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.

"Watches are over"??

love this thread...

1. benetint always makes me look better
2. nude make up for in the day- but i do have mascara on the bottom lashes sometimes
3. when you find a shop that sells jeans which you love- be a loyal customer!! ( i am 5 ft )
4. WEAR A PRPER FITTING BRA.
5. get your eyebrows threded- tis the way forward
6. legs or boobs never both
7. if you are in a shop and see someone 10 years younger or 10 years older than you looking at the same thing do not buy it

8.kick ass red lipstick with cream coloured eyeshadow

1. i personally dont do maxi dresses because of my height

10. buy a bikini that actually fits like a bra

Only old people wear watches these days dontcha know! The youngsters (can't believe I just used that word) all use their phones.

I think the no black with colour thing has some merits, but it is not totally the law. The trouble is, too often people think that black bottoms (trews or skirt) are a failsafe to go with any top, of any colour, and they are SO not.

Apart from not wearing competing patterns, and trying for fitted rather than floppy if you're plump as I am, the only style rule I can ever remember (and which I disobey all the time) is:

"Never wear black with colour. It makes the colour look cheap and the black look boring."

And I only know that because of the guest spot for Trinny and Susanna on Doctor Who (Bad Wolf, series 1)! Am a style-less geek.

It took me a long time to learn this, though: if it has a line or 'cup' for the bust, and your bust doesn't fit in there, don't get it.

Get a bra fitting. I didn't get one until I was nineteen which was silly.

Dye your hair a stupid colour at least once. It grows out.

If a shop's target audience are teenagers, chances are it won't fit the bust or hips. If a shop's more on the value end, it's unlikely to either.

Take time and money over glasses, haircut and tattoos because you wear them every day.

Buy good quality knitwear and wash it properly.

Never buy anything purely for a brand or a trend - only if it looks good on you.

Never wear a band T-shirt unless you own at least two of their albums.

Something from More Dash than Cash that stuck with me: decent wooden jewellery always trumps cheap precious metals.

I never get those lists of 'basic classics' 'every woman should own'. I don't own any black trousers, white shirts won't fit me, and so on.

(In fact I actually own very few black pieces. Red hair and blue and green for the win!)

In fact (sorry, threadhog) I'm trying to make my style a bit more grown-up (I'm 28) and it's hard to know the bit in-between teenage and middle-aged. Buying things that fit properly helps (when I was a student I would only shop in the sales, hence owning 94 things that didn't quite work rather than 10 things that did) but because I'm taller than average, with big feet and bust, none of the mags or celebs really wear things that would work on me, so I have no inspiration, if you like.

I love quirky things and vintage but it's hard to find indie fashion that goes beyond a 14.

mippy you think you are stuggling with in-betweenness - just wait until you are over 40!!!

Mippy, look at Odd Molly, Lilith, maybe Out of Xile or Avoca Anthology, Mais Il Est Ou Le Soleil, Toast. Not necessarily cheap but a) look on eBay and b) get some inspiration.

Lol, Fellatio, I'm 39 and already feel like I am expected to dress like Lulu! Not that she doesn't look great, but...

I'm over 50 and still struggling with in-betweenness.

I agree with the idea of 'buy once, buy well'for large items, coats etc, and then using cheaper ranges to accessorise.

Be very careful in sales and ask yourself if you would have wanted it at full price. Is it something that is so on trend that you won't be able to wear it next year?

If YOU like it and it makes YOU feel good then ignore the naysayers. They're probably jealous.

disclaimer: this doesn't apply to boob tubes or harem pants.

I'm 44 and it's a nightmare! Almost everything I pick up is either too young or too old!

"If you absolutely can't avoid it never, ever use a plastic bag. I save nice paper ones from posh shops for such emergencies"

I'm afraid to say I find people using boutique bags to cart around their eggs and milk somewhere between vulgar and pretentious.

black shoes do not go with everything
a full length mirror is compulsory
eyebrows are very important especially if you are a blond or ginge...have them died and made up appropriately
wear the right sized bra
(4 tits at the front and two at the back is grotesco)
wear a decent bra
if you are fat, sleeveless isn't a good look
skinny doesn't always work with short hemlines

actually... skinny doesn't mean that you are free of body shape and colour...it is not an excuse to be a style free zone
ditto if you are fat

nude bras and knickers are a revolution

Oh Fellatio, I hear you. I am not ready for the Classic range yet but I'm really beyond Top Shop

I'm 39. Toast, Hobbs, Fenn Wright Manson, possibly East on a good day. Ooh, and Ghost, but not their little dresses. Planet? Maybe. Betty Jackson - sometimes. Whistles??

Not a lot really. Really the best places to look are off the beaten track - individual boutiques and dress agencies - and hang on for the sales!

Yes, East have saved many a day for me, spiritmum.

East - wWhen they are good they are very good, but it's tres patchy. I can't wear stuff like Toast. I want to like it, but it all looks like Land Army clothes. Not a good look on me. I'm too short and plump and homely looking as it is. All I need is the Hilda Odgen rollers and scarf and I'll be set! You need to be a willowy English Road to carry off that those slightly ironic utility clothes. It's a fine line with Boden for me, for the same reasons.

English Rose - not road.

I've been looking in White Stuff and Monsoon recently, and Joules have some nice things but also a bit 'posh'. Uniqlo for merino. Can't quite bring myself to spend £99 on a dress for daywear right now, and the 'grown up' shops for late 20s that the mags tout - FC, Reiss - do nothing that fits me.

I grew up in a town with mainly sportswear shops so I'm not familiar at all with middle-range stuff. Feel like I'm growing out of the printed tee and trainers thing, though.

CND = Creative Nail Design. Pricy (£9 a bottle on Amazon) but worth it. My toenail colour has been on for four weeks and still looks good.

FellatioNelson - I am 5'2 and a 12. I recently bought a Joules dress which is a great fit on me and looks nice, I think. I've also just made my first purchases in the White Company and been v impressed with those too.

I don't like the White Stuff/Fat Face sort of look (far too colourful for the likes of me!), nor the drapey East look (for which I think you do have to be tall).

Also an in-betweeny at the grand old age of 30.

I fool myself that I still like Topshop, then find myself shreiking "£28?! For that?! It looks like two hankys bound by dental floss!" Vile.

I've st1rted to love Warehouse actually, who do young without being too fashion-y/too miniscule in the garment department. They seem to do nice basics too. Love French Connection too, but only on pay weekend!

My mum keeps trying to steer me towards Next (who do do perfectly nice stuff) but I feel like if I buy stuff from there, I will have succumbed to "mumsiness" :(

I do like White Stuff (bought a nice dress in their sale today) and Joules, FatFace etc, but I have to be careful. Somehow I have the ability to turn them into limp dishrags.