Ready to upgrade your wardrobe? Dressing well will make you look and feel confident and energetic. No matter what your budget is, you can take steps to upgrade your appearance. Note: this article is aimed primarily at women. Tips on how to dress well for men are available here

Part 1 Knowing What Flatters

1. 1Focus on fit. If clothes fit poorly, dressing well no matter how attractive or fashionable you will not look well-dressed.^[1] Tight clothes look cheap and make you look heavy. Clothes that are too large will make you look sloppy.^[2]
   • Just because you can get into the clothing does not mean it necessarily fits properly.
   • How an item is supposed to fit depends also on styling. For instance, urban style clothing for men in the United States are often very loose fitting compared to a pair of conservative khakis.
   • Dresses can be difficult to fit properly because most women wear different sizes in tops and bottoms. A dress fits well if the neckline lies flat whether you are sitting or standing. All seams should lay flat and straight (unless perhaps the styling is purposefully not in that way). The material shouldn’t pull or pucker around the chest or hips. The garment should fit snug but not tight.^[3]
   • If you’ve gained or lost weight recently, evaluate your wardrobe. Discard or alter clothes that no longer fit correctly.https://22bf7e8f3cb6670b399e79a512b57d80.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
2. 2Each individual is different, but most women fall into the apple, pear, banana, or hourglass categories.^[4]
   • Apple-shaped women carry weight around their middles. These women look best in A-line dresses and clothing that emphasize the bust and legs while de-emphasizing the waist.
   • Pear-shaped women are smaller on top and larger in the hips and thighs. They look best in A-line dresses, layered tops, and simple, darker-colored bottoms.
   • Banana-shaped women are slim all over. These women look good in most clothing. They can highlight their shape by wearing clothes that create curves: Flared pants, cinched waistlines, and tapered jackets accomplish this feat.
   • Hourglass-shaped women have slim waists and full hips and breasts. They look great in tailored pieces and wrap dresses.
3. 3Learn which colors look best on you. Look at the veins inside your wrist. Do they look green or more blue?^[5]
   • If they look green, you have a skin tone with a yellow base. Warm colors will look better on you. Try off-white, red, yellow, orange, and brown, as well as yellow-tinted greens and blues. Avoid pastels.
   • If they look blue, you have a skin tone with a pink base. Cooler colors will look better on you. Try white, pastels, and jewel tones.
   • When in doubt, stick to mostly neutral colors. Black, gray, and brown look fabulous on nearly everyone. Add pops of brighter color here and there – a bright blue necklace or a deep red belt, for example – to make outfits look interesting.
4. 4Dress your problem areas appropriately. Many women have areas that they do not really like to show off–even fashion models have this issue! Also, if you are following a modest dress code or prefer to do so, buy items that do not bring focus to areas that you would rather not. For example, if you are uncomfortable showing your legs, avoid buying mini-skirts.
5. 5Focus on classic, rather than trendy, styles. Dress your body in attractive, flattering clothes that work for your figure. Sometimes today’s trends will do this, and sometimes it is wiser to not do so. Forcing yourself into certain colors, cuts, and styles because the fashion magazines are featuring them will not make you well dressed. Wear what suits you best.
   • But be willing to experiment! You may be surprised by how a new style may flatter your appearance.
   • Be careful about taking fashion magazines at face value. Very often, they are trying to “sell” you on certain styles, brands, and so on more than they are actually reporting on what is fashion.
   • Fashion can also be very regional. What is in style in the US may not be what is cool in Brazil.
6. 6Comfort. Your efforts to look good will be undermined by uncomfortable shoes that make you teeter around in pain or constrictive clothes that you’re constantly shifting and adjusting. Wear clothes that make you look and feel sublime.^[6]
7. 7Take care of your clothes. Always read labels and follow the instructions for laundering clothes properly – this will make your clothes look good for a long time.
   • Iron your clothes if necessary. No one looks well-dressed in wrinkled clothes.

Part 2 Developing a Personal Style

1. 1Express yourself. first of all , dressing clean Indulge your own special, personal style.If you’re a girly girl, feel free to wear dresses every day. If you are more of a tomboy, choose jeans. If you are preppy, dress that way. If you like bohemian, dress that way. Authenticity is attractive maintain standard
2. 2Add interest with accessories. When you have a sense of what looks best on you, you can enhance your look with fun choices that express your individuality.^[8]
   • If you like dressing bright colors, wear them! Wear your charcoal skirt and cream-colored top that looks fabulous and work-appropriate, and add red kitten heels or a multi-colored bracelet.
   • If you like bold jewelry, wear something amazing every day! Big hoop earrings can add interest to jeans and a t-shirt. A statement necklace can quickly make a basic work outfit fabulous.
3. 3Spend some time looking at fashion magazines or apparel websites. The point isn’t to pick an image and emulate it. It’s to compare the tremendous variety that is available, and to discover inspiring looks. If you consistently like certain styles or colors, then you’ll know what to look for – you just need to adapt whatever you like to suit your figure and coloring.^[9]
4. 4Develop classic dressing looks for various aspects of your life. Having a repertoire of outfits that fit well and suit your style will serve you well. Develop a rotation of looks for work, for the weekend, for dressy events, and for anything else that you need regularly. Then you’ll be able to approach all these situations with confidence.
5. 5Dress appropriately for your age. Women who dress too old or too young look inappropriate. Whatever you age, embrace it! Instead of aiming to look older or younger, aim to look like the most fabulous you.
6. 6Take calculated risks. Don’t mix all kinds of crazy patterns and colors into a single outfit. But remember, it’s fine to try something new and different. The key to dressing well is to wear your clothes with confidence.
   • Try, for example, combining neutral colors with one animal-print item — something like a bright leopard-print blouse under a black cardigan.
   • Alternatively, you can try wearing a risky-seeming, fashion-forward item, but keeping the rest of your look comparatively understated. If you’re in love with the enormous shoulder pads you saw featured at fashion week, try them! Just pair them with something slim and neutral on the bottom, and stay away from bold accessories.^[10]

Part 3 Updating Your Wardrobe Download Article

1. 1Clean your closet. Toss anything that doesn’t fit, clothing you haven’t worn in two years, and anything else that’s in poor condition. Doing so will free up space for new, more functional pieces.
   • Don’t toss those clothes into a dumpster. Donate them to charity or give them to friends or relatives. If they are in decent condition, consider trying to sell them.
2. 2Figure out what you need. After you’ve gotten rid of the junk, evaluate your wardrobe clearly and identify what’s missing. Your needs will depend on your individual lifestyle, but in general, you want to make sure you have:^[11]
   • blouses and casual shirts
   • button-down shirts
   • pull-over sweaters
   • pants – at least one pair of jeans and at least one pair of trousers
   • casual dresses
   • casual skirts
   • a jacket for cool weather (and one for even colder weather, if you live where it gets cold)
   • at least one or two semi-formal or formal dresses
   • shoes – at least one pair for workouts and one or two each for casual, business, and dressy outfits
3. 3Make a game plan. Once you know what you need, it’s time to shop! But don’t just rush to the mall. You’ll save time if you research some popular online stores first. If you don’t see what you like, move on – save time by shopping at stores that fit your lifestyle.
4. 4Try on clothing whenever possible. It’s tempting to simply order clothes online, but you’ll have better luck if you head out to the stores that seem promising and try clothes on. Sizes vary considerably from retailer to retailer, and it’s hard to know what will flatter you without seeing a garment on your body.
5. 5Spend your money wisely. If your budget is smaller, start browsing at lower-priced retailers. There’s no reason to spend too much – as long as a garment is well made and fits properly, you will look fantastic. That said, you don’t necessarily want the cheapest clothing available. If it wears out after two weeks or falls apart in the washing machine, it’s no bargain.^[12]
   • Do some additional research online and try to hit stores when they are having sales. This can allow you to pick up higher-end items for bargain-basement prices.
   • Invest in a few key pieces that you will get a lot of mileage from – like a sublime pencil skirt for work or a classic black dress. Spend less on trendier items that you won’t wear for long.
   • Don’t be afraid to comparison shop. Before you buy something, see if an online retailer has the same item for a lower price.

10 UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF DRESSING WELL

Dressing well is a topic near and dear to my heart. It is something that I personally strive to do everyday because of how it makes me feel and the way that it jump-starts my day. Dressing well can be boiled down into two simple ideas. The first is the act of dressing and the second is the concept of doing something with intention and effort.

In my opinion, anything worth doing is worth doing well. But what does doing something well actually mean? The Merriam Webster definition of well is:

adverb
1. in a good or satisfactory way. 2. in a thorough manner.

If you are choosing your daily outfits in a thorough manner each day, what does that actually look like? For me, it is the difference between an outfit that is laid out, neat, and carefully coordinated vs. an outfit that I just throw on last-minute.

By paying attention to my daily looks and in my quest to dress well each and every day, I have found that some of the unexpected benefits to dressing well are;

1.) DRESSING WELL HELPS YOU PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL

When you do something thoroughly, every little detail matters. Each part of your outfit from top to bottom is something to consider. I have found that my ability to recognize patterns and focus on details has increased since I started dressing well. This skill has not only benefitted me by helping my put together cute outfits, but, it has helped me in the workplace when it comes to coordinating events, schedules, and timelines.

2.) IT IS A FORM OF SELF-CARE

When something is important, you take time to care for it. Every time that I take the effort to dress well, I am subconsciously telling myself that I matter and that my life is important. If you struggle with self-doubt, being too critical with yourself, or not feeling worthy of the blessings God has given you (things that I have often struggled with) then dressing well is a simple daily reminder that you have value beyond measure!

3.) DRESSING WELL HELPS TO BUILD CONSISTENCY

Let’s face the facts. You have to put something on in the morning. I don’t know a single person that can leave their house naked – so not getting dressed isn’t an option. Since getting dressed is something that you’ll likely have to do every day for the rest of your life – why not do it well?

The difference between throwing clothes on in the morning vs. intentionally planning your outfits is that one form of dressing requires planning and effort while the other does not. The daily feedback of action-and-reward (outfit planning + feeling good about how you look) can help to make dressing well a habit that sticks!

4.) IT HELPS KEEP YOU FOCUSED ON THE WEEK AHEAD

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know that I love planning outfits in advance using the S.O.F.A method. In order to properly plan an outfit for any day of the week, you need to think through what activities, places and obligations are going to be present in your life on any given day. Outfit planning and being organized go hand in hand, helping you stay on top of your schedule and helping you to dress for success!

5.) DRESSING WELL ENCOURAGES BOTH CREATIVITY AND RISK-TAKING

In order to dress well, you will eventually have to stretch your creative muscles and get out of your comfort zone. Nobody has an endless or perfect wardrobe so learning how to mix and match separates in a way that looks good and is flattering will be a challenge! Fear not, because as you develop your eye for style, you’ll be more creative in taking risks and coming up with new outfit combinations.

In my experience, the challenge of not having a massive budget, a perfect wardrobe or endless options has forced me to creatively think outside of the box. For example, using accessories in different ways (such as turning a scarf into a belt) or throwing a black button down over a fancy LBD to create an office-appropriate look.

6.) IT CAN BRING JOY INTO OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES

I know that this is going to sound strange – but give me a chance! Dressing well is a wonderful way to help bring joy to the lives of other people. Think about this for a minute; after you leave your house for the day, who is the next person that has to look at you? Is it you? Probably not. The people that see your outfits the most are your friends, family, co-workers, and strangers!

Isn’t it wonderful to see somebody that looks pretty or put-together? Every time I go out in public, I see the same trends, the same fads and the same lack-of-concern in appearance. It seems to me that the whole world lives in sweatpants and Adidas sandals with socks! To make matters worse, the colors always seem to be grey, black or just plain blah. How depressing! I love seeing people who pull together nice outfits because in 2019 it is RARE.

Be a leader. Dress well and start sparking some joy in this world!

7.) DRESSING WELL KEEPS YOU DISCIPLINED

After carefully coordinating your looks each day, you will begin to notice some items that are missing in your wardrobe. Eventually, thoughts will come to you such as “You know what? I could really use a pair of black dress pants to go with all of these tops,” and “All of these work outfits would look great with a pair of nude heels,” etc.

Your shopping list will grow after some time and you will need to carefully consider each new purchase. This new awareness will keep you from spending money frivolously on trendy or low quality pieces. The best part? The more you start to thoroughly plan your outfits, the more you will realize what fibers, fabrics and prints suit you best. Eventually, you will not want to spend money on a piece unless it truly is a good investment. All of this adds up to being disciplined and being “in it” for the long-haul.

8.) IT INCREASES YOUR CONFIDENCE

Consistency and confidence go hand-in-hand! We already know that choosing to dress well each day breeds consistency, but what about confidence? The definition of confidence is:

Confidence (n.): the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

Have you ever heard the saying “practice make perfect?” I sure have. The consistent daily act of dressing well not only helps you fine-tune your taste, it also helps increase your confidence because you will trust your ability to pick out a stylish outfit to wear. I firmly believe that the main reason why I am so confident in my outfits and my style is because I have been fine-tuning my outfits since middle school! Consistency breeds security and security breeds confidence. You’ve got this!

Also Read…https://lifolive.com/?s=what+is+personality+development