Learning how to dress better can seem overwhelming, but taking a few simple steps to elevate your style is actually quite simple, and it starts here!
Dressing well never came naturally to me. I had to do a few things to improve my style and dress better. So I wanted to share 7 simple things I do, to help me dress my best every day.
What this post covers:
- Fluff your outfit
- Balance top to bottom
- The 3 colour rule
- Accessorise properly
- Co-ordinate your colours
- Plan your outfit the night before
- Make sure your closet is organised
Shop this outfit:
Jeans
Boots (similar)
Coat (similar)
Sweater
Bag (similar) discount code: emilyelizabethmay10
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Simple Ways to Dress Better
1. Fluff your outfit like you would a cushion
After I put on an outfit, I always take a moment to ‘fluff’ it. What I mean by fluff, is style and straighten up! These things can include cuffing your sleeves properly on your shirts, or on your trousers, half tucking to bring shape into your outfit (learn how to half tuck properly here), remove any cat/dog hairs from your clothes (we’re all guilty of this, don’t worry), make sure your seams on your shoulders and legs are sitting in the correct line and ensure nothing is twisted or stuck in an awkward position.
Before leaving the house, always take a moment to take one last detailed look at yourself in the mirror. Sometimes I like to step away from the mirror and then step back in front of it again to check myself out with fresh eyes (it helps!)
2. Balance top to bottom
What I mean by this, is balancing the weight of your clothes on the top half of your body to the bottom half of your body. Balancing can often be a hard thing to master, so don’t worry if you don’t get the hang of this straight away. But I will give and example and an exception below.
As an overall ‘rule’ if you are wearing an A-line flowy skirt on the bottom, you should aim to pair this with a fitted top. If you wear it with another flowy item on top, sometimes you can end up ‘drowning’ in your clothes.
However!
There is a big exception here (and this is why this is not really a strict rule, and should be taken with a grain of salt). The exception is, you should always consider your own body shape when balancing top to bottom.
For example, if your body shape is an inverted triangle (you are bigger up the top than you are down the bottom), you might not feel your best when you wear puffy shouldered tops paired with skinny jeans. This is because the puffy shouldered top puts more emphasis on the top half of your body. But say you really love this puffy shouldered top and you want to make it work, well, a quick fix would be to pair the puffy shouldered top with an A line skirt. A skirt that pulls in at the waist but fuller at the bottom, to help balance your proportions.
With this being said, I strongly believe in wearing whatever makes you feel comfortable and confident, and if that goes against ‘general’ style rules, then go for it! Confidence is a key part of style.
Learn more about my ebook here:
3. The 3 Colour Rule
To ensure you create a cohesive outfit, use no more than just 3 colours. This can help with those final pieces like shoes or jackets. If i’m feeling stuck, I remember the 3 colour rule, and it always helps me to grab the right piece and to not add in an additional colour that might overwhelm the outfit.
The 3 colours can also be tones or shades of a colour. For example, you could have two shades of blue in an outfit plus 2 additional colours and that would still be considered the 3 colour rule.
4. Accessorise Properly
Accessories have a huge impact on your final outfit. Sometimes when we are in a rush we can forget about them, but I would suggest if you want to dress better, to try get into the habit of always accessorising. I would recommend finding yourself a few everyday accessories that are simple and go with anything in your wardrobe. For me, these pieces are small gold hoops, a gold pendant necklace, neutral sunglasses, a gold watch and ring, and a beige leather tote bag. Here are my favourite gold jewellery pieces from Linjer (ethically & sustainably sourced) – discount code for 10% off EMILYELIZABETHMAY10
Depending on your skin tone, you might prefer to wear silver jewellery. Often people with a cooler undertone prefer to wear silver jewellery because it compliments their skin more. Spend time working out what you prefer, and I’d suggest sticking to either gold or silver hardware to make it easier on yourself.
5. Co-ordinate your colours
Ensuring the colours in your outfit match is a huge factor in learning to dress better. I personally find the easiest way of doing this, is jumping onto Pinterest for some visual aid. I usually jump onto Pinterest and search for an outfit with the colours that I intend to wear. If the search results come back without a very good range of outfits with those colours then that’s a red flag. Another thing you can do is research your own specific items in your wardrobe, and get to know what colours work well with that item. For instance, if you have a yellow cardigan that you love wearing, search on Pinterest “yellow cardigan outfit” or “yellow cardigan street style” (I love searching street style pictures to find really creative outfits, and outfits that push the boundaries).
As a side note, knowing what colours suit your skin tone is also a great way to dress better. Certain colours can make your eyes sparkle and others can make you look unwell. Spending some time working out what colours make your skin and eyes pop is a big investment into personal style. Ask someone you trust to spend some time with you going through colours/pieces in your wardrobe and holding them up against your skin. Work out what colours don’t do you justice, and avoid them from now on.
6. Plan Your Outfit The Night Before
Planning your outfits in advance is the best way to ensure you are dressing better. It means that you can actually take the time to put together the perfect outfits, instead of rushing before you leave the house. And, after a while, planning your outfits will also teach you a lot more about style and fashion and you will eventually begin to dress better overall.
I have a great YouTube video on how to plan outfits. You can watch it here.
7. Make Sure Your Closet Is Organised
If you want to dress better, knowing what is actually in your wardrobe is actually a huge deal (it might not seem like it, but it is!) Having an organised closet ensures you know exactly what you have and what you don’t have. You know what your options are. Being organised will also help you to buy the correct things in the future. The more you know about your wardrobe the better your shopping habits will be. You’ll end up buying things that actually match the other items in your wardrobe.
I also have an awesome wardrobe organisation video on YouTube. You can watch it here.
Want more style advice?
The Ultimate Guide to Dress Better E-Book dives deeper into dressing your best, developing your personal style and much more. With 55+ pages and bonus materials…
Learn more here:
I spend a lot of time on my YouTube channel talking about wardrobe planning, outfit ideas, personal style and capsule wardrobes. Since spending time working on my own wardrobe, I no longer have trouble putting outfits together and I have completely fallen in love with my wardrobe.
If you want help in this area yourself you can join my email list, send me a DM on Instagram or come see me on YouTube for more styling tips to dress better!
xx Em
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