What makes someone look / seem classy?

[scruffyandlockeddown]

Not rich / expensive (although those threads are a great read).

But that more intangible serene class / grace / elegance?

Unclassy*

I think boobs can look classy as you say old Hollywood emphasised curves & looked very classy. Maybe it's because we dress so differently now? I have big boobs & think they are frumpy.

Clean and neat hair, clothes, nails and teeth!
Less is more in re make up and jewellery.
No fake hair, nails, eye lashes etc.

@boomshakey is it because clothing was more tailored back then and now we buy off the peg? If I buy a top to fit my waist it is too tight on the chest and then every top that fits my boobs just hangs like a tent!

sleek hair.

I am very curly, never straighten and have been told a lot of times that I always look 'wild', 'unprofessional' and that it can be sorted with a set of straighteners. So I would guess sleek/straight hair is what many consider to be part of a classy look.

I think straightened hair when it isn’t naturally like that doesn’t look terrribly flattering. Why not straighten and then do wave things?

I think straightened hair when it isn’t naturally like that doesn’t look terrribly flattering.

I think ironed out curls look always shit.

Why not straighten and then do wave things?

why would anyone want to do that?

I think think a look that is generally regarded as not classy (i.e. curls) is the only answer

@Babyyodasmacarons maybe, I think form fitting is often better if you have boobs/bum & certain cuts are more flattering.

I think think a look that is generally regarded as not classy (i.e. curls) is the only answer grin

Translation?

Ach sorry Gin grin Maybe go the other way and invest in padded bras? Might make a difference!!

I only wear padded bras. At least I don't look like a boy with one on.

Good posture
Being slim helps a lot but not essential
Glossy hair and good nails
Neutral clothes in classic cuts
Simple jewellery
Good bag and shoes

When I think of classy I think of Gillian Andersen.

When I think of classy I think of Gillian Andersen

Absolutely! Adding to that then I'd say well spoken and calm. Frantic and sweary is definitely not classy (and yes, I'm talking to myself).

A kind of stillness, holding back from the fray...

All the "classy" people being described here sound really boring. If having pristine hair, not talking loudly and not swearing are it then I'd rather be a fishwife!

IMO it's more about how you treat people and deal with situations that come your way, grace and humour.

My hair doesn't do classy, it's too curly & fine.

@JorisBonson - I agree that classy isn't the most exciting vibe though it is quite powerful.

You can tell even good fake tan because the colour is the same all over. Real tans have gradations of colour - darker on forearms/shoulders and lighter on the underneath of the arms. You can often see watch marks or similar as well. I'm not dissing fake tan, or at least not the subtle kind, but you can always tell it's fake.

@OutwiththeOutCrowd

A kind of stillness, holding back from the fray...

That sounds wonderfully like either a Thomas Hardy novel or a black and white music video about some Mysterious Woman...

I'm amused by how much of what people view as 'classy' seems to involve grooming that doesn't look like grooming. A bit of me feels more in sympathy with the person who has Diamante Nail Art, an Oompa-Loompa tan and eyelashes like a mascara'ed hedge than the person who has gone to similar amounts of trouble and expense for a restrained manicure, apparently effortless English Rose complexion accessorised with pearl studs, 'neutral clothes in classic cuts' and an expression of calm serenity.

Class and elegance are as much attitude as appearance.

No point wearing a £5k dress in a perfect 10 if you've got a load of bad tattoos poking out, or you shriek and swear like Birds of a Feather.

That said, perfect tights and good shoes are my suggestions. Always wear a bra, never poke. And never fake tan, ever. Ever.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

You can tell even good fake tan because the colour is the same all over. Real tans have gradations of colour - darker on forearms/shoulders and lighter on the underneath of the arms. You can often see watch marks or similar as well. I'm not dissing fake tan, or at least not the subtle kind, but you can always tell it's fake.

Yes, this is why many regular self tanners learn to emulate this when they apply it. It’s perfectly possible. Also...sometimes fake tan just looks like skin not a tan as such... just a different shade. NOT necessarily orange.

This thread is fucking hilarious. I never wear patterned clothes (and prefer what people seem to be calling neutrals? Navy, grey, white, black etc) and like them to be natural fibres and fit well so buy second hand things I couldn't normally afford and hem alter them to fit better. I like wearing pearls, and am a total wanker about things not matching but going together IYSWIM, eg shoes and handbags. I like dresses/skirts and matching cardigans/jackets - basically I want to dress like I'm a ballerina or an author in the late 1950s/early 1960s

So on paper I sound like a wanker a kind of sloane ranger/Kate Middleton/classic style dresser but in reality i am a wannabe 1950s ballerina with a shaved head and tattoos, as I also like those things. I have absolutely no doubt I would be judged the complete opposite to a "classy person/dresser" (especially in the "playground" where so much of this judging seems to take place ...)

If classy means (as it seems to be used here?) stylish and something admirable, then judging other women on the length of their hair or the length of their skirts or their weight - is the fucking total opposite of classy. It's really not a good look for anyone.

And (this is a genuine question) do people really look that closely at other people's tan, fake or otherwise? I'm imagining people (in the playground of course) discreetly trying to look at the underside of other peoples' arms to judge whether they are classy or not...

basically I want to dress like I'm a ballerina or an author in the late 1950s/early 1960s

Love the sound of this.

@LoisWilkersonslastnerve

basically I want to dress like I'm a ballerina or an author in the late 1950s/early 1960s

Love the sound of this.

We've clearly gone sartorially downhill as professions go -- I'm a novelist, and I met a friend who's a former ballerina for a walk along the river earlier. I was (and am) wearing grubby jeans, biker boots, an Aran jumper I've had since the early 1990s, and a big scarf, and she was wearing wellingtons and a North Face jacket.