^ 23 Really Useful Style Tips

Since I began my journey as a personal stylist, I have been busy gathering lots of tips and tricks to help getting dressed easier and to add that all important bit of flair to an outfit.  Some of these you might already know, others will be new to you, but I guarantee all of them will help you to dress up show up and be confident! 

Here are 23 of my favourites all in one place for easy reference! You are welcome!

1.      Use an elastic hairband to push up and secure your blazer or shirt sleeves for polished style. The spiral style ones are best as they are looser and won’t dig in and leave a mark!

2.      If your dress, jumpsuit, trousers or skirt comes with its own belt, don’t forget you can swap it.  Replace with a statement or coloured belt and give your outfit a completely new look!

3.      You can also use an elasticated hairband with scarves. Simply tuck both ends of the scarf into the hairband, pull up and adjust to keep it neatly in place.

4.      Shirts and blouses can also be light jackets! Wear them open over a t shirt, camisole, vest, dress or jumpsuit.

5.      Dresses can be worn as skirts. Simply add a shirt knotted at the waist, a sweater or waistcoat.

6.      Ignore the label! Sizes can vary from store to store, country to country and vintage clothing will fit very differently to clothing made today. Always go by the fit and feel. Do you feel great in it? Then it’s a winner. Also, if you need to size up to get a better fit then do it!

7.      Try mixing your colours for a modern look such as pink and orange, navy and pink, yellow and navy. Experiment with a colour wheel to discover new combinations (available on amazon)

8.      Remember that leopard print is a neutral! It really is, you can mix it with bold colours and a leopard print pair of shoes or bag can be added to any outfit!

9.      Experiment with clashing prints for a fun look. For example, floral and stripes, Breton stripes with leopard print. Youl will find lots more ideas on Pinterest.

10. V necks are great for a larger bust

11. Accessories make a huge difference and are a cost-effective way of updating your outfits. Invest in a bright bag, a quality belt and some fun jewellery. You can find some wonderful pieces second hand and in the charity shops.

12. Don’t wash your jeans too much! You only need to wash them about every 10 washes to stop them becoming too worn and its more sustainable to do this too!

13. Don’t forget that as well as swapping a belt you can also change the buttons on an item of clothing.  You could replace plain buttons with metallic ones for dressier look.

14.  To solve the problem of a gaping wrap dress or top simply add a lightweight camisole underneath or pin with an ornate brooch (brooches are still very much on trend!)

15. One of the most useful items you can have in your wardrobe is a blazer. Wear with jeans and a t-shirt, shorts and t shirt for a smart casual office look and with dresses, skirts and jumpsuits for more polished looks. Go for a neutral colour such as black, cream or navy so that it will go with everything in your wardrobe.

16. Keep a record of your favourite ‘go to’ outfits, write them in a notebook or even better take selfies and store them in your phone or make a collage of the pictures inside your wardrobe to remind you.

17. Plan your daily outfits. This will save you loads of time every morning! Use a set of my days of the week hanger tabs (available from my Etsy Shop here on the website) and hang your outfits for the whole week including shoes and accessories. Make this is a task every Sunday.

18. Don’t ‘pigeonhole’ items in your wardrobe for example, thinking of things just as occasion wear or workwear. Experiment with dressing them up or down using shoes and accessories to help you get more wear out your wardrobe.

19. Play dress up! Set aside some time on a regular basis to have a go at putting some fresh outfits together with what you own. Its more sustainable to use what you have!

20. Keep an open mind and never be afraid to try something new. Getting dressed should be fun! Keep an eye on trends but don’t be a slave to them.

21. Whenever you are looking at buying something new think of at least 3 ways you could wear the item with pieces in your wardrobe. Also do you love it? Would you wear it straight away? If not leave it behind!

22. Consider the cost per wear formula when investing in something new. If you love it and know that it will work in your wardrobe but is an investment, then it will earn its place in your wardrobe. For example, a new red leather tote bag costs £100 but you will use it for work most days and it adds a bit of fun to a casual outfit too – if you use it 50 times 100/50 then its cost per wear is £5 but you will likely use it more often than that! If you bought a fancy dress for £100 but wore it only twice then its cost per wear would be high at £50 so it wouldn’t be a wise investment.

23. The one thing I always try and tell my clients is that the occasion is YOU. Never worry about dressing up a bit even if you are just heading out for a coffee. Life is too short not to enjoy our clothes so get out there and Dress Up, Show Up and Be Confident always!