How to dress like an elegant woman

A Step by Step guide on How to Dress Like an Elegant Woman

The secret to dressing elegantly is undoubtedly making the clothes work for you, not the other way around. Knowing how to style outfits to suit your body type, frame and skin tone whilst creating a sleek and simplistic appearance.

It’s very comfortable on the eyes. Nothing too revealing. Most importantly, you want to wear the clothes, not let the clothes wear you. Let me explain.

When the clothes are ill-fitted, or the colours are too bright for your tonal contrast, they will look overwhelming on you and overshadow you. So, all people see are the clothes you wear, not your beautiful and wholesome self. Hence, the clothes are wearing you!

Understanding the principles of refined styling enables you to create harmony between you and your outfit of choice. Knowing how to dress for your body type and choosing your colours will accentuate your best features, where you are wearing the clothes.

The below steps will give you a system to turn your wardrobe into a harmonious expression of who you are and take you directly into your high-value ladylike era.

Step 1: Dress for your Body Type

As we discussed earlier, elegant dressing is about choosing clothes that accentuate your best features, creating a gorgeous feminine silhouette. Therefore, understanding how to dress for your body type is the foundation of dressing elegantly.

This means choosing cuts and fits that complement your figure. For example, if you have a pear-shaped body, where your upper body is more narrow than your lower body, then choose outfits that are fitted on the top to enhance your slim bodice and a looser bottom like a flared or A-line skirt and wide-leg trousers.

If you have a rectangular-shaped body, then cinch in the waist to create feminine curves. Peplum tops or belted outfits are perfect to give you a more defined waist.

The idea is to choose the fit and cuts that balance the proportion of your body. This is not to say one body shape is better than another. We’re not body-shaming here!

Your body is beautiful as it is. You certainly don’t need to change it to look elegant. You just need to work with it, and you’d be surprised how a small tweak to your styling techniques can elevate your appearance.

Finally, a woman’s body will be ever-evolving as we go through different stages in life. Your body in your 20s, 30s, and 40s will be different, not to mention pre- and post-giving birth and then, of course, menopause. Your body shape will change, it’s a fact of life.

So let’s just accept your body for what she is and be proud of her strength and resiliency of bouncing back. However, our styles should evolve and complement her new shape.

Step 2: Wear well-Fitted Clothes that Enhance Your Silhouette

There’s nothing worse than wearing clothes that don’t fit you properly. Wearing well-fitted clothes will enhance your silhouette and make you feel beautiful, leading to an increase in self-confidence.

It’s just awkward and unkempt if you are constantly adjusting your clothes or being self-conscious about what you’re wearing. Therefore, when you wear well-fitting clothes, you’re already halfway there to look polished and put together.

To find clothes that fit you well, firstly, you need to wear the right size. If it feels tight in the changing room, then it’s likely going to be uncomfortably tight after you’ve had a meal.

Invest in a good seamstress! We’re not all born supermodels. If you’re petite like me, most off-the-shelf items need to be tailored to fit. I often have to get my jeans and trousers hemmed and shorten the sleeves of my blazer.

Yes, it’s an additional cost, but it’s worth it. When you feel good about the way you look, you will stand taller with more confidence.

Step 3: Know Your Colours

Choosing the right colours can enhance your complexion and highlight your best features. Much like makeup, figuring out if your skin tone is warm, neutral or cool will help you select colours that complement you.

Apart from skin tone, you need to understand the contrast of your overall complexion. For example, if you have dark hair and fair skin, you have high tonal contrast. If you have light hair and fair skin, your contrast is low.

The easiest way to determine this is by taking a black-and-white photo of yourself. Do you see an obvious contrast between your hair and your face, like me on the right? Or are they more even-toned, like the lady on the left? Or somewhere in between?

Why is this important?

This is important because it will help you determine the right colour intensity that looks best on you. In other words, if you have low contrast, wearing bold, intense colours may be overpowering and too glammed for every day, and softer pastel colours create a better balance.

I won’t go into the details of colour analysis as I’ll be here forever. There’s a lot of nuances when it comes to colours. But in simple terms, once you know your skin tone and your contrast, you can easily find your best colours.

Wearing complementary shades will create a harmonious overall look and effortlessly bring out your natural beauty. You will look fresher, younger, and brighter. Conversely, wearing the wrong colour will make you look older and washed out.

I do think everyone can wear every colour. It’s just a matter of finding the right temperature and intensity for you.

Step 4: Embrace Colours but Limit to Three

Now that we know how to make colours work for us, we should embrace them! I’ve always loved wearing colours, but I never quite knew how to wear them. Until I know my colours and these three colour styling principles.

When incorporating colours, three colours are the sweet spot, in my opinion. The key to looking elegant and sophisticated is creating a sense of simplicity, sleekness and harmony with your appearance. You can achieve this in one of three ways.

Monotone look

The monotone concept is wearing shades of the same colour. This is super classy and effortlessly elevating. It can create a sleek and elongated silhouette for us petite people.

However, the secret in making this look work is sticking to no more than three shades, and it must be of the same temperature for a cohesive look. In other words, if you’re wearing a cool blue, then stick to all cool-toned blues, or if you’re creating a warm pink look, then choose warm pink shades.

Neutrals plus accent colour

You can’t go wrong with a neutral wardrobe. But neutrals can get boring after a while. So I like to spice up my neutrals with a pop of colour, either with a coat, a scarf, a handbag or shoes.

Using accessories is a great way to add interest to a neutral outfit. I love to add a colourful handbag as an accent to my neutral outfit or vice versa. We often see the Princess of Wales embrace this styling tip.

I like to start with a statement piece I want to wear, then build the rest of my outfit around it. The key is not to have multiple statement pieces fighting for attention.

Three colour Rule

Lastly, limiting your outfits to three colours will give you a more balanced and harmonious look. Mixing more than three colours at the same time will make them look busy, OTT and trying too hard.

Finding the right three colours is key. You can mix comparable colours, i.e. adjacent colours on the colour wheel, like yellow, orange and red or aqua, blue and green. Alternatively, you can combine opposite colours together such as yellow, orange and purple, or red, blue and green.

Step 5: Prioritise natural fabrics

Looking classy and elegant is not just about how you look. It needs to radiate from the inside out. So it’s everything about how the clothes make you feel. Therefore, you’d want to wear things that feel extra luxe on the skin, like natural fabrics, like cotton, silk, linen, and cashmere, are elegant wardrobe essentials.

They allow your skin to breathe, comfortable to wear all day, and feel luxurious on your skin. They’re also better quality, more durable and will last much much longer. Therefore, your cost per wear significantly reduces.

Remember, when you buy cheap, you buy twice! hehe… This brings me to the next step.

Step 6: Cultivate a Quality over Quantity Mindset

I am really not a fan of this excessive consumerism and fast fashion mindset. Every time I go onto Instagram or YouTube, I am bombarded by shopping haul after shopping haul; It’s so wasteful! You don’t need five white shirts from H&M.

I think we need to be more intentional with where we’re spending our hard-earned money. It’s more sustainable to invest in quality items, which will be more durable and therefore more cost-effective in the long run.

Believe me when I say I have clothes from nearly a decade old, and I still wear them today! You’d have to look after them, of course.

When you wear quality clothes, they fit better and look and feel better on your body. It does require you to be a savvy shopper though. Choosing the right quality, fit, cut, and style needs to be timeless, which you will know after this post!

By the way, when I say quality, I don’t mean chasing expensive designer items. You get what you pay for, of course, but you don’t need to spend luxe designer money to find quality items. Instead, focus on craftsmanship, fabrics, fit and how it makes you feel. If it makes you feel fabulous, then you’ve got a winner.

Step 7: Define ‘Your’ Signature Style

Elegance isn’t about mimicking someone else’s style. It’s about choosing a timeless style that resonates with your personality and taste. Take the time to discover your preferred silhouette, colours and cuts that you feel the best in.

Here’s how to cultivate your signature style:

1. Define your style mantra, also known as a three-word wardrobe strategy. Choose three words that encapsulate the core of your personal style. These words should reflect how you feel, how you wish to present yourself, and your lifestyle. For me, it would be classic, elegant, and sophisticated.
2. Identify your style icons that are aligned with your style mantra for inspiration. Take what resonates with you. Mix and match components from each icon to create your own unique look.
3. Emphasise your signature pieces by investing in items that are uniquely you, like having your scent, a particular style handbag, or your go-to shoes. These items will distinguish your style from others.

Step 8: Create your ‘Style Formula’

Once you have your mantra and signature style, you can use them to create your style formula. The benefits of having a style formula are endless!

Firstly, it will significantly simplify your wardrobe and remove that I-don’t-know-what-to-wear feeling in the morning when getting dressed for work.

Secondly, it makes shopping more targeted and intentional, and thirdly, you will save a lot of money and time from experimenting with other styles that don’t fit your aesthetic and lifestyle.

A style formula will become your to-go outfit combination. Over time, this consistent look will be recognised as your unique look ➖ your signature style.

This is my go-to everyday look. A long, flowy dress or skirt with sneakers, and throw on a blazer if I want to look smarter. This is my distinct signature style. It’s so recognisable that one of my guy friends, who is not remotely into fashion, saw a long, flowy dress in the shop and immediately thought of me!

That is the impact of having a signature style. What is yours?