You know instantly when you have nailed an outfit – but sometimes it can be hard to know where you have gone wrong with an ensemble.
One approach to assessing a combination is to look at the most important factors that make up a stunning outfit and work out where you are going wrong. Naturally, part of what makes a great ensemble is the way that these parts interact, so think about how changing one could affect another.
So which of these five factors is letting you down?
Jewellery
The jewellery you wear with an outfit can make or break it; you will often find women who can get away with wearing very cheap clothes if they can find the right gold or silver costume jewellery to tie the ensemble together.
Among the sorts of thing you should be considering are the shape of the jewellery, the thickness of the materials used and the type of precious stones it holds – if any. Sometimes a perfectly good necklace or bangle can simply be the wrong fit for an outfit.
Fabric and fit
Another crucial aspect of your look is how well-made the clothes are in terms of the fabric and fit. Everyone has different body shapes and some women find that certain brands suit them better than others. If you find a designer or high street brand that fits you well then by all means keep going back – the fit of dress or shirt can be the most important factor of all some times.
Colours
Everyone has favourite colours or shades that they like to wear and this is a perfectly normal part of developing your own style, but do take the time to think about how colours go with your colouring. It may be that a garment suited you down to the ground when you were away on holiday with a tan, but that you no longer look quite so hot with paler skin.
There is an art to combining colours that some people just never get their head around, but ultimately it is up to you to decide which colours look great together and which clash.
Setting
In some cases an external factor could be making your ensemble look a little off, so take into account the type of event you are going to and the climate you will be wearing the clothes in.
For example, even though a shirt-trousers combination may have turned heads at a work do one week, it may be that your friend was expecting something a little less formal for their birthday party.
Make-up and hair
Last, but certainly not least, is your hair and make-up, which can top off a beautiful combination of clothes, or go too far and ruin the whole thing. As a general rule, try to aim for subtlety, unless you are trying to achieve a specific aesthetic – in which case you should read up on exactly how to pull off the trend, or you could end up looking a little silly.
Author Bio: Since he was seventeen, Samuel Clark has been writing about fashion. He still continues writing for various jewellery and fashion blogs while working in a company that makes silver costume jewellery. He enjoys reading lifestyle magazines and classic jazz.