Dressing well is a form of art…
I like to experiment with clothes and how I present myself often because I consider clothing to be the same as cooking it’s all creative in it’s own way and it’s fun to play around with that. I also like getting into character so to me clothing is literally a costume I can put on: Am I at an evening filled with professionals ? I’ll put on a black turtleneck and the heaviest plastic-rimmed glasses I have, put my hair up in a ponytail and walk around like that. Is it an event with muslim sisters? I’ll put on my silk abaya. Is it meeting up with a friend? I’ll put on the wildest patterned coat I have. Is it a talk with a client? It’ll be work suit. If I have to perform and put on different personas in this weird society, then by gum I’ll do it and have fun with it.
hink it's easier to start with defining what dressing poorly is and definitely not:
Wearing dirty, smelly clothes.
Going out in public wearing what is clearly loungewear or bed clothes, such as pyjamas, nightgowns, bath robes, house shoes, rollers in hair, bonnets etc.
Clothes worn far beyond their natural lifespan (fraying, faded, patched, holes in it, bubbles, misshapen with age)
Excessively casual for the occasion, like blue jeans, basic cotton t-shirt and sneakers/trainers in a "business casual" environment, or even to a mid-range and up restaurant.
Wearing "athleisure" 24/7. I'm more relaxed in how casual I can dress since Covid, I'll admit, but I'm still not gonna wear athletic clothing unless I am actually exercising or going to/from the gym.
After considering all this, dressing well is about finding clothes that fit you nicely, are colour co-ordinated, and have some individuality and flair.
Do you have an outfit formula?
Having a go-to outfit formula (e.g., wide-leg pants + fitted top + casual blazer) minimises decision fatigue. Also, choosing neutral colors (or a personal colour palette) makes it easier to mix and match outfits without tons of mental effort.
2. Invest in quality materials and always try them on before buying. Avoid Shein, H & M, New Look, Zara, Primark, Missguided, PLT and Temu. This is because part of the reason clothes look bad is because they are made of cheap materials that don't drape nicely (or they make oneextremely uncomfortable and the discomfort transfers over to how one thinks and looks). I usually shop online and never get to try anything on before buying. Turns out, this is critical. Quality materials and how they drape over your body seems like the key to looking put-together.
3. Prioritise grooming hair, skin, nails
Maintaining well-groomed hair and nails, and taking good care of your skin seems to be a big theme in the comments.
4. Find the right accessories
This seems to be both the art and the secret to looking put-together. Small details can make a big difference. You could have a plain black tshirt with black pants, then throw a bunch of accessories over it that make the outfit look really polished. So, a thoughtfully selected bag + earrings + shoes + jacket can make an outfit appear more put-together. So choose your accessories wisely. Which leads to...
5. Wear a monochrome or two-tone look
Dressing in one color (or a simple palette like black & white, or white and neutral beige) looks more put-together and makes accessorising easier.
6. Plan ahead
Plan your outfits the night before, or if you're feeling ambitious, for the whole week. Iron the night before…
7. Jumpsuits and dresses
Harness the power of one-piece outfits like jumpsuits and dresses. You can get dressed faster and look more put-together in one go. The key here is to know how to pair your dresses/jumpsuits with the right shoes and jackets.
8. Make sure things fit
Wearing clothes that fit and flatter your body type seems to be important. Get your clothes tailored if you need to, and figure out what works best with your body shape.
My cheat code has been dresses, twist my hair up, slap on some earrings, a slip, a dress, and quality shoes and you look polished in under 10 minutes
Some brands just resell dropshipped things from fast fashion websites (example: crescent abaya that every brand supposedly “made.”).
Simple do’s and dont’s
Be appropriate
Be well put together
Have a good fit
Have a few high quality clothing
Neither personality nor fashionability matters. The latter is nonsense and is only relevant to the degree that thoroughly unfashionable is usually inappropriate (like 17th century garb). Personality is understood as being your true, unique self through dress. Most likely it's not going to work. Let your personality shine by wearing what you need to, and doing it like you mean it.
