How to Look Effortlessly Put Together
Probably the biggest compliment you could give a woman, and you would always say it with an element of envy, is that they look 'effortless'. If someone looks effortless, they look fantastic without looking like they spent all morning getting ready, they have that certain je-ne-sais-quoi that so many French women exude and that those of us in other countries all wish we could achieve.
I don't think anyone ever believes that they themselves look effortless - it's something you say about other people and we're all so focused on our own 'flaws'. But there are elements you can weave into your outfits and habits you can build into your lifestyle that may make someone one day look at you and say wistfully to her husband, 'Oh, doesn't that woman look effortless?'
It's the little things that matter, and we all know that looking effortless does often require... effort, which is a bit annoying really. But you simply can't have creases in your clothes if you want to look polished, effortlessly so or not.
Get the iron out, or the steamer, or - my personal preference - buy clothing in materials that don't really crease. I find that most of my items can just be hung up to dry and the creases fall out and I do tend to declutter stuff that does need ironing because life is short!
Attention to detail is important in other ways too, and sadly the above picture does highlight something I missed on the day. The dress fits me on my top half but gapes a little on the bottom, especially the way I'm sitting here. I also filmed a reel in this outfit and someone commented that I might want to wear a slip underneath the dress next time - and they were absolutely right! Invest in good underwear to make cheaper fabrics on top look more expensive.
I never used to bother much about my hair but I've realised it is key to looking more polished. The easiest and most effortless way to make your hair look neat and presentable is to throw it up in a claw clip. If you don't have fine hair like mine, you can probably do a fancy messy bun which is the epitome of effortless chic style, but I can only dream of the volume required for those styles.
When dressing, a good rule of thumb to remember is to stick to as few colours in one outfit as possible. Here, we technically have 4 - green, black, white and beige/straw colour - but because it's all quite neutral we get away with it. Generally, though, 3 or less colours look most put-together. I also like how the white on the bag brings the white from the trainers higher up into the outfit, so there isn't a sudden flash of white at my feet that comes out of nowhere.
For lazy girls like me who want to look good, I would highly recommend starting a collection of midi and maxi dresses. They are insanely easy to throw on and people always compliment you on them. Honestly, the amount of times I've been told, 'Oh, you look nice! I love that dress!' when my hair looks a mess and I've not bothered with makeup. The dress does everything!
They can also be really comfy - I love to go for dresses that are tighter at the bust and/or waist and looser at the hips. It means you don't have tight clothes digging in after eating and there's just something really feminine and elegant about an a-line silhouette.
Of course, it's not all about clothing. Make-up takes a lot of effort and I think those efforts are better spent focusing on your skincare!
People often tell me I have nice skin. I actually don't - it's very dry and if I don't look after it, it's flaky and painful. So I physically can't skimp on my skincare, which is the reason it looks so nice!
I would highly recommend Clinique's 3-step skincare routine as it comes in different strengths depending on your skin type. I use the set for very dry skin and it's been working perfectly for me for years.
Make it a morning and evening habit to focus on pampering your skin and you will then be able to get away with using less makeup, leaving you with more time to choose your outfit, jewellery and make your hair look nice each day. You'll be looking effortless in no time!
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