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Maybe you've been having the same experience over and over -- you pull together a supermodel-inspired, simple ensemble including hair and makeup only to find that in the end, you don't feel elegant or chic at all. Here's the deal -- the runway and fashion mags aren't reality, so start your foray into pure chicness and elegance by playing up your own beautiful features. Live by a few tried-and-true guidelines so you always feel at the top of your fashion game.
A Statement Piece
Your first guideline for chic, elegant dressing is building your outfit around a single statement piece. When you introduce too many bold components into one ensemble, each piece competes with the other. Elegance is all about an effortless appearance. Let's say you've found an amazing cropped, sable-hued furry jacket. Pull it on over a white T-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans and black pumps -- simple. Or maybe you're going out for the evening -- now's your chance to wear that red-and-orange graphic cocktail dress you've been waiting to wear. Slick your hair back into a sleek pony and step into simple, strappy black high-heels sandals so it's all about the dress.
Minimal Dressing
If part of your feeling of enchantment with backstage model ensembles is their simplicity, then you'll love how elegant and chic you'll feel when you adhere to minimal dressing. Go for a simple color palette and few pieces. Envision yourself in a halter-style little black dress. Step into nude platform pumps and you're almost done. Grab a black oversized scarf and a black clutch. For a more casual approach, go with a black V-neck T-shirt over black skinny jeans and the same shoes, scarf and clutch. It's a versatile way to create more than one look.
Nude Nails
Maintain well-manicured nails and gravitate toward nude hues. No matter what color is on-trend or if you accidentally chip a nail throughout the course of the day, nude nails give you an I'm-totally-together-from-my-head-to-my-toes look -- nobody will notice if you're missing a bit of nude lacquer. While baby blue or hot pink can come across as super-in-your-face, a flash of your nude nails adds a polished finish to any ensemble and every color pallete. Polished, ladylike nails are the ultimate in grooming and tops when it comes to elegance.
Easy Hair
Remember that whole effortless, enhancing your natural beauty thing? Easy, natural hair can add a hefty boost to your chic factor. While you may feel the need to tame your tresses into something that they're not, a woman who feels confident and proud of her natural locks always emits a true sense of elegance. Take a tip from French women who work with their natural hair. Smooth anti-frizz serum through your hair, create an uneven part either on- or off-center and let it air dry. Beautiful.
