To ask what makes women so glamorous?

[LittleMermaidRose]

So many women manage to look so effortlessly put together and glamorous.. I am a constant scruff ball.

What is the secret, ladies?!?!

Effort!

It might be effortless for the odd person to look glamorous and well put together but for the majority, they look good because they’ve taken the time to do the things that make them look good.

Setting aside time every morning for a shower, washing or styling your hair and putting on makeup (if you’re someone who thinks looking glamorous is helped by cosmetics)

Pre planning, so not leaving the house with a bright lipstick on and forgetting to bring it with you (and powder for top ups if you get shiny), taking a brush with you and a little travel bottle of hair styling spray

Only wearing clothes that fit you and look nice

Getting your hair cut and/or coloured every couple months

Setting aside the time and money to either get your nails done or do them yourself (and removing the polish as soon as it chips instead of letting it disintegrate and look ratty)

Making the effort to maintain a healthy weight through watching what you eat/drink

Cleansing and moisturising your skin each morning and evening

To those of us who have done these things naturally our entire lives, it would feel odd not to bother. To those of us who’ve never done these things, it probably looks like a massive time drain. It’s all about what you value.

The more you do it the more you enjoy your own appearance looking at its best and the more you then enjoy continuing to groom I reckon.

If you’re a size twenty and wanting to lose weight the first few weeks are an absolute slog of restriction and effort. But once the first stone is off, it becomes more enjoyable as you’re seeing the results, appreciating your new body, wanting not to ruin your hard work.

I was the scruffy one at school and university. Spotty, never washed clothes, never washed full stop, really. Didn’t cut hair. Wore unflattering stuff for my shape. I got awful nicknames for being smelly and scruffy which I will never forget.

These days everyone says I have “transformed” and “got better looking as I aged.” But all I know is that when I reached 30 (am 37 now,) and had bit more money, I started getting blow dries, found a few dress shapes that looked good on me (emphasis on waist and then A line down to knee, as opposed to constantly trying to squeeze my enormous thighs into mini skirts.)

I got my eyebrows tinted and shaped, I started teeth cleaning with the hygienist and wore tinted moisturiser.

Can I suggest going looking at the Style and Beauty thread called "how to look expensive in summer" - basically answering this!

(There's winter versions of the thread as well).

For some it's more effortless than others, because it comes naturally. If you have a sense of style that's pretty classic and suits you, and pick those clothes up without needing much effort to think about it, if you just grab a summer dress, sandals and pick up your bag, but all of these are suit you and are in colours that suit you - then you will put together, even if you didn't feel you made much effort that morning.

If your hair is well cut and taken care of, it'll take a lot less effort to make your hair look good compared to hair in bad condition that needs a cut.

It's never completely effortless - but if dressing in a particular way and a level of personally grooming just feels "average", then it won't feel like effort.

Look at the French women, they are always chic.

Regarding clothes, go for natural fabrics like silk, cotton, cashmere rather than the latest fashion from Matalan.

@LifeBeginsAtGin - having spent a lot of time at my parents house in france - no, French woman are not always chic! however, there is a lot less time for fashion trends amongst French woman, much more of a uniform- which while a bit boring, makes it less likely that you'll get it wrong and more likely new clothes will look good with old clothes.

Middle aged woman (and men) are slimmer- this makes looking glam easier.

Money, time and/or being prepared to put in the effort.

I can't be arsed myself and I find elegant clothes nice on other people but boring for me!

God I couldn't be doing with all that. Embrace the scruff.

Weekly blowdry 30mins then daily tinted moisturiser , mascara , eyebrow makeup and lippy - so no time at all

In my opinion you can be glamorous at any age, style, size, money spent etc.
But it all comes down to effort and a bit of planning.
Dress to suit your shape
Wear clean, pressed and well maintained clothing.
Think about your outfitting/styling - start to build a capsule of things you love.
Jewellery that is personal to you.
Clean, maintained hair.
Tidy eyebrows, regardless of shape - keep them neat and groomed.
Bright hydrated skin.
Make-up to suit your personal taste.
Neat tidy nails (if polished - no chips)
Buy one of everything you love - not 10 of something you feel mediocre about.
Change shoes often so you do wear them down, skuff them - fix heel caps before they wear down etc.
Look after your beautiful things, nice bag? Treat it kindly don't stuff it full of shit.
Walk talk, be confident in your skin - ultimately, that's the most glamorous outfit you'll ever wear!

I often get called glamorous and at least one a week a random stranger comments on my clothes.

I disagree with some of the things said, you don't need loads of clothes, buy less but buy better quality. I never follow fashion (other than that my preferred store does). I have a style, I don't have home clothes and work clothes-i just have clothes. Everything fits very well.

I have an expensive hair cut and colour so that even if I just washed it and left it, it would look ok.

I always have my nails done and always wear lipstick but mostly go light on the rest of my make-up. I am quite tall which helps.

I almost alway wear dresses or skirts, I don't own a pair of jeans. My shoes are all patent or regularly polished. I have statement jewellery. I change my handbag colour to match or compliment my shoes etc

I wold never have a fake tan or HD brows as they are the antithesis of glamorous to me.

As everyone is saying effort is everything. The very young (under 25s) can often manage to roll out of bed and look great but most people need to work at it.

Good hair that suits you is most important, whether that is a chic crop, a tousled updo or a glossy blow dry. Then groomed eyebrows, then glowing, clear skin, whether that is achieved by cosmetics, good genes or some subtle interventions (I have RF facials and light Botox and they work wonders for me). After that it is all a matter of personal taste. I always have a mani and wouldn't dream of acrylics but they might suit someone else. Equally I don't tan preferring to be pale and interesting. It's all a matter of style and choice.

Get the basic grooming done, it's the foundation for glamour and then develop 'your' look by trial and error.

Forgot- almost all my clothes are dry clean only. They don't fade in the wash or need ironing.

If I buy an amazing outfit that everyone comments on then I buy another. I have 4 of the are same dress in 2 colours.

Can I just add that I only own about three items that need ironing so I would strongly disagree with the people who say pressed clothes are essential for glamour. I am all for personal maintenance but regular ironing would be a step too far for me!

My DM (from Milan) is very glam. I am not glam.

She gets regular manicures and pedicures and has her eyebrows done. Apart from that she only wears make up to weddings. Exercise wise she does yoga a couple of times, eats normally and is a size 14. Wears normal/slightly hippy clothes.

I think 'glamness' is innate tbh. I am a young looking 30 and a size 8, and yet even if I stick on a cocktail dress and makeup I don't achieve glam...more like 'camomila in fancy dress'

I feel most 'me' in jeans and a comfy jumper.

Spray tans, acrylic/gel nails, waxing, regular hair appointments, curl/straighten their hair every day and always wearing make up no matter what they are doing

That doesn't sound very glamorous or classy at all...

Camomila, I’m the same as you. I’m a baby faced 30-something and a size 6-8 but you couldn’t make me glam if you tried. I live in my converse, skinny jeans and band t-shirts and absolutely dread weddings and other dressy events as if I “dress up” I just look like a) I’m a kid wearing my mum’s clothes, or b) I’m in drag. I’ve recently discovered pin up dresses though and they seem to suit me and people think I’m just being quirky when in reality I just don’t know how to dress like an adult. Lol. I have a lot of tattoos though so the pin up style kind of makes sense.

(I’m so lucky my workplace is very informal!)

I get called glamorous a lot. (i don't feel glam)

I do tend to one or two 'behind the scenes' grooming thing every day (like a deep hair condition or a manicure ect) (Mostly in the evening when there's bugger all else going on)
I don't spend a lot on make up but never leave the house without it on.
I moisturise my feet daily and give the skin a little do most days in the summer so they're baby soft.
Nails are always nice.
Jewellery always simple.
I spend very little on clothes but stick rigidly to what's flattering on me.
No trainers, never jogging bottoms. Don't posses either.
I do all the above because i feel like i look like a minger otherwise - i don't give a toss what anyone else is doing; I don't judge.
I have 4 kids, a hairy cat, have had dogs and I live in the muddy countryside

There is nothing less classy than spray tans, HD brows etc!

If you wouldn’t look out of place on TOWIE you don’t look classy 😁

I always think I'll start doing these things and then I decide I don't give enough of a shit.

Outfit sudoku
Hair and eyebrows tamed every 8 wks
Nails cut weekly and polish removed as soon as it chips
Iron stuff
Real jewelry not plastic/cheap tat

See, it does depend on what you mean by "glamorous" - I would argue there's a difference between looking a bit 'glam', looking 'posh/expensive' and looking 'stylish'. Often they will be very similar, and some key bits are the same, but it does vary.

The 'expensive' thread is a good one for ideas, the summer one isn't quite as good for nailing the look as the Autumn/Winter version, but then I think that's because it's harder to find a summer 'uniform'.

But a similar theme seems to be if you want to look 'effortlessly great', you can avoid making effort that particular morning, but only on the back of having made effort previous. eg. Clothes that have been carefully bought (both shape and colour wise), properly ironed and cared for, so that there's nothing in your wardrobe you could roll out of bed and throw on without it looking good on you. Hair that's perfectly cut and well maintained, so that if you only have time to run a brush through it, it already looks good. (I had my hair cut last week, so this week I can leave it to dry naturally and it'll look pretty good, next week as well should be ok, but after that, it'll need styling). It's easier to look good with no/tiny bit of make up if your skin is looking good.

Effortless style requires effort. It might just be you are so used to it after a while it doesn't feel like effort.

As has been said by many posters, time, effort and/or money.

My mum always gets complimented on her glamour.

She has naturally great hair (that she only washes once a week ) it’s thick and cut into a lovely bob that she keeps well trimmed and maintained. She’s going to be 68 soon and she’s let all the grey come though her hair and it suits her face.

She watches what she eats in the sense that she eats really well and plenty of water, fruit and veg. She is only 5ft and very slim which helps - she’s avoided any middle age spread! Don’t think I’ll be as lucky.

She doesn’t have much make up but what she does have is expensive and suits her age and skin type.

Clothes wise she wears well tailored clothes - a must when you’re only 5ft or you can look swamped. She shops in the likes of Zara and Cos but buys things she thinks are appropriate to her age. She has a knack of making primark look expensive 😂 She doesn’t like cleavage baring things and prefers her arms covered. She swears by a good coat and accessories like earrings and scarves etc.

She keeps her eyebrows done with HD brows but in light brown to match her lighter (grey!) hair. She thinks good brows are like an instant facelift.

And she smiles a lot.

Effort. Hours and hours shopping, trying on many clothes for a single purchase but making sure that purchace was perfect. I thought my friend was effortlessly glamorous but then got to know her better and realised it was more of a hobby. She worked part time and went shopping EVERY DAY after work.