Just about every woman who comes to see me says her goal is to look effortlessly stylish. You know the look; relaxed but also pulled-together.

For most people, this means looking good without looking like you’ve tried too hard or spent hours getting ready. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that there is in fact some time and effort involved in achieving this apparently effortless look but, fear not, it can be relatively little!

Everyone is different and staying true to your style personality is very much part of nailing the effortless bit. So, for example, someone with a Romantic style personality will be able to make a pretty floral ruffled blouse worn with jeans look effortless whereas someone with a Natural style personality will not only feel faintly ridiculous in something so “girly” but may also look overdressed. However, the Natural will be able to wear her jeans with a tee and this season’s waistcoat and look cool, whereas the Romantic would lose her sparkle and feel uncomfortably androgenous in a similar outfit.

Whatever your style personality though, these tips should stand you in good stead.

Have at least 3 elements to an outfit

A plain top and bottom is somewhat uninspiring but can certainly form the basis of a stylish outfit if you add at least one of the following:

• An interesting belt – perhaps in a statement colour, or print, or with an unusual buckle
• A scarf or necklace (or other jewellery if you don’t like anything around your neck)
• A jacket – blazer, biker, bomber, deconstructed – whatever works for you. The softer the fabric, the more casual it will look and pushing up the sleeves will  also add a more relaxed look.

If you want to keep the look truly effortless:

Don’t over-coordinate

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a degree of co-ordination as it can really pull an outfit together and lift it from looking haphazardly thrown together to stylishly put together. Too much studied co-ordination though can look dated and contrived.

As a general rule, I recommend having only two or three elements of your outfit in identical colours. So, for example, a brown jacket and footwear will help you look pulled together but having a bag in the exactly same brown could look a bit too matchy- matchy.  You would look more relaxed and stylish by introducing a bag in a different colour. This could be another neutral such as tan or stone that tones in with (rather than matches) what you’re wearing or you could add a pop of colour with one of the bolder hues from your palette such as green or orange.

 Add some print/texture.

Patterned scarves are an easy way to add colour and interest to your look and are a great finishing touch.  If one of the colours in the scarf relates to another element of your outfit (maybe that orange bag!), you will automatically look pulled together, without looking painfully coordinated.  If you wear denim jeans, a print scarf with some blue in it is a great investment because it’s a sure-fire way to pull your outfit together.  That’s why I’m always on the lookout for scarves that echo the colours of some of my favourite skirts and trousers.

Mix it up!

Wearing tops and bottoms in the same fabrics (say, a plain jersey top with a plain jersey skirt) can look a bit dull. It’s more stylish and interesting to mix textures. So, for example, wear your jersey top with a wool skirt or vice versa. Or add a different texture to the mix with a scarf or jacket.

Grooming

The effortlessly stylish woman cares about her appearance but is certainly not obsessed with it. How groomed feels natural to you is entirely personal but I would suggest:

• Hair should be clean and natural looking and with some movement – don’t lacquer it rigid into submission!
• Wear lipstick – it doesn’t have to be bold (although that can look fab when you wear the right colour); a good neutral  (peach or pink based depending on the warmth/coolness of your colouring) can really lift your features too.
• Make sure your hands and nails are cared for.

 And finally, relax!

In my experience, most women get most stressed when trying to decide what to wear when they’re meeting up with friends. Just remember: They’re your friends, they want to spend time with you because they like you, not because of what you wear.