The art of dressing up is a form of self-expression as it immediately reflects your individual personality. With access to social media, today’s generation is constantly getting updated on what’s trending and what's not. For someone starting to explore their style, might get daunted with so much information and availability. The strategy is to follow up with a simple guideline that can be useful to help develop a personal style that effortlessly represents your true identity.
Let's breakdown 8 simple tips and tricks that will guide you to characterize your genre of style.
1. Start With Minimal Fits
Keeping it minimal can be the starting point for beginners, getting into fashion. The goal should always be, to feel comfortable in any outfit. Start with basics, like a t-shirt or cotton Kurtis, styled with a pair of denim. You can throw on accessories like colorful scarfs/ bandanas to add some interesting touch to the styling.
If you are into casuals, an oversized graphic t-shirt paired with mom jeans or an ankle-length skirts is a fun fit for your style. Throw on a cool pair of sneakers and funky accessories to form a quirky vibe.
Silk or linen shirts with contrasting colored bottoms are a great fit for formal attire. Add on a watch and some minimal earrings to give keep it classic.
Moreover, monochromes with as beige, black, grey, shades of brown and white are some timeless tones that will fit in perfectly at all times. It is also a good starting point to understand what colors you identify with, while slowly beginning to experiment with trying bolder colors.
2. Pick Colors That Complement Your Skin Tone
Choosing the right color can drastically enhance your style and the wrong pick can do the total opposite. The first thing is to acquire some knowledge about the basics of skin tones and color compositions. Do some research to figure out in which category you fit in. If your shade tilts towards warmer, neutral or cool. There are plenty of online resources to guide you in understanding the basics of skin tone and color palettes.
If you bend towards a warm skin tone, vivacious and richer colors like red, orange, coral, gold, or green are the most complementary. Some of the warmer shades of pastel such as olive, beige, and taupe are also some great options for warmer skin tones. Avoid chilly colors like icy blues or bluish silver as they will make the skin look ashy and grey.
For cooler skin tone the best colors are inspired by the depths of the ocean and the depths of winter. Bright blues, emeralds and deep purples along with frosty shades of lavender, ice blue, or pink will add to your charisma. Avoid bold orange, yellow, red as they can conflict against your skin tone.
If you fall into the neutral spectrum then it's safe to go with any color because everything looks great on neutral skin tones. Start with the pastel tones and style them with darker or muted shades to create a balanced contrast. Since a lot of us love to wear bright shaded clothes, be mindful when organizing a color combination. If you like to wear upbeat tones do remember to tone it down a bit with solid or pastels contrasts to create a soothing and elegant presence.
3. Dress According To Your Body Type:
"Your body type is the outline of your structure. Thus, understanding your body type helps with planning clothes, and turning them in a way that enhancing your best features seamlessly. Whether you have a rounded body, a pear shape, and the perfect hourglass or a basic square, there is always a style that goes with your specific body type."
For a skinnier structure, it’s better to wear clothes with full sleeves or vertical silhouettes to create a fuller illusion. Cuts like A-line or elongating flare are also suitable to create the delusion of a border structure. Go for bold and big prints as they will look flattering on a smaller body. Similarly, baggy and pleated patterns are a few other ways to create a curvier visual through styling.
If you fall into the curvier side, try highlighting your curves by emphasizing the waistline. Styles that are cinched or belted are always a great way to do this. This will form the illusion of an hourglass figure instead. Avoid cuts like the round neckline, vertical or ruffle patterns as they will add excessive bulk to your structure.
Since this body type is rounded all over, select colors like dark neutrals, black, chocolate, deep green, gray to provide a significant slimming effect. Avoid overly busy prints or patterns because they can easily make you look like a mass of fabric.
4. Be Mindful About Mixing Prints
Mixing prints has always a been a popular trend to showcases an innovative vision while styling an outfit.
When styling prints, the key thing is not to overdo it. Start with soft patterns like plaids, stripes, florals or small polka dots and slowly get comfortable to wear something bold and intriguing.
Stripes and checks are a few neutral prints that can go with almost everything and easy to style in all seasons. Basic colors like black, blue, beige, and white are a classic way to mix with stripes and plaids without creating any conflict.
Florals are undoubtedly the chosen print for summer and spring as they depict the tones of nature. A good idea is to combine the same floral prints but in different tones to give an interesting touch to your outfit.
Polka dots, one more classic that easily teams up with other prints. Specifically, polka dots with stripes, are a modern way to hype up your styling game.
If you are someone who enjoys the attention, then your pick should be animal prints. Styling different patterns of animal prints in one outfit can significantly make your look stylish. Animal prints are mostly for winters for their deeper and darker shades but if you feel confident enough then it can be worn in any season.
5. Be A Smart Shopper
Don’t just buy something to wear only once. Instead, try owning a few timeless pieces in your wardrobe that are more flexible and can easily be thrown in for multiple occasions.
"Before making a purchase think consciously about the necessity of the item. Most of the time we end up buying the same items maybe with a little change in the detailing. It's important to give a good scan of your wardrobe more often to avoid impulsive shopping. This way we are being mindful of what we bargain and where are we spending our valuable earnings. Follow the 48 hour rule. Wait for 48 hours before purchasing something when you feel impulsive. If you still need it after giving it 48 hours to think, go for it and shop it off."
It’s easy to get tempted by good discounts and bargains but one should always take the advantage of great sales. Look for items that you honestly need to add to your arsenal and stay away from buying pointless pieces. At the end of the day if the item doesn’t get used enough, then it is a waste of money.
Allow yourself to buy one or two quality pieces every month, this way you will own a far more stylish and sustainable wardrobe.
6. Don’t Just Follow Trends
Be selective about trying on new trends. Pick trends that will enhance your existing sense of style.
We all have different personalities therefore, our style will be unlike any other in many ways. The key is to recognize what triggers your taste and pick trends according to that.
One thing to keep in mind is that most of the trends we see each season, last for a fraction of time until a new trend takes over. Your last-season favorite goes out of style, and you don’t want to wear it again.
It is always the timeless trends that keep coming back. It’s alright to admire the latest extravagant trends that designers have created on runways, but still wear clothes that bring up the best in you. Fashion should always be about self-expression rather than following someone else’s footsteps.
7. Keep An Inspo Board
Keep a journal of your favorite fashion icons, bloggers or designers, styles, pieces and brands with comprehensive research to keep an inspiration guide for you can recreate for personal development.
Make the most out of apps like Pinterest, Instagram, Google, and get connected to your favorite fashion personalities. Observe their style and how they create an entire look with accessories, hair, and makeup. This way you can pick up styles that you admire and customize it your way.
The easiest way is to keep a Pinterest mood boards, pin down all your inspirations in one place by naming them according to each category. Start from outfits to shoes to accessories and keep pictures that resonates with your vibe and improvise accordingly.
8. Make The Most Out Of Your Existing Wardrobe
It sounds obvious, but it's easy to forget what's hiding in our wardrobes. So, before you go ahead and buy something new or dump an old piece, make sure you have a very clear idea of what is in your wardrobe already. A seasonal clear out is a logical way to know what you already own. It will lead you to avoid accidentally buying similar goods.
"Try the hanger trick from the beginning of each season. Hang all your pieces parallelly and each time you wear a piece, turn the hanger around. It’s a convenient way to observe what you wear and what you don't."
After a decluttering session, sell or give away the items you don’t need anymore. There is no wrong in wearing the same clothes multiple times. One-piece can be restyled in many ways with small changes in the process. So take advantage of it and restyle your outfit to create an exciting outlook. Add statement pieces of jewelry and accessorize smartly, this way your outfit will never look the same even after wearing it more than once.
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