Be a Work of Art – Oscar Wilde

The great wordsmith Oscar Wilde once wrote:

One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art

Why does art matter? Every culture from ancient times onwards has created art. From the unknown artists of cave paintings and all the other artists who have come afterwards, every culture enjoys art in all its forms. From painting to sculpture, from music to a beautiful turn of phrase. Humans love to experience creative and aesthetically pleasing things in many forms. It's a way to amuse, to entertain, to enlighten and experience joy.

From the moment we are born, our eyes seek out the most aesthetically pleasing faces ... it's innate and in our DNA.

Today, exhibitions of clothing and accessories, the works of many fashion designers, are now included in our galleries with their exquisite artistry and craftsmanship on show. We have come to expand our definition of art to include the amazing creativity of fashion and the artisanship of those who turn those ideas into reality.

Oscar Wilde was right, you can buy and wear a work of art, or you can be a work of art by putting together gorgeous outfits using the principles of design that artists have been using for aeons.

The aesthetics of design ( which I wrote about here) appeal to us all, as they create balance, harmony, proportion, emphasis, unity, rhythm and movement, all help to turn any outfit into a vision of beauty that we can all enjoy.

By putting together outfits that use these artistic principles in your outfits each day, you become a walking work of art, making your world a more beautiful and enjoyable place to be.

What's great is that you can learn about these artistic principles, these elements of design and use them to make your outfits a work of art!

Where to start?

Figure Out Figure Flattery Guidelines

Knowing what works for your physically, will help you create that lovely proportion, balance and harmony that we so enjoy. One of the things that many of my 7 Steppers have found is that by analysing a bunch of outfits side by side (taking photos and then looking at them all together) they find it much easier to identify what shapes and styles really work for them. Of course, they already have their body shape guidelines (you can also do my free Body Shape Calculator Quiz here) from the 7 Steps to Style program which really help enormously when sifting through all the possible garment options available to you today!

Body Proportions Explained

Find the Colours that Make You Shine

The colours that harmonise with your natural colouring will make you look like you have an internal light switched on, they make you shine from the inside out. Sure you can add some extra makeup and a brighter lipstick to make a colour "work" better for you. But why not make it super easy for yourself with your own personalised palette of colours that mix and match and enhance your natural colouring. Be a Work of Art – Oscar Wilde

You can get my professional opinion on your colouring as part of my 7 Steps to Style program, and then take this information to apply to your wardrobe, making putting together colours in your outfits so much easier and simpler. You'll also discover your colour and value contrast which also make you look so much better in your clothes!

Discover Your Colours - Warm or Cool?

Get to Grips with How Your Personality Influences Your Style Choices

From print and pattern selection to accessories, fabric textures, design details, shapes and styles, so much of what you are drawn to is determined by your personality. Have you ever had the experience of walking into a store and wondering "who would wear that?" Yet someone else will because it's something they love and is an expression of their personality. Getting to the core of your style DNA will help you make style choices and know when you've hit upon a potential fabulous addition to your wardrobe, rather than something that will sit in your wardrobe unworn because it doesn't feel quite right.

I've discovered in my own style journey that the more I understand how my personality influences my style choices, the fewer and fewer purchasing mistakes I've made (along of course with an understanding and sticking to my figure flattery and colour guidelines as well).

Just knowing the shape and colour are helping you move forward but personality is the key to unlocking your most stylish self. With it comes congruence between the inner and outer you which gives you a confidence that others both see and feel.