Have you ever been out with your squad only to have someone point out a fashion faux pas? While the fashion police may lay out a thousand rules to adhere to, there are some wardrobe basics you need to follow. Even an effortless outfit needs the right elements in the right place — be it the patterns, the silhouette, the colour scheme or the accessories — to look great. We have compiled a few tips and tricks that would effortlessly lift your confidence, even if your style game is nothing extraordinary.
Generic mistakes
1. Fit matters: The fit alone can mean the difference between a good look and a bad look. Baggy jeans, oversized shirts or tees are all cool as long as you balance the look with a fitted top/bottom. For example, if you are opting for baggy jeans, you need to pair it with a fitted top. The sleeves can be puffy but the body needs to fit you like a glove. You can add depth to the look by putting on a shrug or jacket. But make sure the top underneath is showing. If you are choosing an oversized top, your lower silhouette should ideally not be flared to avoid looking clumsy.
2. Overdressing/ underdressing: Do you want to be Anjali from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in that particular scene where she suddenly switches to a fluorescent two-piece and matching accessories from head-to-toe only to get weird looks from her college mates? While being judgemental is the worst character trait one can have, the wearer does need to put a little thought into what suits the time and the place. As much as we advocate the right to dress as per one’s choice, there is a dress for every occasion. Overdressing in formal settings will draw all attention to the clothes. Similarly, turning up at a big event in an overly casual dress might make people wish you had stayed back home.
3. Inappropriate dressing: There is no absolute definition of appropriate dressing. You dress as you wish. However, if you are feeling self-conscious, something must be wrong. After all, no one will want to spend a day adjusting the hem or pulling their low-waist jeans that keep falling off all the time. Imagine turning up at a business meeting in tight low-rise jeans creating a muffin-top effect or an embellished kameez. We subscribe to the idea of feeling comfortable and confident in whatever we wear. If you choose to be revealing at cocktail parties, make choices with taste.
4. Overaccessorising: Accessory can either make or break a look. Make sure your accessories complement your outfit and not ruin it. Accessories should not take away all the attention from the outfit. Avoid wearing too many accessories together. If you are choosing a drop necklace to accentuate the neckline of your crop top, a stack of bracelets or a watch bracelet set is the maximum addition you can make to your look. Go minimal on the ears. Wearing a heavy necklace and also wearing chunky earrings is a big no.
5. Repeating outfits: Sustainability is the idea behind repeating outfits and we wholeheartedly support it. Experiment with the same outfits by mixing and matching and periodically revamping your wardrobe so that your look never feels outdated. You can style your regular black crop top with a cheerful stole and multi-coloured palazzo in muted tones instead of your go-to pencil denim skirt. Or you can add a beige stole to your regular black-and-white jeans-top combo and give a new twist to your office/ college look.
6. The sale allure: There is no merit in buying items at a cheaper rate only to find out later that the quality is bad, or you do not even like the fit or the design. Always look for the practicality of your buys, instead of going by trends.
6. Buying cheap underwear: Invest in quality underwear as they can mean a world of difference in how the clothes fit you.
7. Ignoring hair and make-up: Imagine arriving at a friend’s birthday party in a super cute dress but with messy hair and smudged eye makeup. It will make you look utterly pointless. Hair and make-up make you a glamorous person as a whole. If ignored, even the most spectacular outfit will look mediocre.
8. Dressing your age: The idea of “age-appropriate” dressing is a sham and we do not believe in a restrictive style guide, but hey, there is a thin line between looking mature and looking too old and frumpy for your age. For example, wearing the wrong size bra can age you by years as it tends to make you slouch. Ill-fitted dresses really can also make you look older.
Styling tips
1. Stripes and buttons: Petite women should opt for more vertical stripes instead of going with horizontal ones as vertical stripes create an illusion of length. Tall women should instead opt for horizontal stripes. If you want to look tall, keep your shirt/ jacket unbuttoned to create a verticle-line effect that will make your neck look longer.
2. Layering: Just tossing on layer after layer can again make you look frumpy. If covering your arm fat and wide hips is on your mind while wearing a knee-length dress, opt for a well-structured jacket instead of a shrug. The length should preferably be a bit longer than the dress to look classy. Another blunder people make is adding a loose layer on a loose outfit. Long, drapey layers over loose, flowy outfits are equally unflattering as they swallow up your waistline. The waist needs to be defined. Tuck in your top and wear the layer.
3. Accessorisation: Accessories can turn around even a failed look. If you are opting for a one-dimensional look, say oversized denim and a white top, add a hint of colour here and there, say a pop bag. For a glam outfit, you can keep an understated look by wearing just a pair of golden hoop earrings and coloured nails. Avoid wearing too many accessories together. A belt can be an amazing accessory. A loose montone dress without any motif/ print lacks character. Add a belt to create proportion on your body. You can also try this trick on pyjama suits to add some definition to the look. A belt on the dress along with a shrug also makes one look slimmer.
4. Colours: We have somewhat entered a colour palette revolution era. Like patterns, colours too need to be done right. If you are matching the stripes of your shirt with your watch/ wristband/ shoes or even eyeliner, the remaining look you are sporting for the day needs to have contrasting colours to make a more put-together look. Too much of the same colour spread across your body, which is overdoing, might end up making you look like a clown. A black-striped blazer on a pink base will look balanced with black pants and a white top instead of pink bottoms.
5. Getting around your belly fat: If you are opting for tunics and you are top-heavy, instead of skinny jeans that might bring the focus on your tummy area, opt for bootcut pants to balance out the body proportion.
8. Turtlenecks: Busty women can avoid turtlenecks as they can make the chest area look even more voluminous. Turtlenecks look elegant on tall women with long necks and slender frames as they perfectly complement the body proportion. But since we do not believe in restrictive clothing, petite girls can also opt for turtlenecks in sheer fabric to lessen the voluminous effect and can probably add a long neckpiece or scarf to create a verticle line.