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.

Yes Fellatio - I totally agree with the waitress thing.

However did wear a pair of slim black trousers last weekend to a wedding with black silk top and ivory crochet/lace type jacket and that looked good I think.

I think most people can wear most things really - just a case of finding the right 'maxi dress' for example.

Although am now going to totally contradict myself as agree with moondog re. hating fake blouse/jumper things.

Remember that whenever anyone gives you advice on style in real life there will be 20 people on MN who disagree - wedages are great vs wedges are the devil, black+colour vs no black+colour.

Don't believe everything people say. Unless they are saying that your clothes must fit and bigger boobs need proper support. No-one can argue with that.

The trouble with those things is that it is usually a white 'blouse' with a black 'jumper' How the hell do you wash that? That would give me a laundry related nervous breakdown.

I hate the fale-two-tops things too. I want a shirt and a jumper dammit, even if it's really hard to get them to work together.

lol at the fake tank top+blouse combo. I have a couple of them. I wouldn't wear them anywhere special though. I wouldn't say no to a job in the nhs. NIce to know I'm dressing the part already.

ps, the mitigating circumstances with my fake blouse/tank tops are that the shirt part is the same colour as the tank top. the black tank has a fake black shirt and the fake olive green top has a fake green shirt.

I don't like the ones that have a white shirt underneath. The do look like workwear, for a job you're not paid enough at.

invest in good shoes, bag, accesories etc as these can then be mixed with cheaper high street clothes

toe nail polish makes me feel instantly more groomed

go to the dentist regularly, nothing worse than terrible teeth

Wedges look great on chunky ankles (i.e. mine - mercifully all dc have dh's elegant ones - why my ankles aren't like my wrists I have no idea )

Kitten heels need pretty ankles. Ditto anything with an ankle strap. Courts with a chunky heel work for me though.

Fake two tops are the most hideous invention. I still can't work out what they are for.

Black trousers are good to layer under black - I have a couple of pairs but as said before, black suits me whereas neutrals don't.

Oooh, something else re jewellery: big earrings goes with no/minimalist necklace, or big necklace/scarf with discreet earrings.

I buy loads of stuff on ebay. Last year I got loads of comments about my coat - it was BNWT Hobbs and I picked it up for £50. If you know a label will have consistent sizing then there are bargains to be had. We also have a great dress agency near and as this is an affluent area lots of good stuff turns up, not just clothes but accessories too. Then when you get fed up with it you can just sell it on again.

The thing about the fake two tops is that if I am wearing a jumper/tank I want to be able to take it off if I get hot. Or I want to layer it when I get cold. Ditto those cardigan things that have camis sewn in. It's not really about style, it's practicality.

I so agree with the fake tank top thing! Always hated them, but I've never been able to articulate why!

Turns out I'm officially a mess.

Always keep my toenails done nicely though. Oh, and am overjoyed that a threading salon has opened in our local shopping centre (where we used to live my Punjabi friend did it for me).

Will read it all when I have time...

If I paint nail varnish on my toes it stays there perfect for months. No idea why, but it lasts about 4 hours on my fingers. Are you all texting with your feet?! using a biro between your big toe and next toe ?

Interesting about Bodas... I am not huge: 34c or 36b, depending on style, but I find that their bras give very little support to me. They look divine but I have to send them back.

Good thread :)

Personally, I hate showing off my entire arm. If I had the arms of Michelle Obama, I might think differently, but all too often I see women who would, let's say, benefit from a three-quarter length sleeve.

Also, dry brushing the backs of your thighs/arms helps rid the skin of that awful mottly/dimply skin that sets in when you hit 25.

Yeah,those tops are ridiculous. Don't understand them.

I think there's certain grooming things that help - having a good hair cut, keeping nails trimmed (and if you have the time, at least clear polish on fingers) and moisturised legs if you're exposing them.

My latest tip (despite mahoosive protestations from DP that this is insane) - keeping nail polish in the fridge. It goes on really easily and dries more quickly. Tah dah!

My new rule is to only buy things I love and am excited about. Like I got new flip flops yesterday, and have tried to wear them as much as possible, because I think they're just so fabulous. Also helps in stopping spaffing money away on stuff you don't use.

Re nail polish, I read recently that a god rule of thumb is look like a tart on your feet and modest on your hands! This works for me anyway because I love dark colours on my toes (right now I have pewter grey) but my lifestyle means that whatever I use, polish on my fingers chips really easily, so I use a clear polish on them. I only paint my fingernails for special occasions (so once a year then .)

I always cover the tops of my arms, too. Short sleeves are as bad if not worse than no sleeves on me - I need at least elbow length.

Also, long fingernails = not good. They look witchy and old fashioned and have a tendency to go yellowish. Short and chic is good IMO :)

Spiritmum! that's my rule! I never realised there was a saying though! I like it. I feel odd with nail varnish on my nails but like it on toes.

Ooh, where did you get the grey polish from, spiritual? I am on the lookout for a non-metallic grey.

With you re: upper arms.

Oh, and I forgot: unless your OH is Gok (unlikely, I suppose) he has no idea about clothes and thinks it is still 1998, IME. Therefore, again IME, one looks nice in bootcut jeans and a skinny t, but weird in skinnies with a draped cardigan. Phone a friend instead.

"it's only hair"

this has got me through many an unwise hair do

Other than that if I like it I wear it - don't pigeonhole yourself.

Rutho, it's Boots No 7, Night Silver. Must admit I was unreasonably pleased to find it! It does look vaguely metallic in the bottle but not really once it's on.

Something that your post re skinnies reminded me of: I feel uncomfortable with a trend that repeats itself that I wore the first time around. I wore skinny jeans in the 80's and think it vaguely ridculous to dress like I did when I was a teenager. I stick to boot cuts and wide legs (not that skinny jean suit me these days anyway!). Ditto batwing tops . But I like 60's/70's trends because I never wore those the first time!

lol at Fellatio and Nelson.

White undies under white clothes bad too. Always flesh coloured.

And don't in the name of God wear those minging big sort of quilted flipflops. Fucking hideous. What the hell are they anyway? Fitflops or summat? Anyone who thinks they can reduce a hefty thigh or arse by buying expensive footwaer needs their heads seeing too.

Low heeled black boots with a pair of washed jeans and a fleece=officially dead.

WHEN did it become ok to show your bra?

I dont mean in an underwear as outerwear way.

Why would you wear a backless top with a greying primark bra?

Not even attempt to match your vest top with the bra worn beneath it? How hard is it to put a black bra on with a black vest?

Its endemic I tell you !

Great thread!

Never under estimate the power of a shapely brow. It's taken me 34 years to work this one out and I'm now madly trying to grow mine back and start again. Also:

Get plenty of sleep
Stay out of the sun/wear sunscreen
Wear a good bra (agree this can transform your shape)
Wear clothes that fit
Get a decent hair cut
Keep nails neat
Look after teeth
Don't pick spots
Alcohol wrecks your skin
Find your own style

Agree about wearing black with colour - can look a bit cheap - but don't slavishly follow rules as fashion is meant to be fun and unlikely combos can actually look really good. Experiment.

Oh - I can never find jeans to fit and feel blokey in them so never wear them and feel okay with that now

Yes DeVere.
Some peopel have no sense of pride.

I always laugh at what Nicky Haslam (ridiculous interior designer) said whne accused of being vain and selfish for having a facelift.
'Vain? Vain? It's far vainer to impose yourself on people when you have made no effort. How selfish is that?'

So true.I look atm any peopel and wonder how they have the nerve to leave the house.