How do some women always manage to look so put together and downright gorgeous?

[Beigecurtains]

Is it just 'inbuilt' style that they're born with? If so, I'm incredibly jealous!!

My friend always looks amazing and really stylish but I find it really hard to put my finger on what it is that makes her look special. She's not overly tall, and is slim but not skinny (size 12), and certainly doesn't spend a fortune on beauty treatments/products or clothes, or having her hair done.

Her outfits are usually fairly simple; just jeans with a nice top usually, and she wears accessories such as a necklace or a large scarf. She always wears make up, but again it's fairly simple, nothing garish. And hair in a bun or just down and wavy.

So on paper she doesn't dress particularly differently to probably 90% of other women, but she always manages to stand out.

How do some women do this? I'd love to know the secret so I can stop looking like a bag lady

[ProjectGainsborough]

I think almost anyone can get lovely skin. If you look at pictures of famous people before and after they were famous, one of the most noticeable things is the difference in their skin.

I think it's because they have people on hand to advise them on nutrition; they exercise and they look after their skin because it's in their interest to do so. I've recently started to get compliments on my skin and it's only after I started paying attention to what I eat/drink, Clarisonic-ing, regular masks etc.

...Obviously with celebrities, you have to factor the makeup artist and shit loads of fillers and stuff ... but I still think the other things make a difference

[Tt1803]

Clean hair, make up, black jeans, good shoes, breton stripes

[Tt1803]

also moisturising

[DesignBod]

I'm one of those people... apparently...

My tips are:

Exercise and diet routine to keep slim. I know it sounds a bit obvious, but if you have a streamlined figure it helps your clothes to sit well and opens up your options on finding clothes that actually match. You don't have to be a tall size 8, I guess you just need a neat compact figure. And know how to dress for your shape! there are plenty of books and websites that can advise.

Have your colours done if you have no idea what suits you. It makes a massive difference. And wear one or two neutrals with an accent colour or one neutral with max two accent colours, but as someone has said, no more than three colours at once.

Have your hair highlighted and cut to a style that suits you and keep it maintained regularly. On bad hair days (We ALL get them) wear hair in bun / sleek ponytail or reach for the straighteners to get rid of frizz! Make friends with serum.

Choose make up carefully. I think that over made up during daytime = a bit grubby looking. Go for as sheer a foundation as your skin can take, highlighter / bronzer, mascara and Vaseline for lips. That's all you need. Keep your eyebrows and any other visible body hair in check. Don't wear coloured nail polish on fingers unless you really must, and if so keep it looking neat and immaculate. Otherwise, neutral fingernails but deffo dark colour on toenails. Makes toes look less stumpy.

Have a compact wardrobe which is culled regularly. If you buy clothes from H&M and Primark etc, be prepared to only wear them for a couple of seasons as they wear quickly and look shabby. Update your shoes with the best you can afford each season. Shoes and bags DO make a difference. A Mulberry handbag can make you look passable if the rest of you looks like a hungover shit on a stick that day. Scarves, scarves and more scarves; BIG ones! Jewellery keep to a minimum during day (studs and a couple of rings plus watch) but wear just ONE statement piece on evenings out along with your usual minimum stuff.

[Tt1803]

definitely agree on the scarves and the finger nails. Nail varnish in colours only works if kept immaculate which I think is nigh on impossible.

[DesignBod]

YY to good skin - means less make up = natural, effortless impression

[Lucked]

Yep I have a friend like this. Partly I think she 'gets style' whereas I have to read lots, search out blogs and try to recreate, often failing. Her accessories are amazing, now I have noticed I realise she always wears jewellery. A lot of the time her clothes are a very classic cut but perhaps more interesting colours. She is also clean and neat with hair, nails and make up looking immaculate.

She gives the impression of having no time to herself with two young children but then will mention Pilates or a conversation with the girl who does her nails etc. so she is taking care if herself.

And yes she is slim. I think this helps because she doesn't have to worry about clothes concealing or camouflaging her shape so has much more choice.

[Sad51]

A lot of good advice on here.

I agree that there is an art to looking groomed. Most of those women plan their clothes daily.

I am not a fashion victim but always look presentable before leaving the house. It makes me feel good and ready to face the world.

I try to stay slim as even the cheaper end of clothes look ok I.e. New Look, H & M.

I admit to wondering why some women in the school . playground look so thrown together I.e. dark roots showing, hair looking scraggy greasy, scruffy/unflattering clothes. Lack of money is no excuse.

[greengiraffe]

So this three colours maximum thing - does that include shoes and bag? And jeans as a colour? Suppose I was wearing jeans, top, cardigan, scarf, bag and shoes, can anyone give me an example of colour combinations that would work?

[bettykt]

I also think some women do have an in built sense of style and can look good in whatever they Re wearing. 2 women can wear the same outfit but one may look more 'put together' than the other. This could be down to grooming, height, build, weight or simply just how they wear the clothes. As someone said further up thread confidence plays a big part as well as posture.

[vitaminC]

I don't think genes play a huge role, to be honest. Anyone can make the best of what they have by looking groomed!

I personally don't have great skin, naturally, but I spend a lot of time and energy trying to take care of it and it does look much better now, at 40, than when I see old photos of myself in my 20s!

I buy 99% of my clothes and shoes in the sales, often at heavily discounted prices (I don't care if they're last season's, as long as they're good quality, classic pieces), but I'm happy to spend more on facials and face creams and make-up.

A healthy lifestyle is also a factor. I rarely eat processed foods and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal. I also make sure I get 8 hours sleep at night. Any nights I don't manage that, the difference is noticeable on my skin the next day!

I think too many women feel guilty about doing anything for themselves, however even putting your husband/children first doesn't mean you have to forget about yourself completely!

[vitaminC]

giraffe Jeans are navy, which is a neutral. Accessories would definitely be included in the colour count.

I rarely wear jeans, but when I do, I often wear a navy top and a contrasting cardigan or jacket. Scarf, bag and shoes can then be a contrasting colour (or one of the previous colours) - although I would usually match the scarf to either the navy, the jacket or the shoes/bag.

Very occasionally I will wear a black polo neck or white t-shirt with the jeans and coloured jacket. In that case, the scarf would need to match one of the other items (or if it's patterned, contain one of those colours), but you could probably get away with black or brown shoes and bag.

I quite often wear just one colour of clothes, but then add contrasting shoes, bag and scarf/necklace. Much as I love colour, my chicest looks are often when I wear all neutrals (Navy/tan or black/tan, for example), with gold jewellery.

[TheresLotsOfFarmyardAnimals]

I would love to be this person and do make an effort. I always do my hair and make up and maintain eyebrows, nails etc but I'm not a naturally stylish person.

I recently wore a shirt with jeans as opposed to a long sleeved t-shirt (my unofficial uniform) and got loads of compliments. Maybe that's something to look at.

I always wear simple jewellery (studs, necklace, watch)

[NaffOrf]

As others have said - posture really helps. Even if you're not slim, you'll look better if you work on your posture. Even if you ARE slim, if you slouch you'll look scruffy.

I got loads of compliments on my appearance after I started doing Alexander technique. 'Poise' is nothing to do with clothes, after all.

[vitaminC]

Farmyard T-shirts always look scruffy and casual, no matter how much you pay for them!

You need the structure of a collar or v-neck to frame your face, IMO. You can achieve that to some extent with a statement necklace or scarf, but a shirt or blouse with gold jewellery or pearls always looks smarter, I find.

[Bonsoir]

I agree - clothes with some structure to them are a must when you aren't 15 anymore!

[deepest]

loving this sounds like you need a sort of prescriptive "uniform" or "template" for your most frequent occassions - which means that on top of continually needing to invest time up front in body maintenanace & grooming and you have to make clothes decisions so that for "school pick - up" " dog walking" "going to the gym" "going to work" "daytime coffee with friends" - you have your "uniform" all thought through...and then you have no decisions to make on a daily basis. I agree that it is all in the polished glow of grooming and then accessories on top of well fitting, neutral classy clothes. Sometimes this sounds a bit dull - stepford wife -- but you can express your personality it accessories...So where do can you but the nice bits?

[DesignBod]

Giraffe, today I'm having a bit of a dress down day. I am wearing:

Mid blue Hudson skinny jeans
Puma suede trainers in blue
Navy and white checked shirt
Crew neck jumper in mid purple

Then over the top:
Big navy and light green scarf with star pattern
Dark olivey brown leather jacket.

So underneath there are three colours going on: mid - dark blues, purple and white. On top is then the green in the scarf and the olive greeny jacket. With the scarf over the top you can't see the white, just blue, a hint of purple, green and dark olive brown.

It all sounds v complicated but it's just about having lots of neutrals to layer with and trying to match up or properly contrast accent colours, e.g. purple goes well with green, yellow goes with everything but looks fab with navy, orange and green look good, red and cream, hot pink and dark grey...

[DesignBod]

Shirts and v necks always look good. Collars are great.
Jersey blazer cardigans like this are fab if like me you like the structured look but comfort is important too.

[Artandco]

For me I say organisation is the key:

Ie when I get my hair cut, I book the next cut as I pay, have in diary etc before I leave the salon. Means I don't leave it longer as already scheduled. I get my nails done at the same time, just a French manicure.

When the kids are in bath playing, I will use that time to double cleanse face

A blazer makes everything smarter. Ie I might just wear navy fitted jeans, and white long sleeve top. If I add a casual blazer I look more put together. I have a few now in different colours and materials ie linen for in summer etc

[HappyAsEyeAm]

I have been really tring to make an effort to look more groomed and put together for the last year or so. I am finding the advice from Designbod and VitaminC really useful! I think I look a bit more together now than I have looked since my teens/early 20s when I was young enough to get away with minimum effort.

What I do now is to think in terms of outfits whenever I buy something. So whatever I buy, I either need to already have whatever I need to complete an outfit, or I need to buy whatever I need at near enough the same time. Otherwise I know that I will end up with a load of separates that I have nothing to wear with. So I always think whether I already have shoes/boots/scarf/whatever to go with the clothes I like in shops, or whether I can afford those extra things or whether I know where to buy those extra things in my size.

And I try to have things that can be mixed and matched in the same types of colours.

I also buy decent quality stuff, always iron my clothes and hang them up, and plan what I am wearing the night before and put it out ready.

None of this is a big thing, and I'm certainly not looking perfect, but it helps me, as I find that if I feel I look decent, I have more confidence and don't fret about whether I have an outfot to wear to a particular type of place, which takes away from me enjoying going there.

[Snowdown]

I tend to think you can only wear well known brands that get faked a lot like Mulberry bags, if you are well groomed - otherwise it looks fake - no way can a bag with a label on it make you appear classy - quite the opposite in fact!

[Beigecurtains]

Wow thanks everyone! Loads of great advice on here!

[ShatzePage]

I am a size 16 and am always getting compliments-often from complete strangers-on my style. So I arf at the idea you have to diet or be skinny to look good,

Hair done,bit of make up,eyebrows threaded,heels-et voila!

[cressetmama]

Many years ago, in New York, I asked the best-dressed of the office secretaries how she always looked so spiffy. "Starch and an iron!" came the answer... this from a 19 year old. I hung my head in shame, but have learned to agree with her. No point in having lovely skin, hair, nails and teeth or beautiful/expensive clothes, unless the details are perfect too. Oh, and cleaned shoes!