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..

Okay, look, I can see it wasn’t deliberate now that I’ve calmed down.
I didn’t call her look trashy, but others on here have and I thought it unfair to expose her to such comments, which could be anticipated on this thread. It is a typical Irish Traveller look imho.

I realise you didn’t know, but you can click on image source to see where an image originates. The photo can be linked back so it’s not anonymous.

I guess looking polished is just about nothing jarring against anything else or looking too try hard. It just looks clean, considered and thoughtful. Polished is gentle and quiet and perfectly accessorised. It doesnt have to look like money. Often money doesnt look polished!

For me polished is a neat and tidy natural you.

You can be polished and broke! A designer bag isn't any better than a carefully picked and looked after one from Tesco. I had a suit from Asda once. It was beautifully made, a lovely lining, french seams, well sewn on buttons etc. It got lots of compliments from people with much higher clothes budgets than me.

I guess you do have to have time though. Time to look for amazing Asda suits, to style your hair in the morning and to iron/repair clothes etc.

So for me, polished means...
Neat nails. Plain or coloured but clean and no chips.

Clothes that fit.

Clean clothes in good repair, ironed if needed. Not faded.

Look at the shapes of the clothes eg where the skirt hem and coat hem end.

Look at the quality of clothing. Expensive doesnt necessarily mean the hem is straight or the fabric isnt see through.

Clothes you like and feel comfortable in. You'll never look polished if you're hiding and tugging and readjusting your clothes.

No visible underwear eg bras should match the clothing, no visible straps etc. I refuse to wear thongs so sometimes have a VPL. Not the end of the world but not polished.

Clean hair that doesnt need to be constantly touched/flicked/pushed out of your eyes. Whether that is loose and swooshy or in a neat ponytail/bun. No roots. I'm waiting for my hairdresser to come back off holiday so I'm currently failing on this point too!

Polished hair is often equated to rich white girl hair eg blonde highlights and long and swooshy. It doesnt have to be. There is a lady I work with who has an afro but it is perfect. I really want to touch it to see if it feels as soft and shiny as it is (dont worry, I will never do this!).

"Correct" shoes (that are clean), coat and bag for the oitfit. Another fail for me. I just cant get this right. I used to be so good at it but have lost my way.

Dress for what is happening.

I actually dont think all patterns are "bad". Just be aware of what you are wearing with them and think about the overall image. I sometimes wear "crazy" patterns. My favourite blouse looks like 70s curtains. It is "too much" to be polished.

Good skin (naturally or with make up). My skin is oily and make up disappears so another fail here.

If you do a big eye make up look, do a subtle lip etc. Make up doesnt need to be boring. A perfectly applied swoosh of glittery eyeliner can look very smart.

Just stick to one "thing" eg if you have a feature jumper, then downplay everything else. Too much competing stuff can look thrown together, not curated.

Wear jewellery. Again, I dont think it has to be subtle or small, just considered. A huge necklace can look amazing, just downplay everything else.

Wear accessories eg a belt.

Iron your clothes! 😄

Get your DH to iron your clothes!!

Yes my DH irons better than I do

Not running around just before going anywhere, wondering what to wear.

I don't do it all the time but, as a rule of thumb, I spend a bit of time thinking about what I'm going to wear-including the bra, shoes, bag, jewellery-and then look it over for bobbles, stains or creases.

Surely 'polished' just means 'taking care of' your appearance?

It has nothing to do with spending money beyond the basics.

It's simple things like -
Washing and styling your hair not leaving it a day too long.

Having a decent hair cut and keeping on top of colour if you have that done

Using some make up unless you look marvellous with none.

Clothes that fit- not too baggy or tight.
Clean clothes not crumpled, bobbled or stained.

Not wearing things that are clearly worn out - eg scuffed shoes, dirty trainers, scuffed handbags, coats that are tatty or have lost their shape.

Adding accessories thoughtfully- scarf, jewellery, belts.

Not showing acres of flesh. Can't stand cropped tops and naked bellies even on 15 year olds.

Joggers and leggings for home or the gym, not to go 'out in'. Unless you're shopping on the way home from the gym.

By “polished” most of us mean clean, smart and understated. I don’t think that look fits this particular bill

I always find mid/plus size influencers on Instagram are way taller than me, and clothes just look and hang better when you’re tall, even if you’re wide. Yet to find a size 18+ 5’ 2” person to inspire me. Trying to lose weight without jabs, but very very slow.

I have never heard of Caroline Bissette, but IMO she doesn't look "polished" in the first picture with the red coat.

She’s a massive style icon - wife of JFK jr and DIL of Jackie O!

My point was she still looks classy even when casual. Here are some pics of her looking more polished. I often look to old photos of her for style tips, these photos are from the 90’s but could be from today - she’s the definition of timeless which is kind of what people should aim for if they want to look wealthy and polished.

Of course, some will have different ideas of what constitutes polished. The other images/girls posted are not my idea of polished at all.

Surely 'polished' just means 'taking care of' your appearance? It has nothing to do with spending money beyond the basics.

I agree. You don't need gel nails (which wrecked my nails when I had them) to look polished. My nails are clean, tidy and manicured, just not covered in gel polish.

My time hungry expense is having my hair done. I don't have the skills (or eyesight) to do it myself, so I get it cut and coloured every 5 weeks. If I had long hair that didn't need any colour and just the odd trim then I wouldn't need a hairdresser, but I have it short and layered and need someone who knows what they are doing to get it to look good.

Thinner, straight thick hair cut well, classic clothes in heavier materials typically all help. I’ve got no chance as naturally unruly curly hair, overweight etc though I can manage a fairly polished look if I try, just not naturally me, I’m too quirky in taste. I have a heavy tweed skirt (custom fitted, a friends company) couple of silk blouses, ballet flats or classic heels, pearls etc to look right when i need to scrub up.

Interesting. This isn’t polished imv. Look at the hem of the cream dress, where the split is. Her dressmaker has done a poor job there.
Then look at the slightly too worn jeans with the sticky out ends.

and the boring skirt and boots? It’s an OK look, but it’s not polished or elevated. She was clearly an attractive woman with a Mahoosive clothes budget, but I’m not seeing a style icon.

I agree.

One journalist's opinion when they write some copy in a hurry is not an expert opinion.

It's just something that they have bashed out to go with a pic/deadline.

I don't think that woman looks 'polished' in any way. Very very ordinary.

I agree with many of these and I would also add, Brush your hair! You will never look polished if you go around with bed hair.

i don’t agree at all. She was and continues to be a huge style icon. The cut of the dress and style of jeans are 90s influenced, but the way she wore the clothes and put outfits together was new and elegant.

It wasn’t ‘one journalist’s opinion’ though!!

I’m feeling very old! The 90s weren’t that long ago were they?😅

www.vogue.com/article/carolyn-bessette-kennedy-style

Clothes sit/hang better on a slim body. Good skin and hair; makeup that enhances and isn’t too bold or strong. Straight white teeth. Tasteful colour combinations. High quality bags and shoes. Well fitting clothes

Good haircut. Natural makeup, not plastered on or orange so make sure your foundation matches your skin tone. Clothes that fit well and suite your figure.

Leggings are a no no unless they are under a long jumper with long boots. Always look at your rear view before leaving the house. Polished people look as good from behind as they do from the front.

Jewellery that accents your outfit rather than expresses the size of your bank account.

Don’t wear your labels on the outside of your clothes. Again, expensive clothes don’t look polished if they don’t fit or suite you. And don’t accessorise an outfit with shoes or handbag that detracts from the look. It may be Chanel but if it clashes it spoils the whole look.

Clean your shoes.

Finally posture. Head up, shoulders back and wear heels that you can walk naturally in. It’s not just the outfit but how you present it. You can look a million dollars in head to toe Primark and you can lift ok like a sack of spuds in designer.

As someone who doesn't get excited by bags, I don't think I would notice what bag someone was carrying unless it was very scruffy.

To me they are just something practical to carry your stuff around in.

As a dentist I would disagree with the straight white teeth. Healthy clean teeth is a better indication. Straight white nowadays suggests Turkey special. Some of my most polished patients don’t have straight white teeth. They have just looked after the ones they were born with.

I have a feeling we wouldn’t agree with those posters opinion of polished either 😂

Obviously socio-economic factors come into it also. If you live in a wealthy MC area v a working class area for example. Or if you live in a Cotswold village v somewhere more try hard and edgy like Shoreditch. Where I live the wealthy women are generally dressed very low key elegance. Wealth whispers. The gel nail/lip filler/bouncy dyson-ed blowout isn’t really a thing round here, even amongst younger women.

I live in a fairly low income area. We have a decent income, and yes, I am aware that my clothes mainly jeans and sweaterscost more than most people locally spend. But I don't think I stick out as better off. However, I can go to the Cotswolds without changing clothes, and still not stick out.

Straight white teeth is not the same as turkey teeth. Think it goes without saying that those don’t fit with the look OP is referring too.

I live ten minutes or so from Shoreditch @Dollyfloss , and I'm not sure what you mean by 'try hard'. Could you expand?

I'll agree that people around here don't look particularly 'polished', at least as I've understood it from reading the thread. I hope I don't either; whilst it all sounds very tasteful, it also sounds inordinately dreary and dull.