The art of dressing well
Three things decide whether an outfit truly works: colour, fit and intention. Master these and everything else is ornament.
The colours that suit you
The right colours near your face even out your skin, brighten your eyes and make you look rested. The wrong ones cast shadows and can make you look tired, however well you have slept. Two things decide your best colours.
Undertone: warm, cool or neutral
- The wrist. In daylight, look at the veins on your inner wrist. Green or olive suggests warm, blue or violet suggests cool, and a mixture suggests neutral.
- The metal. Gold flatters warm skin and silver flatters cool. If both suit you, you are likely neutral.
- The white. Hold optic white, then cream, beneath your chin. If optic white looks crisp, you are cool. If cream looks kinder, you are warm.
Contrast: striking, moderate or soft
Take a black-and-white photograph of your face. If your hair, skin and eyes differ sharply in depth, you are high contrast and carry bold pairings such as navy and white with ease. If they blend gently, you are soft, and tonal dressing with gentle shifts of shade will serve you best.
The Style Profile does this for you.Seven questions, two minutes, and a palette of eight shades chosen for you. Begin your profile
The four seasons
Undertone and contrast together place you within one of four colour families. Treat them as a guide, not a rule.
Spring warm & bright
Apricot, coral, warm teal, golden yellow. Keep black away from the face.
Autumn warm & rich
Rust, olive, mustard, burgundy. Avoid icy blues and neon.
Summer cool & soft
Dusty blue, lavender, rose, soft navy. Avoid orange and harsh contrast.
Winter cool & striking
Black, optic white, royal blue, true red. Avoid camel at the face.
Love a colour that isn't yours? Wear it away from the face, in trousers, shoes or a bag, and keep a flattering shade above.
Fit, perfected
Fit matters more than label, price or trend. It is the single difference between clothes that look bought and clothes that look yours.
Shoulders first
The shoulder seam should sit exactly at the edge of your shoulder. Almost anything can be altered, but not the shoulders.
The trouser break
For a modern line, choose no break or a slight one. The hem should just meet the top of the shoe.
The cuff
Shirt cuffs end at the wrist bone. Beneath a jacket, show a centimetre of linen.
The T-shirt
Sleeves end mid-bicep with a gentle hold, and the hem sits halfway down the fly. Any longer shortens the leg.
Find the waist
Your natural waist is the narrowest point of the torso. High-waisted cuts that sit there lengthen the leg on almost everyone.
The rule of thirds
Divide an outfit roughly one-third to two-thirds, never half and half. Tuck, crop or belt to find the line.
Hemlines
End skirts and dresses at the slenderest point of the leg: just above or below the knee, or at the narrowest part of the calf.
The foundation
A professional bra fitting transforms how every top falls. Be measured again each year, or after any change.
Befriend a tailor
Hemming a trouser or taking in a waist costs little and makes ready-to-wear look made-to-measure.
Size is only a number
Sizes vary from house to house. Buy for your widest point and tailor the rest. Remove the label if it troubles you.
The considered wardrobe
Most of us wear a fifth of our wardrobe most of the time. Build that fifth with intention. Around thirty pieces is a refined foundation:
- Outerwear (2–3). One elegant coat, one casual jacket, one for the weather.
- Layers (3–4). A blazer, a fine knit, an overshirt or cardigan.
- Tops (7–9). Mostly in your finest neutrals, with two or three in your palette.
- Trousers and skirts (4–5). Dark denim, a tailored trouser, one relaxed pair.
- Shoes (3–4). Immaculate trainers, a refined shoe or boot, one pair for comfort.
- One signature piece. The thing that makes you feel extraordinary. Wear it often.
Cost per wear.A £300 coat worn two hundred times costs £1.50 a wear. A £40 top worn twice costs £20. Buy fewer, finer things, and wear them.
Your dressing space
How you feel getting dressed begins before the wardrobe opens. A calm, ordered space makes good decisions effortless.
The edit
Take everything out. Keep what fits, flatters and has been worn this year. Donate, sell or tailor the rest.
Hang by outfit
Hang pieces you wear together side by side, and your mornings become effortless.
Light it truthfully
A mirror near daylight shows true colour. Warm bulbs flatter everyone but misrepresent colour.
One in, one out
Each new piece replaces another, so the wardrobe stays curated, never crowded.
Make it beautiful
Matching hangers, a clear surface, a plant. Small refinements turn getting ready into a pleasure.