Style Rules Every Woman Should Know

10 Fashion Rules That Will Change Your Life

There are 10 style rules that every woman can use. Today I’m sharing those exact tips for how I get dressed and what I teach my Personal Styling clients.

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10 Style Rules Every Woman Should Know

1. Pay attention to what you feel great in.

One of the most important style rules is that whatever is in your closet should make you feel great when you put it on. If you don’t then it’s probably time to do a closet edit and let go of the pieces that you don’t love. Then you want to find the missing gaps that you don’t have in your wardrobe and make a shopping list. I have spent years curating my closet into a wardrobe that has fewer items of high-quality pieces that I love. When writing about a capsule wardrobe, Kate Arends states in Wit & Delight, “What surprised me about this process is I actually enjoyed getting dressed with fewer things in my closet”.

If there are items in your wardrobe that you’re not sure about, I recommend trying them on again, and in the first seven seconds ask yourself how you feel. Try to quiet your mind and all the excuses it may be coming up with for why you should keep this item. (It was a gift, I don’t have anything else to wear, etc.) You’re going to know right away if you feel good or not. It shouldn’t take up space in your closet if it’s not something that helps you feel confident. I never have issues getting dressed because everything in my closet that I put on, I feel great in.

2. Have your clothes tailored or altered.

If the hem is too long on your jeans or a blouse is too big and you’re not wearing the item or you don’t feel good when you do, then it’s time to think about tailoring. Making minor adjustments to the pieces you already have in your closet can bring new life to an item. It’s like having a whole new piece in your wardrobe. Getting your items tailored is so important. When you calculate the cost-per-wear, altering items end up being not that expensive. When you’re buying higher quality items, have those pieces tailored so they fit perfectly for your body. You will wear them so much more and you will feel so much better in them.

3. Invest in a capsule wardrobe.

Another one of my favorite style rules that will change your life, is having a capsule wartdrobe. A capsule wardrobe is made up of the pieces in your closet that you want to invest in. They’re high quality, easily mix and match, and are solid neutral colors. A capsule wardrobe will give you so many more options for outfits in your closet. Arends writes, “I wanted staples that could be combined easily and required minimal effort to look like ‘me’—an individual, and one who is able to get dressed up or down depending on the occasion”.

If you’re not sure where to start with a capsule wardrobe, you can read my post “What Is In A Capsule Wardrobe“. It goes more in depth about all the reasons why I have a capsule wardrobe, why I recommend all of my personal styling clients do it, and why it’s so helpful. It also shares my favorite picks for capsule wardrobe items.

Now I don’t suggest you should only have a capsule wardrobe unless you want to be minimalist with your wardrobe, but I do recommend making sure that you have a capsule wardrobe. You want to start thinking of it as your foundation. I like to say a capsule wardrobe serves as the base of your home, but you can build on top once you have that base, you can add rooms, a roof, etc. Without a foundation, it’s not going to be easy to get dressed. These foundational pieces will make getting dressed easy. So if you’ve ever stood in front of your wardrobe feeling like you have nothing to wear, make sure you have your capsule wardrobe in place.

4. Focus on quality over quantity.

I have said this before and I will say this again, make sure you’re focusing on quality pieces over having a lot of items. If you stand in front of your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear yet it is filled with clothes, then chances are you have probably done the opposite. You have probably focused on having more items. Thinking that more clothes will solve the problem of getting dressed but the items aren’t high-quality pieces that you love, is a mistake many of us have made. It’s important to focus on quality and on spending the majority of your wardrobe budget on fewer high-quality pieces. I promise you that having fewer items that you love and that are higher quality will give you so many more outfit choices than a closet full of clothes that are just so-so.

5. Everything in your closet is visible and accessible.

style rules, how to organize your closet

When people see my closet, they are usually surprised that I don’t have a walk-in. But I wear every item in my wardrobe. One way I do that is not only by having less clothing but also by making sure everything is accessible and visible. I don’t have any pieces hiding or too many things hanging together where I can’t see some of my items. My jeans are on hangers. I have my shoes where I can see them.

Catherine from The Budget Fashionista writes, “If you don’t know what’s in your closet, all those clothes you bought aren’t getting used. And that’s when you start having those ‘I have nothing to wear’ moments”. According to CreditDonkey, more than 50% of women claim 25% of their wardrobe sits in the closet collecting dust. This equates to around $600 thrown out the window.

I designed and built my closet based on what my needs were. If you’re not handy or have someone in your life that’s handy, there are tons of storage solutions and different ways to maximize whatever space you have. The key is to make sure that all of your items have a place. If there are items that you don’t love, or you have too many items that you’re not wearing I recommend taking some time for a closet edit. During that edit get out the pieces that you’re not wearing, that you don’t love, and let those items go. That way you’ll be able to see everything you have in your closet and you’ll end up wearing what you love.

Related: “How To Organize Your Closet“

6. Choose 2 high-quality bags.

When it comes to your handbags, you don’t need 10 or 20. You really only need two. A classic style high quality neutral and black handbag is what you should start with. If you have multiple handbags that are just ok, this goes along with the earlier rule I shared, you want to focus on having two really great handbags instead of 10 so-so handbags. Save your wardrobe budget for higher quality classic items that you will love and that will completely elevate your look. Even though I love handbags and I have been working this way in my wardrobe for a long time, I still only have five investment bags. You don’t need more than that. I say start with two because two bags in the right style and color will work for any occasion.

A neutral can be a beige, gray, blush, tan, or nude. Look for a color that will go with almost everything in your wardrobe. What your neutral bag won’t work with. your black one will.

Again make sure they’re a classic style that goes from day to night so that they’ll last for a long time. A style that I recommend a lot is a cross-body bag. Most cross-body handbags will go from day to night easily. If you’re thinking of one of these two bags as a clutch, for example, a clutch isn’t really for daytime. A clutch is more for evening and is not going to be as versatile as a crossbody bag. I recommend starting with your two investment bags in a crossbody bag shape, or a style that can easily go from day to night for your lifestyle. I go more in-depth about the handbags I recommend in my post here.

7. Keep a running shopping list.

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My next fashion tip is to keep a shopping list. I keep mine on my phone. It’s a list of the items that are missing from my wardrobe. When I go to get dressed, if I find that I’m missing the right shoe or layer, I add it to my list. This rule makes sure that you have all the gaps in your wardrobe filled with items that you love. If you’re not sure what the gaps are in your closet, a guideline to follow when you’re getting dressed if there’s something you don’t have like a black shoe that works with your outfit, that goes on your shopping list. Another example, is if you reach for your cardigan but it has a hole in it that can’t be repaired, a new black cardigan goes on your shopping list.

Having a running shopping list will help save you time and money when shopping. That way when you’re shopping you’re conscious of what you have in your wardrobe and purchasing the items that will make it easy to get dressed.

8. Balance your outfit proportions.

This fashion rule means making sure your outfit is balanced. Avoid wearing a head-to-toe tight outfit, or an oversized look. Both of those typically don’t work for most people. If you’re going to do a blousy or oversized, wear something more fitted on the bottom like a legging or fitted jeans. When you have something looser on the bottom like a billowy or pleated midi skirt think about styling it with a fitted t-shirt, blouse, or tank on top. That will help balance your proportions.

According to The Budget Fashionista, “The best outfits have balance. Pair tight pieces with looser silhouettes. Surround a bold accessory with subtler neutrals. Always strive for balance in fit, color, and style.”

Related: “How To Build An Outfit In 12 Steps“

9. Be overdressed instead of underdressed.

I don’t know about you, but I love when I have somewhere special to go and I can dress up. If I don’t know the dress code and I’m not sure what to wear, I err on the side of being more overdressed. Personally, I feel more confident when I’m a little bit overdressed versus if I’m under-dressed. I’ve gone places before where I didn’t know what the dress code was and I’ve been a little underdressed. I’ve felt very uncomfortable, but if I’ve gone somewhere and I’m slightly overdressed I think it speaks more about who I am.

10. Always bring a layer.

To get dressed every day, number 10 is a style rule I live by. It took me a long time to always bring a layer for warmth. Even if it’s an 80-degree day but I’m going out somewhere later, I still bring a cardigan or light jacket with me. Because chances are when the sun goes down and the temperature changes, or if I go inside are the air conditioner is on, I’m going to want that layer.

I have been stuck so many times being cold and uncomfortable. When you’re uncomfortable you’re probably not going to be your best self. You will have a harder time engaging with the world and the people you’re with. This is something I’ve learned over years. I’m always going to bring a layer with me wherever I go, something that I can roll up and easily put in my bag or drape over my bag. And 9 times out of 10, I do end up using my layer.

These are 10 style rules that I live by and recommend every woman should know. To learn all my top fashion tips to dress better grab your free guide here.