A woman with an air of elegance can never go unnoticed when she walks past you. It’s the same with an inelegant woman. Not so inconspicuous right? It is important that we separate a person’s personal aesthetic from the art of elegance. Not every aesthetic has that attribute of elegance. You may not be aware of this but the clothes you wear can influence your mannerism.
In 2012, researchers from Northwestern University in the US found that wearing specific articles of clothing had an effect on the wearer’s psychology and performance. This is to say that clothes have their symbolic meanings. When you wear an article of clothing with a specific meaning, that clothing article can influence our psychological state/behavioural pattern. It is not a conscious thing. Let’s take for instance, you wear a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a pair of slides, there’s every tendency that you change the way you walk and in some cases, your body language too. This is a contrasting outcome with when you are formally dressed, your mannerism changes to suit the part. This is called the enclothed cognition.
There is no disputing the fact that fashion is a way we express ourselves, our identity and even how we feel. Elegance is defined as the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance and manner. Therefore, a woman who wants to feel graceful, confident and want to be perceived as an elegant person would have to be particular about her appearance which will subsequently influence her mannerism. The purpose of this article is to guide you through how to accentuate that natural grace you possess and poise that will exude elegance for all to notice.
The First Phase Is Your Clothing/Appearance (Dos and Don’ts)
This is the first phase because this article will be broken down into two parts. The Clothing part and the Etiquette part.
If you wish to achieve that elegant look, start by wearing classic clothing pieces. It is also important that you do not hop on every flying fashion trend. That is simply juvenile. Defining your style also matters. You must adopt balance in your outfits – never too baggy and never too tight, never too bright and never too dull.
Wrinkled Clothes
If you have any regard for your clothing and how it makes you look, you’d invest in a pressing iron or a steamer. An ironed dress makes you look neat and put together.
Buy Timeless Pieces
Earlier on, I mentioned that it is not okay to hop on every new trend, they are usually short lived. When purchasing clothing items, buy those ones that even with different trends taking place, they still maintain their place in trends. A little black dress is a timeless piece. Loafers, pantsuits, dress shirts are also timeless pieces.
Crop Tops
No matter how stylish these may seem, they are very juvenile. Your aim is to achieve elegance and style, not to show off everything you were given.
Colour blocking
Colour blocking is never really a good look when you do not really understand the rules to it.That’s just you incorporating contrasting colours into your outfit however, if you wish to spice up your outfit with colours, use a colour wheel. Three colours is your limit, anything more than that is just doing too much and out of bound.
Over Layering of Statement Jewelry
Stacking necklaces, rings, anklets, bracelets and bulky cheap looking jewelry is never a good option. Be minimal with your jewelries.
Ripped Jeans
This is quite relative as they fit into very casual occasions like going to the beach. Asides that, they lack sophistication and exudes everything but elegance.
Satin Dresses
Satin dresses make you look expensively elegant. They are lovely to look at. The satin dresses can be styled to fit different aesthetics which makes it very easy to wear. Satin dresses will always up your elegance game.
Neutral Makeup
You can never really go wrong with neutral looks. They just exude effortlessness and the best part is that they are really easy to achieve.
Wear The Right Hairstyle
Your hairstyle matters. It is of importance that you know your face shape and get hair-dos that make your face look good. Simplicity matters a lot in terms of hair-dos.
Your Nails Matter Too
We all know when a person’s nails look too shabby and over-embellished. The best nail shape that implies elegance is Oval. Oval shaped nails can flatter both wide and narrow nail beds.
Monochromatic outfits can also influence your style and give off a look of elegance. They just help in keeping things simple and effortless. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it insightful. Phase two of this article will be up on the website soon and do not hesitate to like and share!
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