wearing. How about trying a belt,
something simple?
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Tip number 6 - Value
So, bags for example, no matter what the value still needs to be padded out so that they can keep their shape and so that they don't crease. Leather and even PVC, if for example, you're a vegan bag creases really easily and it's very difficult to get creases out of bags like that so it's always a good idea to pad them out with tissue, pad them out with dust bags or whatever you can get your hands on. Just make sure that they're padded out enough to keep their shape. Also, make sure that you don't cram things into your wardrobe so much that nothing has any room to breathe. They're only going to crease and then that just makes getting dressed harder. An absolute fixing and repairing is also another thing to be aware of so if you have a seam that's starting to come undone even something small like a hole in a pocket it might not be particularly visible to everyone else. Missing buttons is also another important one. So if you are missing a button and you don't have the original perhaps you might want to take an entire set of buttons off an older garment of clothing or you could entirely replace all of the buttons with new buttons. And of course, shoes. So, heel tips are one of my big things. If a heel tip starts to the run-up to the point where it's gone through to the metal please replace your heel tips because you can absolutely ruin your shoes beyond professional repair if you wear them down to the metal.
Keeping shoes and bags both protected and clean is another
massive thing of any nubuck suede and leather. Use a protector spray that's
both handbags and shoes safe and depending on the amount of wear and the
season. Top that up as and when needed. All of those little mini tips for
looking after and taking care of the items that you already have in your
wardrobe also mean that it's going to prolong their life which essentially
saves you money and means that you have to buy less.
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Wardrobe Staples
To start we'll be looking at shirts a simple Tee is usually a go-to for a lot of people and a plain white one is a good investment piece but you can easily elevate this look with a Turtleneck or Mock Neck with a three-quarter sleeve that can come off sophisticated. Blouses, a plain white button-down is a must staple but a ruffled blouse will give your outfit dimension. Light knits like a jersey with a shape that's not basic for instance something Off-shoulder or a regular shape like a Tank Top and outside of stable tops statement pieces can be invested in based on your own personal preference,
Blaze corset suits can be feminine versus Graphic Band Tee can come off cool.
Concept of Portion
For pants, trousers both slim fit and wide work Denim is also a great base foundation as you can dress up a look and still be very comfortable but not as formal as wearing trousers. For example, Palazzo pants flare or bell button and boot cuts are good keywords to look for. The palazzo shape is the most comfortable one since it attaches to you, at the waist and all the rest all the length is very wide and very flowy. Also, they elongate the legs optically. Try sticking with dark denim, the light wash can be dressed up and look very good but it will always have a casual feel.
Art of Layering
Now outerwear, Sweaters are great for bringing different subtle elements to a look and there is such a wide range as preppy, intellectual to upscale grunge. They are also very great for layering as you can play a lot with a look when you mix color texture and pieces of different styles to create a very unique and fresh look. For example, two jackets: trench leather or faux fur are great staples to have as they're not only warm but can be a great accessory to add to a look.
Moving on to Skirts that are great as well as they can give a very feminine flair to a look that can be adapted to or contradicted with other pieces. Dresses in a solid color or ones that have very subtle patterns or textures are great basics. A classic one is the little black dress made famous by Givenchy and Chanel. Dresses that are more of a statement in a casual setting can be balanced out by pieces that are darker and less delicate. And a formal setting you can do the same duality to a lesser degree or stick with other delicate pieces to create a focus on the silhouette of the gown or dress.
Situation + Proportions
For shoes, having the right shoes can make an outfit and it can really take it from casual to formal. Pointed shoes for example can help to elevate a look to something chic. If you want to wear flat shoes I would opt for a type of loafer. They're more sophisticated and have a more luxurious element to them. And they can have a very academic look without being overly scholarly yet, they are cool in nature. A classic like a Loafer makes an outfit more relaxed without compromising on looking sophisticated and polished.
Investing in the perfect pair of shoes that are going to last the test of time is really important like a go-to heel that you can walk in comfortably is a must.
Another is Boots like a go-to are black heeled boots. Also, boots with a platform come off a bit edgier but they need to be sleek and polished to look chic.
Now, Sneakers can be chic to some degree, but they always will come off with a more sporty vibe even if they're not made for working out, but it's not always the most elegant option. They can downgrade a look to a smart casual rather than elevating. It does look very good on the right person though or in the right setting. It just has to be very well done to suit this style.
Now let's add accessories...
When you're deciding how to accessorize go for bold or subtle. An easy way to set guidelines: if you're wearing basics go for bold to upgrade your outfit but if you're only wearing statement pieces go for subtle to complement and create focus; If you're only wearing statement pieces go for subtle to complement and create focus. You want to keep it quite simple and clean structured. Bags and Sunglasses are great functional basics. This tip is of course subject to personal taste and preference but having the perfect everyday bag can really pull an outfit together whatever color that may be in and if you have a favorite bag in a bright color this can add as a beautiful accent investing in a classic handbag is great as it'll last you for years and years and you will get bored of it and it'll go with everything this is where you can play around more with subtle statement pieces such as hats scarves purses or more depending on your personal taste.
How to get that casual chic feel the classical way is of course to go with jewelry and how you combine it. Jewelry has been worn for centuries to enhance people's looks or to make a statement of status. While trends come and go there are still some basic guidelines that are timeless. Staple jewelry should be able to go with anything in your wardrobe and having a chic style is about being put together and jewelry can contribute to this. If you don't know whether your skin undertone is warm or cool or maybe neutral then gold or silver is a personal preference but the shade should match you so it can complement your features and your skin tone. if you are cool-toned and you gravitate to Gray's and cool colors go with a silver necklace. if you weren't owned and you naturally are attracted to warm yellows warm green tan shades then you'll go for a gold necklace.
If you add the Earrings plus the Necklace plus the Rings it will look more formal and maybe a bit less casual, but it's a matter of taste. And it's of course up to you to also consider Hair Accessories. Many brands this season are offering hair accessories as designs. It's a good time right now to invest in a few pieces. If you like having plenty of hair accessories it always looks a bit like you made an effort because it's less expected than regularly like clips, sliders, or pins, and headbands.
Apart from classical metals, you can totally go for colors. The outfit so far is really quite neutral so feel free to go crazy and look into bright colors. You curated your wardrobe and that made a clear decision as far as accessories are concerned and knowing what you want. Confidence is always chic.
Style Balance: "Rules may be broken
Now for color schemes, bright colors are not necessarily off-limits but should be straight away from blacks whites and neutral tones such as beige greys and navies should be the overall color scheme. This type of color scheme is chic as black is the color of sophistication, seriousness, control, and independence. Although neutrals can create a more classic European look they do indicate a lack of enthusiasm passion and sentiment but are very timeless versatile and natural this is because they are not located on the color wheel. If you're going for a casual outfit at home, then neutrals or harmonious colors are an excellent choice. Think beige, cream, Gray's, tan, and those muted or mid-tones. There is a psychological effect of neutral colors or harmonious color palette. It's very easy on the eyes and it's easy to take in. It's not loud. It's not in your face. It's very calming. You would get the maximum effect if you went for an all-neutral monochromatic look. However, adding soft pastels, accent color, or bright pops of color can elevate the look to being more effortlessly chic.
The next point is matching colors. An outfit looks chic If, it seems curated and the best way of achieving that is through color. For instance, if the pants and the shoes match; the lipstick matches the accent color of the bracelet; the accent color of the purse matches the dominant color of the shoes it can be done in a subtle way barely visible but the brain picks it up. And that is what makes the overall impression of being chic. Sometimes you'll see fashion week photos or street style pictures where people make a point of mixing and clashing both colors and patterns. It is a strategy as well, no doubt but it often looks very modern very trendy but not always chic. Now the more advanced version instead of color matching the pants and the shoes let's say you take two colors from the same family. There are different ways of doing that for instance, if the shoes are red the pants could be red where some black was added it will still look like it belongs together even though the two colors are different techniques or if the shoes are red the pants could be purple. Why purple? Well, because that's the color next to red on the color wheel that will always look a lot more fashionable, modern, and contemporary than if you do it with neutrals. But it is very hard once you have the right shoes to find the pants of the right color. That's why being a fashion stylist is a real job.
My next tip is to keep a limit of three colors in an outfit now not only does this give you room to make getting dressed a seamless process but it keeps a general outfit looking more simple and effortless
I'd like to move on to something which is often ignored in styling advice and that's the texture of what we wear. The chic in casual chic isn't just the way you look it's also the way you feel in what you're wearing. That's why looking into materials and textures is essential. Let's say you're wearing black from head to toe, very simple. Well, if the pins are in a nicely woven wool material and the sweater is cashmere is worn directly on the skin you feel great you just need one piece of jewelry and you're good to go. Less is more.
Minimalism is often chic than maximalism though I realize that's an extremely French perspective. What do you think in terms of textures? Now think beyond the basic cotton Jersey which is very flat on the surface of it especially in the valued category. If you look at sweaters and outerwear you can have ribbon with stripes. In 3d you can have diamonds, checkerboard cable knitting, and etc. There are a million possibilities your wardrobe will always look more sophisticated. If you plan it...if you curate it taking into account that you want to have several materials and several textures in it.
A myth around dressing chic or elegant is that it's overly girlish and conservative in nature. Pieces do not need to be traditionally feminine. Actually mixing more traditional masculine elements can work in your favor as they emphasize and highlight the differences in each other. Structured or oversized pieces on a daintier figure create more visual depth and highlight features.
The last point I want to make here is attitude. It's actually a very relaxed approach to fashion that is catered to your personality. The pieces themselves can be chic in essence but it's really how you feel and carry yourself. It's about how you style the clothing, the way you move in them, and how you present yourself.
You get the point now of how to curate and accessorize an outfit to get a certain effect which in this case is casual chic. But the question before all that is actually what is your personal style. This is an extremely difficult question knowing your own style is the basis for any decision you want to make when you put together an outfit.
