How to be stylish

Think of the most stylish people you know. What do they all have in common?

Most likely, it’s nothing. Because true style isn’t about following the latest fashion trends, it is about finding a unique style that suits you, your body and your personality.

Here are five simple steps to a more stylish and more confident you.

1. 1. Do a style re-assessment

In the most positive way possible, take a long hard look at yourself. Gather together all your favourite photographs of yourself, and ask yourself the following: what clothes are you wearing? And what is it you like about how you look you in them?

This will help you to discover what makes you look good.

2. Detox your wardrobe

We all have those items hiding at the back of our wardrobe that we will never wear, either because they are too daring, we don’t fit in them, or we bought them on impulse and can’t face letting them go. Style doesn’t mean squeezing yourself into something that’s not you.

It’s incredibly therapeutic to get rid of all the items you will never wear, to make room for the ones you definitely will.

3. Define your uniform

We all have those go-to outfits that we feel the most comfortable and confident in. These are the outfits you could call your everyday ‘uniform’ – for Kate Moss, for example, it‘s jeans, t-shirt and a black blazer: for you it could be anything that you reach for above all else.

Once you have identified what your everyday style is, invest in some items that will last. You can then experiment by dressing your uniform up with accessories to complete the look.

For example, if your ‘uniform’ is a shift dress and loafers, add a necklace or thick wrist band. If it’s loose trousers and a polo neck, adding classic accessories like silver watches can add chic, timeless style, and Tesco have some great options to choose from.

4. Think head to toe

Style isn’t just about your clothes. Shoes and hats are just as important.

A well chosen hat can make a real statement, just as shoes that clash with your outfit can ruin a style instantly. Invest in two pairs of comfortable neutral shoes such as black ballet pumps, and one pair of killer heels.

5. Hold your head up high

Style is all about confidence, and an outward sign of confidence is your posture and how you hold yourself. Practice holding your head up high when you walk, making open gestures with your arms and looking people in the eye when speaking.

These physical actions will help you to feel more confident and in control, as well as saying to the world ‘this is who I am’.

Regardless of what size or shape you are, style, like beauty, is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. By all means follow fashions, but if you are true to yourself, ooze confidence and wear clothes that suit you, you won’t go far wrong.

Image by striatic used under the Creative Commons license