How to Look Your Best, Part 4 & Final

Welcome to part 4 of "How to Look Your Best."  Click here for:  part 1, part 2, part 3

I gave my talk today to a group of ladies.  I think it went really well.  Now that you know the secrets to being a Chic Fabulous Fashionita, you need to know how to put it all together.

First, it might be helpful to know your style personality.  If I said that wearing ruffles would help with your body proportions but you're not a ruffle person, then don't wear ruffles.  Find something else that fits your style.  There are four basic style personalities; Casual/Natural - easy going and relaxed style, Classic/Elegant - timeless look that always looks in, Romantic - lace, ruffles, soft flowing fabrics, Dramatic/Trendsetter - show stopping, attention grabbing, statement making.  Look at this link that I made from polyvore.  Which dress do you feel more drawn towards?  Now, you may be a mixture of more than one style personality.  I like to switch between all of them depending on my mood or the occasion.  Others, may always stick to just one.

Another thing you can do is people watch.  When you see someone who looks nice, figure out why she looks nice.  If you see someone who doesn't look so nice, analyze what would work better.  Also, listen to compliments.  If someone says, "That's my favorite color."  They are not complimenting how you look.  If they say, "That color looks great on you," then wear that color more often.  If they say, "You look nice today," that's a good compliment.  If they say, "Cute shirt,' they are not complimenting you, they wish they had that shirt.  Your attitude and posture can go a long way.  Stand tall, shoulders back, head held high and you will just ooze with more style.

Don't be tied to the old rules.  Throw them out.  You don't have to wear hose with a dress.  In fact, don't.  Wear a longer skirt and use sunless tanning lotion.  Older women look beautiful with long hair.  White can look gorgeous in the winter.  And, you don't want your shoes, belt, and purse all to match.

When you are shopping, think about your Cost Per Wear or CPW.  If you buy a shirt on clearance for $15 but then only wear it twice, you paid $7.50 each time you wore it.  If you invest in nice trousers that cost you $50 but you wear them every week for an entire year, then they cost less than $1.00 each time you wore them.  Every item in your wardrobe should be able to mix and match with other items.  Try to find at least 3 ways to wear every item in your closet.  Here is an example with this cute teal blouse.

Funky teacher look with animal print skirt and boots.

Professional look with a suit.

With jeans for a casual night out with the hubby.

Cute cotton skirt for brunch with the girls or work.

Same outfit as above but with the blouse open like a jacket.

Cute casual look with walking shorts.

Pretty and dressy look with silk flowing skirt.

So, you say, sure it's easy to make multiple outfits with a solid colored shirt.  Try something harder.  Okay, here is a yellow floral print sundress, 3 ways.

Summertime fun.

Add a short sleeve sweater and wear to work in the Spring.

Add tights, boots, and a sweater to take you into fall.

It will help to organize your closet.  I have all my shirts on the top rack and all my bottoms (sorted into skirts, capri's, pants) on the bottom rack.  Dresses are on another rack on the other side of the closet.  Each section is then put in rainbow order:  pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, tan.

My closet; pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, tan.

Use jewelry as wall art.  If you can see it you are more likely to wear it!

Finally, you also want to make sure your hair and makeup go with your style.  Everyone should switch out their hairstyle every couple of years to get a fresh new start.  Talk to your hairdresser, ask for their help in a new look.  Be honest with them about how much time you will spend fixing your hair each day.  Make up helps enhance our natural beauty and also can be a sunscreen.  With practice, you can put on a full face of makeup in less than 5 minutes.  But, like with your clothes, pick one area to focus on.  If you want to play up your eyes, go with a neutral lip.  If you want to wear bright bold lipstick, keep your eyes neutral.

Hopefully, I have helped you learn some of the tools to be a Chic Fabulous, Fashionista using Color, Focus and Fit!