One of the questions that Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I were asked recently by readers was “How to Up Your Style Game”. We thought it would prove an interesting topic for a video discussion and are sharing it with you here today.
How to Up Your Style Game so You Look and Feel Confident and Fabulous
There are lots of ways to improve your style and we recommend that you do it in baby-steps so that it doesn’t feel too alien or uncomfortable (particularly if you want to not feel conspicuous). My Evolve Your Style program mentioned in this video is a great way of achieving a more stylish version of you, and it provides you with very small daily dressing challenges to help re-wire your style neural pathways.
Also, taking outfit pictures is another great way to assist you in improving your style as you will discover more and more about what does and doesn’t work for you as you analyse your images. Read more here about how taking outfit photos can really assist you in upping your style.
Style isn’t necessarily innate. In fact, for many of us (including me) it’s a learned skill, hone over days, weeks and months (and even years) of trying new things, putting together outfits differently, adding accessories and just pushing yourself a little each day out of your ‘comfort zone’.
What have you found useful in improving your style? Did you take small incremental steps or just go the “whole hog” at once? I’d love to know!
One of your best posts! Thanks, ladies! As I get older, I find I need to resist the urge to go casual all the time…so I’ve started wearing jackets everywhere… It ups my game!
Thanks Valentine – it’s great that you’re resisting the urge to end up sloppy! Jackets are a great and easy solution!
Thanks for another great discussion on a very interesting topic. I relate to Jill’s experience with femininity and wearing dresses, although I don’t come from a corporate environment…
Since I started reading your blog I have challenged myself to try different ways of wearing scarves and accessories. I used to hate scarves as I always found them bulky and never really cared for accessories. Now I check what I look like before I go out and now often find myself adding a necklace to complete a look or adjust the apparent neckline on an outfit before I go out. My scarves have become new best friends – particularly and they are so practice in Canberra’s winters. I love your blog – keep up the great work.
Wow! Expose ourselves as Feminine as if we could keep it a secret – but how many of us feel just that way. I have on occasion worn dresses and feel very conspicuously feminine with a curvy body. And to be very honest it was never hidden anyway. Food for thought! I think this conversation addresses far more than clothing – I think many of our feminine heroes – sheroes – exist but are very much covered up by our cultures.
Interesting isn’t it! There is something “negative” about being “feminine” in our culture at times and it makes me very sad (particularly as the mother of a daughter) for all women that we feel we should cover it all up.
Margaret,
My whole venture into really “curating”, I suppose, my closet, wardrobe and style has been such an awakening for me! I am “older”, put in quotes because I do not feel old (just jumped off one of the tallest bungy jumps in the world in South Africa at age 71!) but which poses certain wardrobe challenges – as does any age, really, now that I think about it! So I am “retired” from a daily job but travel quite a bit on business trips with a mostly younger very active and style conscious group of people who love to dress up very smartly. One of my age-related issues had to do with bulgy varicose veins on my left inside knee. So, both due to my age and my veins I would never wear short skirts or shorts feeling they were inappropriate and ugly. I recently had them removed and decided on my last business trip that I would try wearing a short black skirt. I wore a short black skirt with black nylons, as there was still some bruising, toped them with a black and white and tan striped tee and a black moto jacket. A spontaneous comment from one of the young participants let me know I had done it right. When she saw me she immediately and enthusiastically said “Wow! You look smoking’ hot!” Thanks for encouraging our self-determinism! Thanks Imogen and Jill for sharing your personal insights and professional style tips.