Fashion, just like society, has evolved with time and keeps growing.
In the early days, as seen in the old Egyptian empire, fashion only served the purpose of protection and comfort. In some cases, it served as warmth. But over the years, fashion has offered more than mere warmth, security, or comfort from the earth’s elements.
Fashion depicts society’s evolution, offers identity, speaks about culture and values, and is a means of self-expression. Over time, fashion has also become art, and it affects people’s perceptions about themselves and others.
Fashion can boost a person’s confidence. So yeah, clothes are not merely worn for warmth anymore, so everyone must take their appearance seriously.
Here are Some Common Fashion Mistakes and How to Navigate Them
First is impulsive buying
This is the easiest way to build a monotonous, disorganised, incoherent wardrobe that serves nothing but to keep you wanting more, not knowing that more isn’t the solution.
The real issue is that your wardrobe lacks a foundation on which to build. For some time now, I’ve tried to understand and see why most women buy clothes impulsively, and a significant factor is the desire to belong.
Some women want to own whatever trending clothes are on the internet. While this can boost their ego momentarily, it also leads to long-term wardrobe dissatisfaction and frustration. Hence, it is best not to buy impulsively, no matter how pretty a dress looks. The best way to avoid impulse buying is to plan your wardrobe.
You can start by getting the wardrobe basics.
Let us get down to a list of wardrobe staples every woman should own or plan to own:
- A black dress
- A black pants/skirt
- A blazer jacket (start with black and gradually add other colours)
- A pair of jeans (whether skinny or loose-fitting, depending on your body shape)
- A white shirt
- A black shirt
- Black/white t-shirt
- Black/white tank top or camisole
- A clutch bag/ small bag in basic colours such as black, silver, gold, brown, white, or even vintage
- An office bag (also in basic colours like black and brown)
- A pair of flat shoes and fancy slippers (For different needs)
- A pair of strap heels
- A pair of stilettos (for a more professional appeal)
- A basic jewellery set based on your skin tone (not something too much or too bold, just simple jewellery pieces)
Now, this basic list is the starter bundle.
If you do not have much money to spend on every occasion, you should plan to get these items gradually over time. And don’t be too quick to “change your wardrobe” when most of these items are still largely missing.
The listed items can be combined in many ways to produce different results and serve other functions.
This is why they are staples, lifesavers if I may call them that. They’ll always save you on a rainy day.
A lack of self-awareness is another major issue that could prevent you from looking good as a lady.
You should mirror class with boldness. Learn not to jump into every fashion trend online, as it may be inappropriate. You also need to have basic knowledge of your own body.
Knowing basic things, such as your body shape, whether an apple, pear, triangle, or an hourglass body shape, would largely determine what you should and shouldn’t wear.
You achieve better results when your clothing complements missing features in your body. So, ensure that the celebrity you follow and look up to for fashion tips has a body shape like yours before you pick up style inspiration from them. Learn more about women’s different body shapes and know the category you fall into. This will significantly impact your fashion life.
Another essential knowledge that every woman who intends to look good should know about themselves is their undertone. You are either warm or cold or a mixture of both.
Knowing this would help you pick jewellery that complements your skin tone better. Not every jewellery colour would do you justice, so learn about yours!
Your personal style is another important aspect of yourself that you should know. Your style speaks about how you perceive yourself and want to be perceived. It is the story you wish to tell; it is your personality.
Your style could be CLASSIC (not doing too much but maintaining elegance, mild makeup) or DRAMATIC (wanting lots of attention, bold makeup, and vibrant hairdos), or even CREATIVE (breaking fashion rules and boundaries). It could be SIMPLE (just as the name implies) or ROMANTIC (dressy, soft colours, floral designs).
Knowing your style helps you choose an outfit and prevents you from purchasing items you’ll never get to wear.
Furthermore, colours are too important when fashion is involved. Colours tell a story, and even if that’s not the story you wish to suggest, they will do the telling for you. This is why your choice of colour combinations could affect how you’re perceived and thus should be selected carefully.
It is usually best for starters to avoid using many colours to avoid visual overstimulation, which could make you appear disorganised and unappealing instead of making you look nice. There are many rules regarding using vibrant colours, and unless you’re ready to stick to those rules, avoid using many colours at a time (also called colour blocking). And if you must use them, learn to cancel out the colours by matching them against each other. This would create a better balance in your outfit and prevent visual overstimulation.
In addition, not every colour is appropriate for your skin complexion. So, if you’re dark-skinned, avoiding very vibrant colours such as red and yellow is usually advised (unless you want to go creative, which is also fun). This is because they could have a suppressing discordant association with your skin. And if you must wear them, it is best to go for darker shades of these colours for a better effect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the clothes you choose to wear always affect how you are perceived by others and how you perceive yourself, whether you like it or not. This is why it is necessary to take looking good and being put together seriously.
Fashion is an expression, fashion is a story. So, which story would you be telling?
Written by Chidile Ijeoma (Blizzfeva) – Fashion consultant, style guide, and wardrobe assistant