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..

I think there’s a lot of stereotyping and generalisations going on on threads like this. If I didn’t wish to remain anonymous, I’d post a picture of myself and you’ll see I don’t look like I work in a beauty salon. Even if someone did work in a beauty salon, that’s fine as well. We all have our different preferences and standards. I used to get my eyelashes tinted and permed but I don’t do that anymore as I saw it as an unnecessary expense and mascara is fine.

Sarah Snook’s character in “it’s all her fault” is a perfect example of what i would call a polished look if you have seen it. Even when she wears casual clothes in it, she looks amazing and polished.

Good hair in a simple no fuss style.
Good , well look after skin.
Natural well applied make up with groomed brows.
Short, neat, groomed nails whether painted or natural.
High quality well cut clothes in simple designs/muted colours without patterns.
Good Quality handbag and footwear, again in simple timeless designs.

Agree with all of this.

IMO nails can look clean and manicured without gel polish.

I don't think anyone is saying otherwise. But the point is they have to look well manicured (not too short or too long), all the same length and healthy.

Weird emphasis on nails - I don’t think I have ever looked at a person’s nails in my life (unless the have some horrible really long ones on which are really noticeable)
I think smart hair and well fitting clothes. And slimmer definitely looks better as it’s generally a smoother silhouette which will always look better than lumps and bumps and bulges.

I am a lifelong scruff, but I admire people who look polished! I just can't be bothered and it doesn't really bother me either (I hang around with a bunch of other scruffs anyway haha). Mind you, I recently cut my hair to a #1 haircut, it looks good but already all the hair is pointing in different directions (prob about 3mm long now) so I think it's in my genes 😂

I think my mum wishes I wasn't a scruff but she's used to it these days 😁

Weird emphasis on nails - I don’t think I have ever looked at a person’s nails in my life (unless the have some horrible really long ones on which are really noticeable)

I tend not to notice nails either unless they are really long and garish or badly bitten.

Polished is just another word for neat and tidy and looking like you made a bit of an effort.

I finally bought a fabric shaver (to debobble clothes) and oh my gosh!!! It really makes a huge difference. Now I feel like I must have looked like a right scruff! I always assumed the electric ones would be as rubbish as the combs but they aren't.

So top tip - buy an electric fabric shaver!

It would be helpful (and interesting) of people would post an example of a photo where they think the woman looks polished

Completely agree. Hair and nails are a must to look polished!

I think the thing with nails (and possibly other aspects of appearance) is that you don’t notice them when they’re neat…when they’re scruffy, or ridiculously long or bitten, you do notice them. Same with anything, I suppose it’s that ‘understated beauty’ thing. We know when someone looks put together and polished, but can’t always say why!
As someone who has been in both camps, the weight thing helps. Clothes hang better on me now than when I was larger, particularly as I’m very short. Having unfussy hair makes me look better (for me it’s always quite short). I rarely wear patterns and tend to stick with neutral colours that aren’t too fashiony, for clothes, bags, make up and hair...and sorry to say it, but ironing and de-dog furring helps!

Iron your clothes, wear (subtle) make up, nice neat shaped eyebrows. Straight -ish teeth. Nails done. Having a sense of style and putting outfits together well.

Good hair, nails, shoes and bag. Clothes.. understated luxury life a plain cashmere jumper with a good scarf.

Good hair is great if you have good hair. I don't. It's so so fine and whatever I do to it in the morning it looks like I haven't brushed it for a week by the time I leave the house.

Posture is about 75% of it in my opinion. Then hair cut, careful make up, manicure, good teeth and clothes that fit. I always buy the best quality I can afford, natural fibres.

Being slim and moderately to very wealthy, then hair, skin, teeth and nails. Having the time and headspace for self care and prioritising it.

Quality clothes that fit well, and I think you need at least moderately well arranged facial features. I could be slim and wealthy and take all the care in the world but nobody would think me polished or notice how I was put together because I’m objectively very unattractive, always have been.

Agree that being wealthy often gives people the headspace to be able to focus on their own appearance. Not always, but it helps!

When you watch Trinny or someone on-line who is open about their beauty routines, you can see the amount of work that goes in to their hair, cut and colouring, skin regimes, treatments, daily exercising with personal trainers, manicures and pedicures etc, and that’s before the clothes go on!

Trinny has a lady who does alterations for her and presumably someone is doing the laundry? And Trinny takes care to have the correct undergarments and wears shoulder pads from Amazon that stick on her shoulders. She always has a good choice of shoes with different heel heights to go with different outfits which are tweaked and planned in advance.

And once the clothes go on, the quality of the “adornments” is evident eg beautiful necklaces and earrings, quality belts, several different high quality frames for glasses and sunglasses, silk scarves etc.

Trinny is of course an extreme example, because she works in the beauty and fashion business and clothes and her appearance are important parts of her job and to be fair, she puts a lot of effort in.

But it’s interesting to me how evident it is that when she gets dressed in the morning, she is already starting at a much higher basic level than the average person in terms of “a polished look” with lovely tanned, moisturised skin and toned limbs, and hair that is beautifully cut and coloured etc and rarely showing any grey!

A good coat makes all the difference. You can pick them up on Vinted.

@normanagfriendsso this young woman on insta is my idea: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTQgnmQDcPa/?igsh=MTBlYTJxemR4eTBuYg==

Her life looks utterly exhausting.

That's interesting, to me she has nice hair but there is nothing polished about her at all, she looks miserable, which never is a good look.

She looks exhausted and I know she’s going to Pilates but the leggings, white socks and shoes are not what I’d call polished.

Haha, she looks utterly shattered all the time!

I think I mean more skin and hair - plus she’s very young so gets away with more (like white socks which as a 40 yo would be a huge no no).

This is so true. It’s a lot easier to look polished when you haven’t got to do a hundred things for other people and wrestle small children to school before even starting your commute.

That said, I do recognise that you need to start with the basics; having a healthy diet, being a good weight, regular exercise, good posture and well maintained hair underpin everything else and help you to look healthy and energetic. All the skincare products in the world can’t help if your diet is poor.

After that, dress well for you. Wear what suits you and what you like, but always think in terms of top to toe outfits, including shoes, coats and bags. The cost doesn’t matter as much as whether the look works together.

Nails need to be neat but don’t need to be covered in polish. If you haven’t got time to maintain polished nails, don’t do it. Natural beats chipped every time.