Do you set out to look chic and sophisticated every morning when you get dressed for the day, yet you fall short of accomplishing this task. Do you have a hard time coordinating your outfits, suits or casual attire? If so, you may need some tips about how to become a better dresser. TopVarsityJackets talked to top image consultants to learn the 10 keys to becoming a good dresser:
1. Select your best color. “Find colors that make your skin glow and your eyes sparkle,” says Barbara DesChamps, a Nevada City, CA-image consultant and author of It’s In The Bag: Your Custom Business and Travel Wardrobe. “Those old systems based on seasons or times of day were simplistic, and didn’t handle changes in hair color. You are unique.”
2. Choose appropriate clothing for your lifestyle and occupation. “Many suits worn in Hollywood or in the fashion industry would seem out of place in banking or aerospace,” says DesChamps. “Study the well-dressed people at work, and make surreptitious notes before spending a lot of money on clothes.”
3. Wear clothing that fits. “The most expensive suit in the world will look terrible if it doesn’t fit properly,” admits DesChamps. “Expensive jackets are usually cut to a better shape than cheap ones. Sometimes a jacket will look much better and more expensive if the waist is nipped in. Find a tailor or seamstress, or learn how to do basic alterations.”
4. Become a smart shopper. DesChamps recommends taking color swatches and measurements when you go shopping “so you don’t waste time trying on items that are hopeless, or have to return them.”
5. Study fashion magazines. “Remember that certain colors go well together because you often see them together and others not so much,” says Miriam Silverberg, a fashion columnist for Epoch Times and www.corinescorner.com.
6. Emulate your icons. “Make a list of certain style icons whose taste is widely admired and whose look and build are similar enough to yours that you can reasonably copy them,” says Silverberg. “But use common sense when looking for style icons. Just because Lady Gaga has her picture in the paper this very often does not make her worthy of emulation.”
7. Work with a personal shopper. “Many stores have personal shoppers who will cull wardrobe choices for you at no charge,” explains Silverberg. “It’s their job to see to it that you are welldressed.”
8. Seek the help of fashion forward friends. “If you know someone who is stylish and whom you feel comfortable with and trust not to steer you wrong, ask him or her to go shopping with you,” says Silverberg.
9. Have confidence in yourself. If you set out to look good, in many cases you will. “Looking good is something everyone can accomplish regardless of body shape or weight,” says Kim Van Dyck, an image consultant from Calgary Alberta with many years of experience dressing high-end, elite clients in the city.
10. Understand your body type. “Know what works for you and on you,” says Van Dyck. “We’re not all size 6, but if you’re a 10 or a 12, embrace it rather than buying a 14 to cover your fabulous body up.”
