Your wardrobe: 7 basic steps to success
Does the label make the clothes? The answer is only if you feel like you have to drop your name or if you’re on a red carpet revealing who designed your dress. There are some in certain social groups who would disagree with this, but the reality is that if you’re an average person, it’s much more important that you look your best in a style that’s appropriate for your lifestyle and body type. . have the latest tag.
When was the last time someone you respect for their fashion sense told you that you looked great? By keeping seven basic principles in mind, you can look great all the time.
Step 1: Know your body type
None of us is perfect, so know your measurements and shape. Think about the length of your arm, leg, and torso and the shape and width of your shoulder, hip, waist, and thigh. Assess your overall body shape. One trick we like for this is to stand in front of a mirror with someone tracing your shape on the mirror with soap. Ok, you’ll have to wash the mirror afterwards, but it gives you a great idea of your shape. Finally, think about the areas you want to hide or accentuate.
Step 2: Be realistic
This works for all body types. Wear clothes that fit well. Squeezing in a smaller size doesn’t make you smaller. It makes you look like you’ve gained weight and didn’t buy the right size clothes. On the other hand, wearing baggy and bigger clothes in an attempt to hide things doesn’t work either. You just make yourself look sloppy and bigger. Don’t buy what you want to look good, but what really complements you.
Step 3: Just because they make it in your size…
…doesn’t mean you should buy it and use it. Fashion is only in fashion if you look attractive, not because a celebrity is wearing it or it has been featured in every fashion magazine. Low-rise pants brought this point home more than any fashion trend in recent history. A few years ago, you couldn’t be seen in public if you weren’t wearing low-rise pants/jeans. Yet 75% (and that’s conservative) of women in this country shouldn’t have used them. Now, at this point, we have to say that our opinion on low-rise pants may not be mainstream with the rest of the opinion in the fashion industry, but we know what we see. Also keep in mind that there are different styles of low-rise pants and some of this disastrous fashion situation could have been avoided by changing the style of low-rise pants worn. Low-rise pants make long torsos look longer. The least amount of excess weight or flab in the middle is emphasized. Someone without an obvious waist looks even straighter and less shaped. Big butts look bigger as do wide hips. Yet everyone rushed out to buy them and we’ve been subjected to fat rolls, protruding back straps, and worse ever since. Moral of the story: Wear a style that flatters, not fattens, and you’ll get a lot more compliments.
Step 4: Know your colors
Black is not everyone’s best friend. Colors sold in stores in a particular season may not be yours. Regardless of the method you use to determine the correct colors for you, you should do it. If you are unsure, contact an image or wardrobe consultant for professional help. It is worth the time and money. I had a client go from asking if she was sick all the time to asking if she was having an affair, all because she changed the colors in her wardrobe. Suddenly, she looked like her skin glowed, her eyes sparkled, and she was well-rested and ready to take on the world. People began to notice. What do you do when your colors are not in stores? Stock up on basic pieces when the season or colors of the year are yours. When the main colors aren’t quite your thing, you can usually still find accessories to complement your basic pieces or check out last year’s clearance and discontinued items.
Step 5: build from the ground up
You have conquered the main challenges: knowing your body, knowing your colors and not becoming a slave to fashion. So now you really need to build a wardrobe. Your lifestyle will determine where the emphasis is placed on the core elements of your wardrobe. However, here are some suggestions on what you should have. You will have to adapt to your lifestyle, but remember that the key to any successful wardrobe is having clothes that can be mixed and matched with other clothes. Please note that we are not dividing the list by summer and winter. Some of their items will be available throughout the year and others will be seasonal.
Pants:
- 3 pairs of work pants
- 2 pairs of casual pants
- 1 pair of night pants
skirts:
- 2 skirts for work
- 1 skirt for weekend or fun
- 1 skirt for evenings or social events
Jackets/Coats: (Where you live determines the weight)
- 2 Blazers or suit jackets for work
- 1 casual jacket for weekend or fun
- 1 night jacket or coat
Shoes:
- 1 pair of tennis shoes
- 2 pairs of black, brown, or navy (depending on base color) walking or casual shoes
- 2 pairs of work shoes in black, brown or navy
- 1 pair of stylish boots for winter or sandals for summer
- 1 pair of evening shoes
Tops:
- Blouses/work shirts for one week
- 2 casual weekend tops and 2 T-shirt tops
- 1 night top
Dresses:
Not all shapes lend themselves to wearing dresses. However, if you love dresses, you should have one for work, one for play, and a third for evening if you have a lot of social occasions.
Step 6: Think before you buy
Unless you’re shopping for a new base piece, don’t buy an item unless you already have three things in your wardrobe that you can wear it with.
Step 7: Budget
Spend most of your budget on the basic parts. You will thank me later for this advice. Quality base pieces will last and stay in style. Complete your wardrobe with accessories with the rest of your wardrobe budget. These items are often the trendiest or most seasonal items and have a shorter shelf life in your wardrobe. And for those of you who don’t have a wardrobe budget, get one. The easiest way to have an out-of-control closet or an overflowing shoe basket is to simply go shopping without a plan.
We can’t possibly cover all the ins and outs of fashion in one article, but these seven steps should get you started. It’s important to have a plan, make a list of what you have and stick to it. It’s even more crucial to know your body, be realistic, and wear what was made for you, not what was made for a supermodel. Happy shopping!
