How to look “polished”

[Turdissimo]

Some folk seem to look good all the time. Why is this? Do you think they always feel good too or would they look good even on a bad day?

Do you have to be thin (or at least not v overweight) for the look (whatever the look is) to work?

Can you wear cheap clothes / accessories if they are classic styles etc?

Can you be casual and polished at the same time?

PS would add I have tried to copy styling gurus etc on YouTube and just ended up buying items which didn’t suit me or feel like me.

Bemused. I want to look more put together..

@ColdHenrietta- I beg your pardon?

I am not saying that at all, and if you think I am, then that is quite a worrying statement.

As someone who is half black and half white, I think I’m allowed to think about these things and how they relate to me. Hope that’s okay with you.

As others have said:
Hair
Teeth
Posture/grace
Clothes clean and pressed
Absolute cleanliness

I would add it's worth having your colours done, ensuring clothes fit and hang well.

I disagree with many of the nail and eyebrow comments, I don't think acrylics/gels look polished, nor eyebrows that look as though an architect has worked on them.

Being the best you can be every day, whether that's jeans and a jumper or a formal occasion. Wear clothes that make you feel good, always. Natural make-up and good skincare with an spf.

Good and comfortable shoes, a good bag.

Totally agree. It’s the first thing I notice. Bad teeth are very ageing. American fake white teeth are terrible too though. There’s a happy medium.

Lots of good tips here which apply to polished people- but some of them can also be worn by a person who is not polished- (blow dry/ done nails/ leather bag / brows etc) and in fact looks quite tacky. It is a puzzle.

Look online at videos explaining “tacky” v “classy” and you’ll see what the subtle differences are. ie. hair with a really expensive looking blonde/highlights rather than over bleached or a home dye. Nails should be clear polish or a pale pink/nude and never long. Classic type leather bag with no blingy labels. Brows need to be very natural looking and not overgroomed - obviously no caterpillar brows.

The things that I think make me look more polished (and I often get compliments along these lines) as well as the points above are: buying good shoes and bags, never wearing loud prints or colours, good quality fabrics (I wear a lot of cashmere for instance), having white, straight teeth (not too white!), not following trends, having good skin (go for glowy), wearing minimal makeup.

Follow instagrammers who have the look you want for tips. Clothes don’t have to cost the earth and really good quality ones can be bought for a snip on Vinted. It’s about knowing which brands/styles to look for.

And yes, being thin. I look so much more “put together” at 9 stone than I did at 13 last year when I looked bloated. I’ve been taking MJ for over a year now.

@Dollyfloss, love your advice.

Re. clothes and “really good quality ones can be bought for a snip on Vinted” - please can you share some brands and some ideas of what to look for? 😍 TIA.

It might help you @Turdissimo if I said what I think looks scruffy (which is the opposite of polished.)

It's not just what you wear but the condition of your clothes and if they are clean and ironed, if need be.

Tatty hair- looks like it's unwashed, never had a decent cut and is either too long or too short for the person's face, age, shape. Or has colour that is growing out (black roots, over-bleached etc)

Clothes that don't fit properly- too big, too tight, too short.
Clothes that are tatty- baggy jumpers that have sagged, bobbled knitwear,

An outfit that looks as if the person has grabbed anything from their wardrobe and never thought about what 'goes with what'.

Joggers and leggings when in town instead of 'at home or at the gym.'

I don't agree with the full nails thing.
As long as your nails are cut short, neatly filed, and clean, that's fine. Gel nails and long nails IMO look tacky unless it's for a special occasion.

My 'uniform' in cold weather is jeans , some cords, , some straight, some wider, with a cashmere or good quality wool jumper, 'posh' trainers or boots, scarves, and a nice wool coat (knee length or midi.) Or a down coat when it's freezing. I base my clothes around navy, grey, black, teal blue/ turquoise.

I don't buy any clothes unless I know they will coordinate with something I already have.

I have a few decent bags ( Longchamp, Coast)

Simple jewellery- all silver or white gold.

Make up every single day- but the 'no make up look' - no heavy slug eyebrows or orange face.

@PoweredBySheerSpite ah I hear you with the wish for swish! My hair is wavy/curly with various patterns and even if I straighten it, it will never have any sort of swish. Last weekend I diffused and decided to actually curl it the next day, I think it looked so much more groomed. I dont want to use heat though because its taken a lot to get it healthy again. I do think curls and waves can look groomed, just not mine 😂😂😂

I never seem put together, messy hair in bun, dog walking clothes, I pick my fingers and despite losing 4 stone, I look like a wheelie bin dweller at times.

I love these threads though, gives me hope x

you could wear a bin bag and look classy if you have:-

clean, coloured blow dried hair
short polished nails
groomed eyebrows
good skin
good teeth
thin

I know a girl who has and does the above and lives in gym wear most of the time and looks amazing. (think she does have regular facials and botox though)

I have a friend who is very rich and buys expensive clothes, but her straggly hair, chipped nails, yellow crooked teeth and poor skin makes her look very unpolished no matter how hard she tries.

Look for cashmere jumpers in muted colours. I’ve bought Brora and Zadig & Voltaire ones in like new condition for about £30. Sezane is a good brand for classic clothing in good fabrics. Google things like tan suede boots that are flat or have a low heel. I bought a paid or Gianvitto Rossi ones that retails at £900 for £40, brand new. Never buy anything that looks bobbly or worn. Clothing brands like Wrap, Ralph Lauren and Gap are other good shouts for classic silhouette style clothing.

In winter I love to wear tan fitted cords or jeans (a slightly cropped pair looks good on most and Sezane do a pair called le crop that are perfect imo) with a cashmere jumper or a shirt with a knitted vest over the top. If I’m slobbing about and going casual il wear something like an Anine Bing/Abercrombie sweater with baggy jeans (hush are another good jeans brand with classic styles) and trainers, but again go for classic styles like the samba OG in black/white/natural colours. Alohas are another good shout and I bought a brand new pair for less than half price on Vinted. Then a good crossbody bag. I do have some expensive handbags which I think “elevate” your outfit - I think it’s better to save for a really good handbag than have lots of cheaper ones.

I usually just type exactly what I want in the search bar of Vinted and eventually you’ll start an algorithm going with similar things.

I do buy mostly new stuff but I got a bit addicted to Vinted last year and bought some amazing items including a brand new Prada crossbody bag for a third of the retail price. You can get some very lucky finds and make cheeky offers.

I honestly think the best way to find your style is to look on Instagram and follow fashion influencers who have the kind of look you want. One I follow is Cara Suthers- she has a similar aesthetic to me and looks very well put together.

Always buy the best coat, shoes and bag you can afford in classic styles.

It’s human nature to follow trends to a certain extent as we take them in by osmosis but always try and veer towards “classic” rather than “quirky”.

I think there's an individual element to what's preventing us looking polished.

Looking at old photos (not always a pleasant experience), I can see that my polishedness was held back by: having crooked teeth, wearing clothes that didn't fit me and were shapeless, having hair too dark for my skin tone, and when I was heavier - I'm a pear shape and only in proportion when on the lighter side unfortunately.

As I get older, it seems more important than before to have tidy eyebrows (I get them threaded occasionally) and glowy skin

I don't think style comes from 'following' anyone else.

It's about knowing what works for you.

I was quite 'lost' with clothes in my 30s and even early 40s but I've learned what works for me, which is keeping it all simple, paying attention to detail. Being ruthless with what I buy- it HAS to match something I've got in the wardrobe.

I don't know if this is more of a British woman thing compared to the French and Italians, but so may women don't wear make up when even something low key would make a huge difference.
Most are overweight. Most don't bother much with their hair.
You just need to stick to the basics to look polished - hair, teeth, make up, clothes that are in good condition, colours that work together (or clash if that's intentional), proportions- wide trousers don't always work with a loose top - tighter top and bigger bottoms, or the opposite.

If that was directed at me - I agree that style doesn’t come from following anyone else.

However, if you’re a bit clueless and looking for help like the poster I was responding to it’s a very good place to start and learn about what you like and what works for you.

Style is sometimes something you either have or don’t - but it can be learnt or at least improved with effort.

And we all look at other people and take in our surroundings for influence and take from it what we like whether people want to admit that or not. Instagram is just another way of people watching.

You need to ask yourself though what you actually mean by polished? There have been many threads on here that cover this, posters post pics of people who they think are polished and many are incredulous that this is the definition of polished. Chelsea Housewife with air wrapped hair and long gel nails is not my idea of polished for example, or micro blades eyebrows. The area where I work the definition of polished is fake tan, minimal clothing, brand names emblazoned, caterpillar eyebrows and 2 inch eyelashes.

Regular hair cuts, every 6-8 weeks.
Hair glosses in between hair colours, if you colour your hair.
Gel nails or polished nails. Not too long, not too short.
Eyebrow threading every 4 weeks.
I also get waxes.
Good skin care and spf (never skip this).
Regular dental appointments; scale and polish.
Simple, classy, good quality clothes.
A signature perfume.

The End.

I agree with pretty much all of this, and I think I posted similar.
I don’t necessarily mean this thread, but I always see posters sneer as soon as someone mentions nails and eyebrows.

I found Allison Bornstein's book Wear it well quite good for a wardrobe revamp.

Do this instead of spending money on clothes, and all your clothes will look expensive:

My no.1 game changer was to start using a high quality shampoo and conditioner (Redken All Soft).

Blow dry your hair and style it (5 minute job).

Get regular haircuts (and colour if needed). Ideally find a mobile hairdresser as they’re way cheaper.

Take care of your skin (you don’t need loads of expensive products).

Do moderate exercise and get lots of fresh air.

Invest in a decent handbag (doesn’t have to be designer).

I think eyebrows, light touch makeup (OTT looks the opposite of polished), good tailoring and neat hair and neutral or red/ dark red nails.

So much of this to me is a completely unnecessary spend:

Where I live, polished nails, threaded eyebrows, hair gloss and waxes would not make you look more polished - it would be more of an indicator that the person works in a beauty salon.

Actually my SIL is not what you’d call thin (she’s young though) and she’s the most polished looking person I know.

She doesn’t spend a fortune on clothes, but her skin and hair always look amazing and she just always manages to look really pulled together and well accessorised.

I agree.
My nails are clean, tidy, not too short or too long and look manicured, but they are polish/gel free
I pluck my own eyebrows as and when required
In summer I shave my legs - no-one sees them in winter
I don't have pedicures in winter as no-one sees my feet
I like and wear perfume, but it isn't going to make you look polished

I do have my hair cut and coloured regularly and look after my skin and am lucky enough not to need to use expensive skincare products.
I also visit the dentist every 6 months.
I epilate my top lip regularly otherwise I would rival Poirot.

I don't understand the handbag comments bevause I never notice what kind of bag people are using, but all my bags are leather except the Uniqlo one

So imteresting how it varies by area and local norms.

Round these parts, my impression is that polished vs not depends largely on having well-fitting clothes and a fit looking bod. But looking too 'done' might be considered less elegant. People here (not so much me) generally have plenty of money so it's the things that take time and effort that make the difference.

In other parts of the same city it would be more rather than less makeup, nails that have had something done to them, probably more emphasis on a tan vs pale.

Not only that but it's your personal definition of polished too. Maybe we all see it as the best version of ourselves... for me it's a kind of understated well-groomed confidence.

Really? Short nails with plain gel polish, eyebrows which don’t have straggly hairs and waxed upper lip make you look like you work in a beauty salon? I doubt it

Yes I think it must be an unusual area for those things to indicate someone works in a salon.

eyebrows and nails are very devise. My view is that eyebrows are one of the most important things and can either make you look very groomed and elegant or overly done and horrendous.

Nails should be not too long and not too short and well manicured. Polished looks more "well groomed" but if you have very healthy nails with pink beds and white tips then that can look lovely.

That’s absolutely fine. I don’t know where you live. If you met me in person, I can assure you that you wouldn’t think I work in a beauty salon. I’m just very well kempt and I look smart. It’s personal choice.