While I cannot claim that I should be featured on the Sartorialist, I have noticed a few tricks that set the style goddesses apart from us mere mortals. We all have a person in our life who we can’t resist checking out for outfit ideas. While they have average looks and a tiny budget, their inspirational style continues to elude us. Some styles are the result of genius, but the least creative among us can successfully create our own superior look by making a few changes. Here are a few things that the style mavens of today are doing differently:
1. While You Wear Chapstick, She Wears Lipstick
Wearing lipstick or a lip-stain will add an extra step to your daily morning routine, but a pop of color on your mouth will compliment both your face and your outfit, taking a boring ensemble from plain to intriguing. Picture jeans and a grey t-shirt with red lipstick, and I think you’ll understand what I mean.
Fix It: Go to a makeup store and have an expert show you the shades of lipstick that will compliment your complexion. If you’re not up for the maintenance of lipstick, lip stains or colored lip glosses are also great options.
2. While You Pick At Old Polish, She’s Getting a Manicure
If you pay attention to the top style blogs, you’ll notice that each outfit model has freshly painted nails. Clean, tidy nails are the perfect elegant touch for any outfit, while chipped nail polish is not.
Fix It: Because I’m in college I learned how to paint my own nails from Youtube tutorials, and when I’m busy I use clear nail polish so no one will notice when it’s chipping.
3. While You Buy Everything in Black, She’s Embracing Color
I used to make this mistake and didn’t understand why I wasn’t excited to wear my clothes. Every style book I’ve ever read will tell you to start incorporating rich, jewel-toned colors into your wardrobe ASAP. Beautiful, saturated colors will energize you, brighten your face, draw attention to your outfit, and will look more expensive than drab alternatives. Dark colors are great for wardrobe basics like coats and pants, but try to curb your practical urges and take a chance on ruby red, emerald green, cobalt blue, or turquoise.
Fix It: The easiest way to incorporate color into your wardrobe is by finding inexpensive t-shirts, scarves, and jewelry in bold shades. You can experiment with different colors this way without breaking the bank, and it will be a piece of cake to match your neutral pieces with your new purchases. Make an effort to learn the colors that work best for your skin tone.
4. While You Say Yes, She Says No… A Lot
Even if you are the wealthiest person in the world, without restraint, your outfits are going to be unremarkable. If you spend your monthly clothing allowance on cheap jeans and shirts that look just “okay” on you, you’ll be forever jealous of the budget style princess who not only has it all-together, but looks interesting too. The stylish make lists, refuse mediocrity, and patiently wait for closet gems to cross their paths.
Fix It: Always focus on quality versus quantity. If something isn’t incredible, just say no. If you have $50 a month to spend on clothes, buy one nice thing instead of 5 cheap ones. Make a list of the things you feel are missing from your closet, and be willing to wait to find those items.
5. While You Add To Your Closet, She’s Cleaning Out Hers
You would probably be surprised if you walked into a typical stylish woman’s closet– while you might expect it to be overflowing with clothes, it’s actually minimal and organized. There is nothing in the closet that she doesn’t like to wear because she regularly prunes it, sometimes as often as 5 or 6 times a year. Because her closet is pared down, she can see all of the clothes she owns. As a result, she doesn’t buy repeats, she can easily pair items together, and she can tell if her closet is missing a basic transitional piece.
Fix It: Look through your closet and donate clothes you never wear, clothes you’ll never get around to fixing, old clothes with sentimental value, and repeat clothing (for example, 5 blue t-shirts that look exactly the same). When you feel like shopping, clean out your closet instead, you might find a hidden gem or two you forgot you had.
6. While You’re Bored, She’s Getting Inspired
There are many ways to relax, but the stylish woman always incorporates inspiration into her breaks. A daily dose of new ideas is the key to what truly sets her apart from others. While the average girl gets stuck in a comfy style rut (I love me some jeans and tees!), the style diva is constantly on the lookout for ways to keep her style fresh and interesting. This doesn’t mean she blindly follows fads– instead she selectively chooses something new that resonates with her personality, tweaking it to make the look her own.
Fix It: Make a Pinterest account to collect outfit ideas, find a couple of style blogs to follow (two of my favorites are Atlantic-Pacific and A Beautiful Mess), and start picking up those fashion magazines when you’re in the dentist’s waiting room (or subscribe to one!). And, never, ever wear something just because it’s currently a trend, you have to love it too!