1. They never buy into obvious trends
While some women lie in wait every season for that highly recognisable, heavily editorialised trophy purchase that screams "I'M BANG ON TREND", the stylish wouldn't dream of appearing so woefully unimaginative. No brazenly popular It bag for them, nor any item of clothing that has been worn by a Kardashian. No, not even Kendall.
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2."Quality, not quantity" is their mantra
That thing where we hit the sales and buy loads of tat because it's 30% off? They don't do that. Not because they're rich, and can afford full price. The truth is that they can afford full price because they buy less tat in the first place. We can all afford full price (albeit at Topshop) if we learn to sit on our hands instead of reaching for the credit card in a short-term bout of self-gratification. The stylish aren't stylish because they have bulging wardrobes of clothes to choose from. They're stylish precisely because they don't.
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3. They are obsessed with shirts
To us, a shirt might be an item that reminds us of school, is prone to gaping, and is impossible to button to satisfaction (up to the top and you look Amish; down to the breastbone and you look louche). For the always-stylish, a shirt is pretty much the foundation of every look. They wear them on the beach (unbuttoned, nonchalant), they wear them in the boardroom (tucked into a pencil skirt) and they wear them to bed (an old one that covers their bottom, in the softest Pima cotton, and might belong to an ex-boyfriend whose name escapes them). White is their favourite, but this season, pale blue is a close second, followed closely by chambray.
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4. They're more into shoes than bags
The truly stylish care far more about what's on their feet than what's dangling from their arm. When their shoes are right, the rest of their outfit takes care of itself. This is why, while their wardrobes tend to be ruthlessly edited, their shoe collection remains "out of hand". By day, they favour the functionality of flats (sneakers or skate shoes if their profession allows it; brogues or monk straps if work is more formal). By night, they really let rip, plucking from the shoe rack (or shoe room) all manner of improbably beautiful footwear with features that may include rivets, velvet bows, gold piping, studded heels, snakeprint accents, jewelled toes, and laces that snake right up the calf.
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5. They have a knack of finding new, un-hyped labels and making them their own
Of course, stylish women shop on the high street. Of course, they buy designer brands. But they also have this uncanny ability to discover the latest niche label - the one we'll find ourselves coveting six months later. "Oh, just this little label I found in downtown LA," they may shrug, when you compliment them on their perfect marl grey T-shirt. Whenever they go on holiday, they'll stumble on an artisan shoemaker. Even an innocent trip to Rye will uncover a hidden gem of a shop selling sustainably sourced embroidered piano shawls, which she'll throw over her white shirt and jeans, yet somehow avoid looking batty. Next season, Liberty will stock those shawls, and Sienna Miller will be quoted as "dying for one".
6. They have a non-hairstyle hairstyle
Y'know how some women (not me, though. Never. Well, maybe just twice) run into the hairdresser brandishing a photo of Alexa Chung? The super-stylish don't do that. The Pob, the Bob and the Lob are anathema to them, as is the notion you'd ever want your hair to look just like somebody else's. Their hairstyle doesn't have a name, because it isn't really a hairstyle. It's just their hair. They'd never use straighteners, because it would iron out all the character. The things most of us hate about our hair - grey roots, greasiness, random kinks - they embrace, simply tying it all back in a messy ponytail (which they can do blindfold in ten seconds) instead of fretting. Also: their hairstyle hasn't really changed since Year 12.
7. They aren't fickle
They don't so much fall in love with labels as with the designers behind them. They loved Phoebe Philo before Céline, and they'll love her after (if there ever is an after). They loved Jane Shepherdson at Topshop, and they love her still at Whistles. They know who's designing what, and keeping on top of fashion's machinations is their homework.
8. They never wear cheap jewellery
I'm sorry, but they don't. Nor do they often wear bold pieces. Even when the world was running around in statement necklaces, they demurred, on the basis that necklaces of this size would have had to be paste, and paste is something they'd never do. Chandelier earrings? No. Discreet diamond studs? Yes. Massive, clunking bangle that falls accidentally into your spaghetti? No. Spider-thin bracelet given by a lover? You get the picture. They are obsessed with diamonds. Again, not necessarily because they are rich. It's because they will save up, maybe for years, until they can have a piece they'll cherish.
9. They have a navy jumper for every occasion
Fashion lore has it that the stylish are heavily into Bretons. This may once have been true. But if you Google 'Stylish + Breton' you will find 90403175050511 references. In short: Bretons have had too much attention. Consequently, the stylish will now only consent to wear them on a flight. Or maybe to walk the dog. Their default top-half covering of choice? The navy jumper. Not a black jumper (too draining, too clichéd), but a navy one. This, they will own in several weights and wefts of cashmere, as well as several styles (round-neck, boat-neck, V-neck, tabard, cropped, sweatshirt). Evening do? They'll whip out a jewelled one with short sleeves. Wedding? They'll have their favourite one remade in cream. Yes, I know someone who actually did this.
10. They're all about the skin
For evening, they will warmly embrace a slash of lipstick, but for the rest of the time, their face appears nakedly make-up free. It isn't, of course - it merely looks that way. Closer inspection will reveal a nude eyeshadow, a hair-thin slick of eyeliner and some expertly applied mascara that widens the eye without ever rendering it deliberately made-up. Healthy, glowing skin is the gold standard of beauty for them.
11. Their underwear could best be described as 'functional'
Yes, they will wear a lacy, racy black bra when the occasion demands, provided said occasion is cocktail or black tie. For day-to-day life, however, they will have no truck with thongs (too much chafing), fancy lingerie sets (nobody sees them) or padded bras (big breasts ruin the line of their beloved shirts). Beneath the stylish woman's clothing sits a simple flesh-coloured bra (chosen because it never shows through their clothing, unlike white) and plain, utilitarian, somewhat boyish pants. No, not knickers. Pants.
12. Their look changes less radically than ours
Yes, they get excited about a new season. But they don't consign all their favourite clothes to the charity bag the moment Tom Ford decrees them out of fashion. The truly chic know what suits them, and stick to it, tweaking the details rather than wholesale changing their look. No matter whether boho, babydolls or bell-bottoms are 'in', they'll body-swerve the trends that don't suit them and cherry-pick the ones that do. As Coco Chanel so famously said: fashion fades - only style remains the same.
1. 뻔한 유행은 따라가지 않는다
- 창의성없이 유행만 따라가기 급급한 사람은 되지 않는다
2. 언제나 '양보다 질'을 주문처럼 외운다
- 30%세일한다고 계획에도 없던 아이템을 쓸어담지 않는다
- 옷장에 옷이 많다고 해서 옷을 잘 입는건 아니다. 현실은 오히려 그 반대로, 옷장이 간략한 여자가 더 스타일리시하다.
3. 셔츠에 집착한다
- 바닷가에서는 무심하게 버튼을 풀어헤치고, 회의실에서는 펜슬스커트 안에 넣어 입고, 잠잘때 걸쳐입는다.
그녀들에게 셔츠는 모든 룩의 기초다.
4. 가방보다 신발
- 신발만 잘 신으면 나머지는 저절로 따라오게 되있다.
- 그렇기때문에 옷장은 매우 간소해도 신발만큼은 신발장에 차고 넘친다.
5. 새로우면서 유행타지 않은 브랜드를 자신의 것으로 소화한다
- 고가의 브랜드 물건을 사지 않는다는 뜻은 아니다.
- 가장 최신의 틈새시장을 파고드는 브랜드의 옷을 찾아낸 후
그녀가 6개월간 실컷 입고 난 후부터 그 옷이 유행하기 시작한다.
6. 그녀들에겐 '헤어스타일'라는 것이 없다.
- 고3때부터 변하지 않는 헤어스타일을 고수
- 머리는 머리일뿐, 헤어스타일이라는 것은 없다.
새치도, 떡진 머리도, 돼지털머리같은 단점도 그대로 놔두거나 포니테일로 묶는다
고데기로 펴면 개성이 사라지므로 절대 고데기를 사용하지 않는다.
7. 브랜드보다는 디자이너가 누군가에 더 신경쓴다.
8. 싸구려 악세서리는 착용하지 않는다.
- 커다란 악세서리도 착용하지 않는다.
샹들리에 귀걸이보다는 자그마한 다이아몬드 알이 박힌 귀걸이, 뱅글보다는 거미줄만큼 얇은 팔찌.
9. 네이비 블레이저를 입는다.
- 블랙 자켓은 이젠 너무 클리셰다.
10. 피부에 투자한다.
11. 속옷은 좋게 말해봤자 '기능적'이다.
- 일상에서는 피부마찰이 적고 심플한 살색 속옷을 입는다.
- 보정용 속옷을 입어 가슴을 강조하면 셔츠의 라인을 망친다.
12. 룩이 잘 변하지 않는다.
- 물론 새로운 시즌룩에 관심이 많지만 그렇다고 해서 기존의 모든 옷을 바꿔버리지 않는다.
- 어떤 것이 자신에게 잘 어울리는지 잘 알고 있기때문에 어울리는 것만 골라낸다.
코코 샤넬이 언젠가 말했던 것처럼, "패션은 사라지지만 스타일은 남는다."
