Dianne How to Always Look Good
Want to look stylish everyday? In this video and post, I will share the secret to look stylish everyday with basics.
Created for women who want to look and feel their best, this guide is about what to wear when you feel you have nothing to wear!
I’ll share my styling formula and styling tips to help you look great everyday with basic clothing.
This post is all about the secret to look stylish everyday with basics.
Example of Clothing Basics You Need in Your Closet
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Your Capsule Wardrobe – Ten Basics Perfect for You
Create your own personal capsule wardrobe that reflects your lifestyle and the clothing that you like to wear that makes you feel good. These are not your trendy pieces or the unique items in your closet, but the fundamental pieces that are your “outfit building blocks.” Your ten items need to have these six characteristics:
- Solid Color Neutrals
- Timeless not Trendy
- Your Comfortable Favorites
- Ideally Made of Natural Fabrics
- Good Quality “Investment Pieces”
- Good Quality, Inexpensive “Wear Items”
1. Solid Color Neutral
Wardrobe basics need to be neutral because are the items that ground your outfits and are the foundational pieces. Typically, these pieces are black, navy, gray, camel, ivory, white, etc. The neutrals worn with this leopard print blouse help to create a cohesive outfit, where the print is the primary focus. Other colors or patterns would compete. The black pencil skirt, jean jacket and boots are the solid color neutrals which give this outfit the element of sophistication.
2. Timeless Not Trendy
When choosing your clothing basics, consider items that are timeless. For example, when choosing blue jeans, opt for a timeless style such as skinny, straight or boot cut, in a medium blue to suit your body style. This is not the place of unique looks such as stone washing or distressing. The jeans I am wearing here are my favs! Moderately priced and very comfortable, these medium, washed skinny jeans by Free Assembly are from Walmart. They are comfortable and fit like a dream.
3. Your Comfortable Favorites
Your wardrobe basics need to be items you love and are comfortable to wear frequently. These items must not be so-so pieces, or ill-fitting. If they are not comfortable or do not fit quite right, consider spending the money to have them tailored, so they fit you well and you feel great every time you put them on! The black blazer worn above has been in my closet for years, and I have a similar black blazer and black pencil skirt from J. Crew which I also love and recommend.
4. Ideally Made of Natural Fabrics
To look stylish, consider buying basics made of natural fibers. Natural fabrics typically look nicer and wear better, but require an extra bit of care. Typically, they are more comfortable and feel better than synthetics. Here I am wearing one of my favorite fall and winter pieces, an affordable black cashmere turtleneck sweater from Uniqlo. Uniqlo is great for well-made, affordable wool, cashmere and cotton sweaters.
5. Good Quality “Investment Pieces”
“Investment pieces” are those items that cost a bit more, but worth every penny. Typically, if you’re buying a blazer or dress pants, consider buying wool. To look stylish, it’s best to buy the highest quality item you can afford. By buying quality, these items will wear well and last longer. In this picture, both the black blazer and knee high black leather boots are investment pieces which I love and highly recommend.
6. Good Quality, Inexpensive “Wear Items”
“Wear items” are those pieces of clothing that we wear all the time and can get dingy with use. An example of this is a white v-neck t-shirt. To look stylish, polished, and pulled-together every day, it’s important that we replace the white clothing in our closets that look drab and dingy. If you need an excellent source for quality white tees, Walmart sells a 2-pack of good quality white tees for about $10 that I swear by.
Know Your Office Uniform
Your office uniform is your go-to outfit that looks good, feels good and is easy to throw on when you need to look polished and pulled together when you’re short on time and do not have a moment to think about what to wear.
As an example, my uniform for the office during fall and winter is a turtleneck sweater, a black pair of dress pants, pearl earrings, and a pair of black heels. I have found this to be an easy, polished looking uniform that is simple and very classy. Such a clean polished look that I feel good and looks stylish every time I wear it!
Determine what your office uniform is and make sure you have multiples of each piece, so it’s always ready to go when you need it.
Example: A Simple Four-Piece Stylish “Uniform”
Style an Outfit: Four Step Styling Formula
1. Choose Your Personality Piece
The first step in styling an outfit is choosing your personality piece. This is the item you will build your outfit around. In the example shown, I have chosen my favorite suede cowboy boots. Alternatively, it may be a new sweater you just purchased, a trendy blazer, a patterned blouse or a designer belt. This item is the star of the show and all the items you wear with this piece will create the backdrop (i.e. the supporting cast).
2. Add Capsule Wardrobe Basics
Step two is choosing your capsule wardrobe basics to pair with your personality piece. These solid color basics are the foundation pieces in building a beautiful, well-curated outfit. Your basics should compliment your personality pieces, not compete. In the example to the right the solid color basics are a pair of blue jeans, and a white blouse with crochet details.
3. Add Your Finishing Piece
Your finishing piece is the blazer, jacket, sweater, or belt that helps to pull your outfit together and make it look more interesting and polished. While not always necessary, the finishing piece creates a smarter casual look, while skipping this step will make your outfit look more casual. In this example, I chose an olive utility jacket and a camel Tory Burch logo belt. This jacket has great southwest style features on the shoulders, provides additional warmth and structure to the outfit.
4. Accessorize
Time to choose your accessories! These are the pieces that complete your outfit, such as jewelry, a scarf, a purse, shoes or even sunglasses. These are the pieces of the outfit that further refine your personal style. Don’t overdo it though, it’s best to keep your accessories simple. One to three pieces of jewelry, plus a purse & shoes. These pieces must complement your personality piece and not compete. I have chosen a basic Tory Burch camel crossbody purse and kept my jewelry quite sparse, too. I am wearing a simple pair of pearl earrings, a delicate gold pendant necklace, and a narrow gold cuff bracelet.
Bonus Tip: Confidence Looks Stylish
Psychology has it that when you feel good about how you look, you naturally have more confidence. So wear clothing that makes you feel good, because nothing looks better on you than confidence.
If you are hesitant about getting that special piece of high quality clothing (i.e. that “investment piece”) that makes you feel like a million bucks – strongly consider going to get it! Who knows, if you feel like a million, you may just attract the same.
This is the most important secret to look stylish everyday – invest in yourself! Confidence is more attractive than any piece of clothing that you can wear. Make this simple mindset shift toward self empowerment and being confident.
For more fashion, beauty and lifestyle ideas and inspiration, check out these posts:
- 2021 & 2022 Capsule Wardrobe Essentials Stylebook
- 9 Ways to Wear Skinny Jeans with Boots
- How to wear knee high pointed toe boots
