In a fashion world where nothing is off limits in Instagram fashion, IT bags and shoe trends, it’s easy to get caught up and end up with items of clothing you won’t want to wear next week let alone the following season. In 2021, we finally keep it simple and Marie Kondo our wardrobes! After all, being ‘effortlessly’ stylish shouldn’t be cumbersome but simple. Given all the talk in the industry around sustainable production and re-purposing, conscious fashion is key in defining your forever style.
Here are some tips to consider:
Dress for Your Shape
This really is the first rule of fashion. In my own words, ‘dressing is an illusion,’ and that rings true with fashioning our bodies. If you can come to grips with what your shape is, you’ll know exactly how to create balance. In the traditional sense, creating balance in a look is to emulate an hourglass in one capacity or another - but not literally!
Think about how to use your clothes to create structure if you have small shoulders and larger hips, or how a V-neck top can elongate the body and even the age-old trick of cinching the waist with a belt to give the illusion of a tiny waist.
Much of the time, women’s body shapes fall into the category of fruits, such as ‘pear’ and ‘apple’ but the same rules do not apply to all. Do away with body labels, and understand what compliments your shape, because after all, style is very personal and should make you feel confident.
Shades Are Important
I’m not talking about face furniture in this instance. Where we all love a good pair of sunglasses, the shades I’m referring to are colors! Wearing the right colors for your skin tone is just as important as dressing for your shape. We either wear color or the color wears us and the best way to understand your own tone and what hues look best on you is to first figure out whether your tone is cool or warm, and then what color category you fall into: there are several tests online to help you determine what colors would be best for you.
Color analysis is important as it is a surefire method of answering the “what color suits me?” question, and helps determine which colors of clothing and which makeup shades compliment a person’s skin complexion, eye color, and hair color.
Wear the Right Underwear
Seriously! The type of underwear you wear determines how an outfit will look overall, and the color of the underwear is important too - it shouldn’t be seen at all. It’s time to keep the bright floral bras and panties in a box, to never be opened again, because all you need are the basics: black, nude, and white in padded and non-padded styles, seamless panties, and shapewear.
Shapewear also helps with the illusion of dressing and the shape you want to create and works best when you’re wearing a formfitting dress or jumpsuit to smooth out any lumps and bumps that can distract–not in a good way. Companies such as Skims and Spanx have an endless range of shapewear and undergarments you don’t know how you were living without!
A Good Bra Goes A Long Way
Did you know that a lot of women don’t actually wear the correct bra size? If there’s one form of self-care you practice today, go to get a bra fitting to determine your size and find bras that will look totally seamless under your clothes too. Bras are now multifunctional and come with a variety of straps and low-cut styles so you can confidently feel secure whilst wearing a halter neck, or a low cut item of clothing.
Quality Vs Quantity
Shopping can be an overwhelming task with just how fast we are seeing trends come and go, and these are further exacerbated by cheap fast fashion brands and Instagram influencers who promote them. Where social media may be a good place to seek inspiration, it can also encourage unhealthy mindsets in accepting personal physical flaws, and it’s imperative that you remember that almost all of your social media idols get paid to sell you unrealistic fashion and beauty ideals – they don’t even dress that way in real life!
The fashion industry produces 20% of global wastewater and 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. We're breaking down all the terms that'll help make you more mindful in your fashion decisions: https://t.co/QOi7fUKGsJ
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) October 30, 2020
Instead of buying into these fast-moving trends and ending up with a pile of cheaper clothes you’ll only wear once, buy one nice piece that can be worn multiple times and for a variety of occasions. If you don’t know where to start think about basics: a classic LBD, a well-fitted pair of jeans, a classic blazer and crisp white shirt amongst others. These pieces will serve you in the long term with the option to add a trend piece, some heels and statement jewelry, or dress down with sneakers and a slouchy sweater.
Amrita’s 5 ways to style a long back shirt dress from COS Stores
By minimizing your spend on fast fashion and trends, you’ll curate a more personal and timeless wardrobe whilst taking a mindful approach to the way you consume fashion. Your key takeaways when shopping in 2021 should be: conscious fashion, mindful consumption and sustainable style.
