One of my first clients told me something that I have never forgotten: “It takes just as long to look good as it does to look bad.” She learned this after working with me and realizing that it took the same amount of time to get dressed and look good as it did to put on something she knew didn’t look good on her. What I am going to show you today, through this series, is how to look stylish, and that it requires no extra effort or a ton of accessories and shoes, or time, to accomplish this.
Myth #1- Looking stylish takes extra time
One of the biggest reasons women tell me that time is a big factor in whether or not they look good. “I am so rushed in the morning, I don’t have time to think about putting a great look together”, or, “It just takes too much effort to think about an entire outfit”, are just two examples of what I have heard, and what sounds like reasonable reasons to not even try. However, if you think about it, the steps and time it takes to put on a mediocre outfit and a fabulous one is about the same. In both cases you have to do the exact same thing- put on clothes, put on shoes and, possibly, some form of accessories. There is no real extra time or effort necessary in looking good.
So that throws that excuse out the window.
Myth #2- Looking stylish takes extra clothes
The next argument against looking good is that looking good requires a lot of clothes and accessories. This is why you see most women with too many basic black shoes, blah jewelry and a boring handbags. “These pieces require no thought and also go with everything”, most women think. By keeping it streamlined to only the most obvious choices, the thought is getting dressed will be simpler. Simpler, perhaps, but boring and repetitive, as well. There are so many alternative solutions to the boring and predictable, that don’t require a ton more in your closet, and will not only help you look better but will actually save money by creating more versatility and variety in your wardrobe. In order to get a lot of look you don’t need a lot of stuff, trust me.
What you are going to see below are three work outfits styled two different ways. On the left are outfits that are certainly okay but they lack much in flavor or excitement. On the right will be the same outfit, with no additional dressing steps, using an item almost exact to the accessorizing options as the outfits on the left, that look much more styled. In addition, the outfits on the right use the same exact accessories in every look.
How to look stylish with no extra effort
Outfit #1
Here is a basic navy suit from Reiss. On the left is a look that is pretty typical of how most women dress. For ease, they wear a black pair of Nine West pumps, a black Vince Camuto handbag, a white cap sleeved top and a set of faux pearls. The look isn’t bad, it’s quite nice, but nothing about it stands out, it has zero personality.
On the right, using the same exact style of pumps as the black pair, only in magenta, changing out the exact same white top for the emerald green color it comes in, choosing the gray version of the black handbag, and swapping out a slightly more interesting, while being equally versatile, silver necklace, the outfit has the outfit has the same exact components, takes the same exact amount of effort to put together, costs about the same amount of money and looks totally different. Remind me again how much more time looking stylish takes?
Outfit #2
Let’s take it a step further. If after looking at the first outfits your thought was that you would get way more use from your basic accessories as you would more novelty ones, here is a wrap dress from Pink Tartan that uses the same exact accessories as the previous outfits. The outfit on the left is fine, but the outfit on the right is much more exciting. Same accessories, same amount of time. What was your argument, that you can’t get a lot of use from novelty pieces?
Outfit #3
Your last argument may be that, sure, it is easy to add novelty to basic outfits that are black, navy or other neutral shades, but you like color. Take, for example, this J. Crew cotton cardigan and basic Vince Camuto pencil skirt. You love the cobalt blue, it is so fresh for spring, but you are at a loss as to what to do with it besides layer a white tank or t-shirt underneath and grab your black shoes, black handbag and pearls…again. Well, using the exact same novelty accessories as used in the earlier two looks, and the green version of the cap sleved top, here are these pieces, again, making this outfit look a touch more exciting and a lot less predictable.
The whole goal when getting dressed for work is to learn how to stand out and fit in at the same time. There isn’t a ton of wiggle room when it comes to corporate/work dressing. However, by learning how to be stylish within the confines of what is acceptable to wear to work, is where you an add some personality, spice and flair…all while blending in.
