To look your best is one of the few pleasures in life that depends mostly only on us—having a bright smile, combed hair, proper posture, etc. But to complement all of that natural beauty, you can cover yourself also in the most decorative, elegant, and comfortable way possible with – clothes. The art of clothing, fashion itself, is a serious part of human nature, and we place a lot of emphasis on it.
Sure, you can just put on any old jacket, and slip in some worn-out trousers and be safe from the elements, but neither you nor the people around you will feel pleased with how you look, and maybe even smell!
Learning how to dress properly is a life skill, and looking sharp is essential on many occasions, so even if you missed out on reading fashion magazines when you were a kid – the time is now to learn a thing or two about looking stylish.
Do You Know Your Clothes?
The first thing most people struggle with is not having a wide-enough knowledge of what can be worn in the first place. Underwear, jeans, cool t-shirts, and shoes are what most people will stick to – to get them through the day. It is an understatement to say that there is so much more going around unnoticed that can complement your looks.
Clothing magazines and online blogs are excellent sources for gaining insight on what pieces go with what. Moreover, blogs like Threadcurve can guide you to getting beautiful accessories for your outfit. For example, it used to be the norm to wear a hat or other head covering whenever going out, but today most people wouldn’t even know the difference between a fedora, a homburg, and a trilby. The same goes for scarves, different types of pants, jackets, coats, watches, etc. Getting familiar with the very long list of clothing items is necessary to start to look your best.
SEE MORE: How to both save money and stay in fashion
Harmonious Colors
Color combinations are the next step in building up your look. The simplest way to go is monochromatic, having one dominating color while everything else is neutral (for example, a blue suit with a white shirt and black shoes). While this can be very elegant and stylish, knowing how to pull off multi-color combinations is where the game is.
Consulting the color wheel as a primary tool for building up a wardrobe is a great way of making sure your combinations look very dandy. Opposite secondary or tertiary colors on the wheel are a great contrast, but sometimes you will want to look at complementary colors such as orange and blue, red and green, etc. Generally, monochromatic sets will benefit from having details in another color, such as a cravat on a suit or a decorative flower with a dress.
A Proper Fit
Through the ages, we’ve seen the ideal silhouette change shape and size. From the classical Greek proportions, over the medieval pigeon-breasted doublet, to the slim figure of the roaring ’20s, the way clothes fit and reshape the body has been one of the most critical fashion questions. And even today, we have the same issue – what does it mean to have a proper fit?
When buying clothes at confection sizes, chances are they will not “fit” perfectly. Sleeves tend to be too long, the shoulders and hips too wide, etc., all the consequence of trying to average out the product for the biggest number of consumers.
The key here is to have your clothes tailored to feel comfortable in them and fit you nicely. Such small alterations can be done by any tailor and usually cost a dime, so don’t shy away from visiting one. If you don’t know what silhouette you are looking for – a slightly tapered waist and pronounced shoulders have been a favorite for decades.
Care and Maintenance
Although not strictly fashion-related – taking care of your clothing items is needed in the long run, so they don’t wear out too soon. Make sure you wash them when dirty or after some use, even if not visibly dirty. Store them away in a dry place, ideally upright or neatly folded, not thrown over the clothing chair.
Formal wear should only be dry-cleaned and stored in clothing bags, while your everyday clothing can be washed by hand or in the machine normally.
Having a sense of fashion and style is not something people are born with but needs to be learned and practiced. Sure, you will sometimes dress silly or too provocative, but that all falls under trial and error in the learning process of becoming an elegant and beautiful sight to see for everyone, even yourself.
