When you see your favourite style influencers pull off killer looks, I know the first thing that hits your mind after admiring their outfits is how they manage to dress stylishly with so much ease. That’s because they have mastered the art of dressing such that they cannot afford to dress without a dose of style. They know how to dress with style just as how a dog knows how to bark. You too can become a pro when it comes to dressing stylishly. You too can become a style influencer and progress to become a celebrity stylist. It’s easy if you follow the tips this article has to offer.
Dressing with style may seem so easy for pros and difficult for newbies who are yet to develop their own style. But as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Abide by these tips whenever you dress and you’d be a pro in no time.
1. Get some Wardrobe Staples
Wardrobe staples are basic pieces that always go with anything. They include white T-shirts, jeans, skirts, jackets, sunglasses cap, belt, a black dress, a pair of earrings, a pair of sneakers and a pair of heels. These fashion staples always come in handy for casual wear or occasion wear. You can wear them with other pieces you own to look different all the time. You should also have a go-to handbag that goes with everything and will never go out of style. You can have many handbags but there should be a particular handbag that always saves the day. In this case, for men, a wallet is a necessity.
2. Observe and Imitate
This is simple. Check out the people whose dress sense you love. Observe how they pair and combine colours and accessories, then imitate them. When you see an outfit you like, you should also figure out why you like that outfit. It could be because of the way s/he mixed prints, combined colours, or the shoes and accessories paired with it. It could even be the clothes; how simple or daring they are. Imitation may not be original but it is a safe attempt for beginners. From imitating the looks you love, you become spurred to try out others and develop your own style. Instagram and Pinterest are two apps where you can get daily style inspiration. Simply tapping on the search icon leads you to an array of super-stylish individuals. You can as well read fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Essence and Svelte Magazine which you are currently reading to keep up with trends and get style inspiration from street fashion to high fashion.
3. Leave Your Comfort Zone
Many people like to play it safe when it comes to dressing. That’s good. Pretty good. But if you really want to know how to dress with style, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Experiment with different styles of clothing, colours and accessories. By doing this, you’ll be able to discover your likes and dislikes about fashion and create a personal style with so much finesse.
4. Know the Colours that Suit Your Complexion
First, you have to know your skin undertone. Your skin undertone is the colour beneath your surface complexion. There are three skin undertones — cool, warm and neutral which is a mix of both cool and warm. To know your skin undertone, look at the veins inside your wrist. If they are green then your undertone is warm. If they are blue, then your undertone is cool. If your undertone is cool, colours such as blue, green, pink, magenta, purple, red, etc., will look good on you. If you’ve got a warm undertone then brown, yellow, yellowish-green, oranges, ivories, etc., will suit you.
5. Dress According to Your Body Type
Just as one man’s food is another man’s poison, what looks perfect on one person may look horrible on another. Hence, it is important to dress for your body type. Go for silhouettes that complement and flatter your figure.
If your upper body and waist are slim, and your hips and legs are curvy, then you have a pear body shape. Skinny jeans or bootcut pants in dark colors will be perfect for bottom while accessories and bright colours be worn on top, giving your body adequate balance.
If you have a hourglass figure, your tops and bottoms should be close-fitting to accentuate your figure. Wearing a belt with fitted pants or pencil skirts flatters your waist and brings out your shape to the fullest
If you have a round body shape, don’t opt for layers as this can make you look bigger than normal. Wear dresses that will give you a slim effect. Wear heels to flaunt your legs, peplum tops or dresses with frills in the middle to hide your stomach.
If you’ve got broad shoulders, slender waist and hips, you should wear wide-leg pants such as palazzo or flare skirts to enlarge your lower body to match your broad shoulders.
6. Be Confident
This is very important. If after applying these tips and you dress up without your self-confidence, then you’ve learnt nothing. You have to be confident in yourself and in your style, be it outlandish or simple. Self-confidence will win you people’s admiration even though not everyone would like how you dress, of course. If you want to explore by wearing something you’ve never worn before and you make it obvious that you are uncomfortable, you’d be doing yourself no good at all. Knowing how to dress with style involves merging comfort with style to achieve completeness. Find your personal style and hone it, let people recognise you by it. Do this with confidence and in no time, friends would be consulting you for wardrobe matters.
