1. Know Your Body Type: A Style Dial Analysis can help you determine your body type, and decide which styles will flatter you and which won’t. The Stylist Online system refers to the 3 basic body types as Style Dial 1, Style Dial 2, or Style Dial 3. 2. Shop S.M.A.R.T.: S: Start with your Style Dial guidelines so that you can flatter your shape, avoid the “deep discount” uh-oh, direct your effort and save time. M: Make a priority list. Start with the items missing during your Closet Overhaul, and then decide on what needs to be replaced and which new trends you want to add. A: Avoid an unplanned splurge. If it’s not on the list but you got that “have to have it” feeling, put it on hold and wait until the next day. If you still want it, go for it! R: Repeat the piece 3 ways. Can you wear that top with jeans, a skirt, and with a blazer. If it doesn’t work with your existing wardrobe, take it back. T: Tags stay on until worn. 3. Reinvent: Never get stuck in wearing a dress, a necklace, or a belt the way you’ve always worn it. Especially with accessories, real style comes from originality and the way you put things together. For example, if you have several small-ish, dated necklaces, layer them on top of each other for a fresh, modern look. A dress may look better if your removed the belt, or altered the hem. 4. 2 + 1R = WOW: A key element in looking “done” and pulled together is the use of a third color. Many women wear 2 color outfits. But if you add a third color, an accent color, and repeat it 2-3 times in the outfit, it makes for a much more interesting look. 5. Go, Don’t Match: Many of us grew up matching. The bag to the shoes. The nails to the lips. The necklace with the earrings. And while this is a very classic, traditional approach to style, the more modern way to put outfits together involves looking for things that “go”, not things that “match.” In other words, the pieces look good together, but don’t look like they came together.
6. Remember this Rule: No one looks good in everything. No one. However, there are a few items that look good on almost everyone. These include: A-line skirts, wrap tops and dresses, and cinched waist jackets. 7. Know When to Splurge, When to Save: Spend money on shoes, bags, and classic accessories you will wear for years. Sometimes, the shoes and the bag can save the entire outfit, and therefore the entire day. Rule of thumb for shoes and bags: What you spend times 4. Save on trendy, of-the-moment jewelry, tops, and casual clothes. 8. Choose a Signature: Many of the most stylish women have them. Whether it’s Anna Wintour’s signature bob or Paloma Picasso’s red lips, having an signature element in your look that is unique to you makes you unforgettable. 9. Befriend a Tailor: Often, the difference between a good dress and a great one is a couple of inches. Find a good tailor, and have your clothes altered so that they fit properly. There is no substitute for great fit. 10. If You Don’t Love it, Don’t Wear It: Who cares if everyone in the world has started wearing harem pants with high heel sneakers. If it’s not you, it will look contrived, unnatural, and not at all stylish.