The pillars of effortless style
October 1st, 2008I thought that Friday’s blog post on effortless style elicited some very eloquent, insightful comments. Here is my take on the matter, together with some of the quotes that really resonated.
Know yourself: This is where having style starts. You have to choose tasteful items that flatter your body type, show a bit of your personality and are occasion-appropriate. As Wendy says, it is about…
“knowing your body, who you are as a person, and what your lifestyle demands”.
Be confident: Confidence is key because style is in the wearer, not the clothes. Anyone can buy fashion, but style you have to own. It’s imperative to wear your look with conviction. Nicole is spot on when she says:
“I think the effortless part comes with confidence. It’s about owning your look and feeling confident in that ownership”
Sometimes it takes a while to wear a new look with confidence. In this case you’re building yourself up to the effortless part. I agree with JenniferBlue’s sentiment:
“I think you have to BELIEVE in what you’re wearing”
Don’t fuss: Effortless style allows you to get on with your day in a fabulous ensemble with minimum fuss. Your style is not effortless if you’re self conscious about the way you look and are uncomfortable in your outfit. As Ellen put it,
“I feel effortless because I really don’t have to pay attention to my clothes to know I look good”
Make the effort: There is no such thing as a stylish look without effort. This becomes easier when it is part of your routine and lifestyle. You want to establish efficient and effective stylish habits (and break bad stylish habits). Mirah puts it well when she says:
“effortless style is the final outcome not the actual process”.
Don’t try too hard: Heavy make-up at any time of the day or night screams fashion victim. All you’re after for ANY occasion is a bit of polish (whether the event is a ball or ball game). As A says:
“it comes down to high quality basics (cosmetics, hair and clothing.) Not overdone and consistent from day to day.”
Be yourself: In my opinion, Jennifer Aniston’s understated modern classic style and Kate Moss’s over-the-top, dramatic style are equally effortless. Aniston would look as if she was “trying too hard” if she started sporting one of Moss’s creative ensembles. By the same token, Moss would look bland and boring if she wore a classic Aniston look.
At the end of the day style begins and ends with a strong sense of yourself. As Lori puts it:
“You may be the most fashionable woman around, but if you are not comfortable with who you are than no amount of fashion will make you look effortless”.
Thank you for all the great input. There were many other excellent points. And different approaches: Johanna focuses on what is not effortless style and Anita makes an interesting analogy with effortless cooking. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to take a look at the comments yourself.
). There are days where I feel effortless and then there are the others which are a total bust. But I am enjoying the process and your posts and the forum have increased the number of ‘feel fab’ days so much.
