How To Be Chic & Elegant in 2015: 3 French Style Dos and Don'ts

French Actress Vanessa Paradis

At the beginning of a new year, we make plans to improve ourselves. We've taken stock of the sartorial mistakes and fashion faux pas we made last year. This year, we promise that only a newer and upgraded version of ourselves will be on show. 

​If you are interested in ditching bad clothes choices and acquiring better taste, read on for three French style dos and don'ts on how to be chic and elegant in 2015.

• 1/ Wear clothes that suit your body shape

Wearing clothes that suit your body shape will make you look well put together. There are five main body shapes that we can all agree on: Apple, Hourglass, Inverted triangle, Pear and Rectangle. 
If you are not sure what your body shape is, measure your chest, waist and hips. Study these measurements to see which body shape category they belong to. 

Alternatively, stand in front of a full-length mirror in your underwear. Really notice the shape of your body. What is the dominant shape that you notice?
For example, if your lower half is wider than your upper half, your body is likely a pear shape. 
If your body is more up and down, without much difference between your bust, waist and hips, you are most likely a rectangle. 

Once you know your body shape, you'll be able to buy and wear only the clothes that actually fit and suit you. Your silhouette will change to a sleeker and more balanced one.

If you need more details on body shapes, check out my 3 books 'How To Be Chic & Elegant', 'Plus Size' and 'Pear Shape', on the right hand side of this page.

• 2/ Wear clothes that fit your size

Wearing clothes that fit your size is very important. You may have the mistaken belief that wearing tight and snug clothes makes you look slimmer. However, the opposite is true. By being too tight, they create unsightly bulges in all the wrong places. These result in making you look larger than you really are. 

Similarly, clothes that are too large may also make you appear larger than you are, if you are already large or plus sized. 

If you are slim, large and shapeless clothing make you look too skinny and shapeless. People may wonder what you are hiding under there.

So, take the time to try things on before buying. Wear clothes that have the right fit for your frame.

• 3/ Wear clothes that make you say wow!

Many women lack the confidence to dress well and stand out from the crowd. The result is that they tend to dress like everybody else. While some clothes may suit some of them, others will inevitably be the wrong choice. 

"But everybody wears cropped tops these days" or "floral jeggings are all the rage" I hear you say. 
Well, let's do this simple test. Put on those types of clothes and stand in front of your full-length mirror (you do have one, I hope? If not, please watch my Youtube video below: "Your New Best Friend: A Full-Length Mirror"). Have a good look at what you see: do these clothes make you want to say 'wow' or rather 'oh dear'? If it's the latter, then it's safe to say those clothes are not meant for you, non? 

While you're doing this exercise, why not go the whole hog and audit the rest of your wardrobe? You'll be surprised at what you'll discover, I'm pretty sure. Try to think of the reasons why you've been wearing the wrong clothes for you. Is it through lack of time needed to pick out the right pieces or due to a lack of confidence to wear fabulous clothes? 

If you want to appear chic and elegant in 2015, it's time to ditch the clothes that are making you look less than great.
For more advice on what to wear for your shape and size, read my books on How to Be Chic and Elegant on the right hand side of this page.

A Bientôt
Marie-Anne ♥︎

Image via biocelebrity.blogspot.com

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like these:
Dress Your Shape
Figure-Kind Prints
What French Women do to Look Chic & Elegant

YouTube Video
Your New Best Friend: A Full-Length Mirror