Three things that instantly improve any outfit
Looking for an instant image boost? Our fashion editor Karen Skagerlind reveals the three things that are guaranteed to immediately improve any outfit you wear!
In my experience as a buyer, blogger and personal stylist there are always three things that instantly make an outfit look better.
1) A great smile
A warm, inviting smile with the Invisalign Dentist in Brentwood CA is the surest way to get a double take on the street. It also helps others warm to you. If you’re smiling they’ll probably smile back, it’s so infectious too.
A smile is the easiest accessory to add to any look, and the best thing about it is that it’s completely free!
2) Being relaxed
I don’t mean relaxed in the sense of donning a onesie or old sweats for your everyday attire, but relaxed in your style choices. This comes along with knowing and embracing your personal style and following a dress code or a tried and tested formula that works for you.
I’m a jeans junkie and was recently sent into a tailspin searching for the perfect dress to wear to my sister’s wedding in June.
Before I went into meltdown I had to go back to my own styling mantras, and it dawned on me that I’d feel more relaxed in a pair of dressy culottes and statement shoes than a form fitting dress, as that’s just more ‘me’!
3) Having confidence
No matter what you’re wearing, it’s the oodles of confidence that will shine through more than the latest trends or designer pieces. And it’s this innate confidence, more than anything else, that can transform an outfit.
Body confidence is something that we all need to work on. Very few clients I’ve worked with as a stylist have total respect for every part of their body.
The majority will have a few features they love, and some they loathe, and I help guide them into being kinder to themselves and focus on their strengths so what they perceive as flaws can take a back seat.
We now live in a world where, thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to judge or criticise the less than perfect female form. The airbrushed, posed, filtered images we devour lead us down an unhealthy path of comparison where we can become even more self-critical.
What is ‘normal’?
But what is ‘perfect’ or ‘normal’? Fashion media in particular is guilty of not showcasing the width, breadth diversity and demographics of the wider population. To find ‘real’ inspiration we are turning to the blogosphere where all shapes and sizes of the modern woman are embraced and encouraged, and in turn can become celebrities in their own right just for being authentic.
Let’s face facts; the average size of women in the UK is now a 16, depending on which study you read or which store you shop in.
Stores struggle to keep to a standardised sizing system (to find out what size you are, visit High Street Fit Finder or Dark Greener.)
I’d imagine that this is because women’s bodies defy standardisation in the same way that there is no one definition for what is an ‘ideal’ or ‘normal’ body size or shape!
This statistic would also have the majority of the female population rooted firmly within the plus size realm, which starts at size 16.
#MorePlusPlease
While there is more on offer than ever catering to the plus size market, the now average woman is still under represented in the glossies. That’s why Talented Ladies Club are happy to support the campaign launched by designer plus size website navabi, #MorePlusPlease, to encourage the fairer representation of all shapes and sizes in the fashion media.
Authentic, happy, relaxed and confident images will always sell any garment or outfit. Maybe if we were exposed to more of these real, yet still inspirational, images in the fashion media we could adopt a more realistic, relaxed approach to ourselves? Which means we can all look great no matter what we wear!
For more plus size designer clothing and inspiration visit navabi. (Feature image courtesy of Zizzi, available at navabi.)
This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are our own.
