Looking polished is a matter of exuding the lack of effort. As in the less you do the better. I am dead serious. The less you try to be, the more put together you look. I will show you exactly what I mean in this quick and easy guide on how to look elegant. 

For more resources on ladies style click here. For gentlemen’s style click here.

Rips in clothing

I mean in the deliberate sense where the style is intended to be trendy. This does not look good at any age. It does not look good on anyone. However this style got started is beyond me, but it is even harder to look at when I see it on full grown adults.

If there is a tear that occurred purely as accident fix it right away with appropriate patching, see what your tailor can do, or it is probably time to get rid of that garment. 

Stay away from denim

Nobody ever said, “I’m going to bed. It’s time to put my jeans on!” Denim is not comfortable. As a matter of fact, I know of a blogger who puts her Levi’s on to feel discomfort to make herself work when on her computer. That is another level of commitment. Yes, I do personally own jeans. But one pair is for painting and doing outside work — what jeans were originally invented for. While the other pair is white and are a much more dressed up version of what the average person would use denim trousers for. 

I make my jeans so high maintenance and hard to keep clean that I only wear them when I truly mean to make a statement and make sure to take care of my clothes even with the most casual garments.

Denim has a tendency to fade, and different styles of fading go in and out of trend, so it is too difficult to keep up. Even if they come back into cycle, you do not want to have to keep them taking up space in your closet crossing your fingers that they will come back in another two decades. They are uncomfortable, unflattering, and extremely casual — as in you are working on a railroad all the live long day. 

When in doubt keep it simple.

In other words, avoid trends. Trends are classic style’s enemy. You want your clothes to stand the test of time so you are not wasting money, and only investing in high quality. Keeping this in mind also simplifies your life, saves you time, and gives you a signature look everyone can recognize you with. It could be a classic shirt in a tone that compliments your complexion, or a specific pattern where others know it is you from the corner of their eye.

If you are always switching up how you look, that is fun, but establishing a powerful personal brand comes with repetition and consistency. Find what you love and stick to it! Get it in every colour and cut. If you look good in a handful of designs, stick to those things. Flattery in the right garments will get your everywhere.

Polish your accessories.

Clean your shoes. Wipe your bag every now and again. Make sure your belt is not absolutely falling apart at the holes and creasing in wear. Your accessories are the finishing touches of what make you stand out. Elegance is in the details and details make the lady / gentleman. 

When you have one good watch, one good back, one good shoe, one good belt, all of these in high quality, it makes the rest of your outfit shine. I am not talking about a $1,200 belt, but simply a good quality leather belt can be $50 and last you decades. I know, because my dad had a couple pairs that lived to tell the tale. It is simply a matter of taking great care of what you have. You worked hard for it, so why not make it last and make your experience with it richer?

Grooming

Hair, skin, nails. Hair, skin, nails. Hair, skin, nails. 

The first thing body language experts look at when dissecting someone is their hair. The health of it. This surprised me. But it shapes your face, and sets the tone for your mood that day. Wash your hair, brush your hair, use a serum or leave in conditioner. Do the healthy basic things first, and do them well. Master them.

Next is skin. It does not matter how well you do your makeup if your skin underneath is not at its best. Get some sleep, stay hydrated, and eat well. Do all the things that make you feel 100% to show up even without makeup. That is another level of confidence that not every lady has when showing up, so it is important we get it to that standard, that we can feel perfectly fine in showing who we are naturally in public. 

Nails do not have to be painted, done with gel manicure, or acrylic extensions. Just make sure they are clean, cut, and filed neatly so that you are not accidentally scratching yourself or others when grazing the skin. It is that simple!

Creating an elegant style for yourself in grooming and dress is really easy when you implement these tips. Staying consistent is the challenge, but creating habits to manufacture an all around better quality lifestyle is a game changer. Take these no-brainer steps to the next level by putting them into action today.

Find more etiquette posts here. Interested in a lesson? Book a course with the links below and become the most polished version of you.