Timeless, Refined, Polished, Sophisticated, is that you?
I am convinced that elegance does not depend on how old you are, how much you weight or how much you make. Elegance is an art that can be practiced whenever you want to. Best of all, elegance can be learned, but cannot be bought. Achieving an elegant look is the result of a process that takes time and lots -and I mean lots- of practice!
Elegance is timeless, that’s why in photos from the 30s, 40s, 50s we can recognize an elegant woman. All of them have certain characteristics in common. In this post, I share with you a few tips on how to look elegant on a daily basis!
The posture
Keeping a good posture when walking and sitting is very important. When walking, we should not drag our feet, neither walk very fast nor very slow.
When standing, remember to:
- Stand up straight and tall
- Keep your shoulders back
- Pull your stomach in
- Put your weight mostly on the balls of your feet
- Keep your head level
And when sitting:
- Keep the torso upright
- Cross your legs at the ankles if wearing a short skirt and avoid showing too much.
- Cross your legs at the knees and slide both to either side. There should be no space between the heel and the other ankle.
When crossing your legs at the level of the knees: never show the sole of the shoe to others.
The voice and the language
The volume and tone of the voice do a lot for your image. Radio announcers and television presenters are trained to modulate the voice and make sure it is pleasant to the ear. Speaking at an appropriate volume and in a leisurely manner is ideal. Remember: the elegant woman does not need to raise her voice to get attention.
Always enunciate, avoid swearing, choose your words (this is when a well-read woman has an advantage), do not use fillers (“hmm”, “like”, “I mean”, “you know what I mean?” and my least favorite: “if it makes sense”. Why throw that phrase at the end of a sentence?).
The hands and the body language
First and foremost, the hands must be impeccable. It does not mean that we always have to have our nails manicured. Well-cared natural nails have nothing to envy to French-manicured ones.
At all times, we must be aware of our body language. Let’s aim to show our confidence by avoiding body gestures that make us look insecure:
- Crossing the arms
- Not making eye contact
- Keeping hands in pockets
The hair
A healthy, well-styled mane frames our face and completes the outfit. A quick technique that never fails in emergency situations: pull the hair in a bun and add spray.
Two key items to take into account: color and conditioning. If we dye our hair, we must take into account the maintenance. Deep conditioning treatments must be in your schedule. Part of your “me time”.
If you decide to not to dye your hair, go with the gray or white hair. Yes, gray hair is in fashion!
The outfit
How many times do we not know what to wear? To always look elegant, we can rely on clothes of neutral and solid colors. A few guidelines:
- Combine a maximum of three colors (tip: white and black do not count as colors).
- Choose classic cuts, they never go out of style!
- Pick good quality fabrics. Avoid polyester as much as you can. (Sometimes, the design is so pretty that we can’t resist!)
- Keep clothes in good condition. No loose threads, bad fits or wrinkled pieces.
Combining prints requires a bit more knowledge in terms of colors, pattern sizes, textures, etc.
To learn the six fashion mistakes that can ruin your classy style, read my article here.
The accessories
Jewelry, handbags, sunglasses, shoes, scarfs, etc. They can make or break an outfit! More is not always better. I suggest to invest in a few key accessories that will last you a lifetime. Choose gold and silver jewels over gold-plated or fantasy ones. In the end, add up the money you spent replacing the bijouterie… you could have bought a nice gold necklace over time.
- Simple and small jewelry during the day.
- Statement jewelry at night.
- Excess is not elegant, it is important to achieve balance. A pair of big earrings plus a chunky necklace and bracelets can overpower you.
For more details on what are the basic accessories to keep for years to come, read my “Must-have accessories to create a classy signature look” post here.
The makeup
The makeup should be appropriate for the occasion. Subtle and natural during the day. To go out at night you can use a little more, but avoid exaggerating. Stage makeup is not appropriate for real life. Enhancing your best features and hiding small imperfections is appropriate. Painting completely a new face, is not.
The scent
It is as good to wear a good perfume as bad is to abuse it. Once again, do not overdo it. The choice of the aroma that will become our seal is important as it must represent our personality, so take your time until you find your favorites. Yes, why not more than one favorite?
For more details on perfumes and scents, read my article here.
And lastly, but very important:
The smile
The smile is one of the most important accessories. Smiling changes the attitude instantaneously. When we smile, we project positive energy.
The smile has to be practiced so it looks natural and sincere. Yes, media trained people pays attention on how they smile for pictures and meet & greet.
Elegance is created from the confidence within ourselves. Getting to know our traits and accepting what we need to improve on is a wonderful journey! To learn how to find your personal style read my post here.
Personal branding involves how we speak, dress and behave. Set a time aside and reflect on what is the image you want to project, work on it and share with the world! Remember to always be good to yourself.
