Style rules you live by

[anyabanya]

Hi, I am just curious abut what style tips people have that improves their general appearance.

I am a bit of a mess really. I do not have a great sartorial eye, and always look a little as if i have just come in from mucking out horses. I am really trying to change my style.... i have become addicted blogs where people are trying to live chicly (is that a word?), like Anne Baronne's 'chic and slim' blog etc.

Despite my total messy nature, I do have a couple of rules I live by.... always wear dark toe polish; never wear competing patterns on clothes (so, horizontal stripes on a skirt and a top with a flower pattern for example).In winter I try and wear black and two other colours (black and emerald green is a fave) but other than that i seem to spend alot of time trying to look halfway decent... and failing.

I would love to hear what other people do.... what ideas they have in always looking good.

Something else I forgot to say: avoiding wheat, and bread in particular, takes half a stone off me as I don't get bloated.

Buying clothes that are too big does not make you look slimmer it just makes you look as if your clothes are too baggy.

Yes - I agree with libra. Just wear clothes that fit.

But being small I'm not a fan of the voluminous or baggy look.

It's DHs rule as I always used to wear baggy clothes to cover myself up, he told me it just made me look fatter (in a nice way, he's not a monster!) and he's right. It also smacks of low self-esteem which is unattractive in it's own right.
No matter what your size wear clothes that fit properly.

Spirit, you aren't that good a mate if she charges you £35 to colour your hair ......unless she's working for Nicky Clarke

I have a few friends who run beauty or hair salons and I never pay more than the cost of the product for their services. That's mates-rates.

Eyebrows must be neat at all times, they let you get away with a bare face ime

I also agree with the poster on page 1 (sorry, too many names) who said never wear PEr Una.

I feel I should look good in their stuff; it certainly can look pretty on the hangerand I secretly yearn to be a bit mumsy ... but I am yet to find anything that flatters.

The local M&S has just changed its window display and I see that their winter collection is, er, grey. Because that worked really well for M&S when they last did it, didn't it??

NEVER wear a minimiser bra if you are well-endowed -you need scaffolding, not squashing. Hideous invention IMO!!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I intentionally wear a contrasting bra with e.g. a strappy summer vest. I can't afford bras in every colour to match every top so my thinking is, if it's going to show and not match then it might as well be obviously different (but not clashy, IYSWIM).

Sorky, she doesn't have a salon, she's a one-woman-band. Also she started off as my hairdresser and then became my mate...and she's good. Why should she give up her time for free? Don't mind paying, she pays me for reiki . There's a group of us that all swap services...beauty therapy, massage and the like.

To get a colour done in a local salon is £85.

The odd item is nice (the jeans are great for me) but most Per Una stuff is the work of the devil. All those hideous gaudy colours and patterns and flounces. Uurgh.

In fact even though I really like their jeans and they fit me well, I get annoyed when I can't find a pair without some silly 'embellishment' on the pockets.

Just found that Planet have an outlet store on eBay. There are bargains to be had. If you like Planet that is.

Also there is a John Lewis eBay outlet that has Episode. I thought they'd stopped trading!

The good thing is that both take returns.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

Buy less and spend more on what you buy - the older I get the less I am tempted by frequent purchases in Primark, Next etc. I'm a lot more likely now to spend a few pounds on something truly beautiful that will last me rather than lots of mini splurges on tatt.

Know your own style and what looks good on your figure, dont be a faddy follower of fashion

Be comfortable in what you wear - and dont be hung up by the size of what you're wearing, love the previous MN poster who said she cuts out the labels if she has to "size up", I could be an 8, 10 or 12 depending on where I bought the item!

Make sure you have the basics, plenty of plain tops for layering, good winter trousers, a nice coat and bag, good shoes

Bags and shoes DONT have to match!

Be happy in your own skin and accept your self for what you are

This is bloody brilliant for those of you who need to know how to dress to your shape

Never wear Uggs.
Work of Devil.
Crocs accaptable only in privacy of own home.

ineedmorechocolate - thank you! Brilliant web link, I am a "classic cone" apparently!!!

Less really is more when trying to look good on a daily basis. Divide you wardrobe in to sections - I have work clothes, weekend clothes and occasion / going out clothes. I tend to buy clothes in neutral colours that can then be mixed and matched. Stick to 1 or 2 accent colours - as others have said, get your colours done so you know which are good for you. Work clothes - pencil skirt, dress, blouse, cardigan, wide leg trousers, trench coat. Weekend clothes - dark denim straight leg jeans, breton tops, t-shirts, converse, birkenstocks. Occasion - a versatile little black dress.

Shop quality over quantity.

Exactly, jajas - what kind of friend would I be expecting her to do it for next to nothing when she could be earning 2 hrs money to keep food on her table? Even though my company is obviously so amazing she should really be paying me...

I was a 'classic pear' serendipity!

I've gone and done my eyebrows today on the advice here and I can honestly say it made me look like I was wearing makeup when I wasn't. I love the makeup tips on here.

Threading comes from the middle east and Asia, where being very dark haired, women have more of a facial hair problem than we do. It involves the practitioner holding two threads of cotton taut, and rolling them together over your eyebrow or lip or chin (wherever) and the threads twist together and trap the hairs and pull them out. It feels much like tweezering or waxing. It's great for getting all the tiny fine hairs that tweezers miss, and getting good definition. I love it. The best bit is that unlike waxing, you don't need to make an appointment with a beauty salon, but can just go to a threading bar as a walk-in. It lasts weeks and weeks as well (on me, anyway.)

I love it but always feel such a twit in the middle of a department store having my facial hair attended to.

Same department store as me Alouiseg?

The very same W&G? What are you doing up at this time of night?

Just finished a dinner party and not ready to sleep just yet. DH has been an obnoxious arse all evening (was rude about my food beacuse it wasn't up the the usual very high standards) so I'm sulking a bit.