How does one get the polished look? How to look polished? How can I look polished and professional? These questions and different variations of these questions show up in the keywords in my blog analytics daily. And I receive DMs and emails on this subject weekly. It seems most women are searching for the Holy Grail of style instead of working on those spreadsheets or proposals at work!
Another fashion icon, Daphne Guinness, said it well: “Fashion is not just about trends. It’s about political history. You can trace it from the ancient Romans to probably until the ’80s, and you can see defining moments that were due either to revolutions or changes in politics.”
Our world has changed drastically over the past few years, and with it, so has style. Below, I share how to look polished no matter your personal style for our here and now. These tips for looking polished will work regardless of your shape, size, budget, lifestyle, or personal style aesthetic.
How to Look Polished: 8 Doable Steps
Looking polished… well, some women are born with that skill. They are able to wear a simple tee shirt, jeans, and flats and look like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn. Their hair never frizzes, their lipstick never gets on their teeth, they have perfect yet natural posture, and they possess effortless confidence and style.
I am not one of those people. I always spill my morning coffee on my sleeve. Friends are always picking a piece of lint out of my hair or a crumb off my sweater. I wear more bruises and scratches than articles of clothing and find my body shape can make a stylish t-shirt, no matter how expensive or well-cut, make me look like I’m ready to clean out the garage. That being said, I have learned how to look polished as a grown woman, with bruises and coffee stains and all.
How Does One Get the Polished Look?
Step 1: Get Real
The first step toward achieving a polished look is to destroy that mental picture of Audrey Hepburn, Meghan Markle, Tilda Swinton, Olivia Pope, or Claire Underwood. If you are asking how to look polished, I can bet you don’t look like these folk, nor do you have their income or their connections. To attempt to force yourself into an ideal will never be successful, look authentic, or be enjoyable.
That doesn’t mean you can’t look polished. It just means by accepting you are you and not another, you can create a wardrobe, beauty routine, and lifestyle that celebrates your unique self. When you feel good, you look good. When you feel you look good, it affects your posture, how you care for yourself and your wardrobe, and how others portray you.
The most stylish thing a person can wear is confidence, and confidence is impossible when you are working to be something or someone else. Now let’s figure out who the heck we are and what our style is!
Step 2: Gather Data
For at least a week, keep a style journal. Each day, note what you wore (and what condition it was in), how you styled your face and hair, and what events took place during the day. Notice how people look at you, respond to you, and what comments or compliments you receive (not just on your outfit, but on your work, your talent in another aspect of your life, your health, or vitality).
Also note how you felt when you looked in the mirror before leaving that day, and how you felt when you returned in the evening. This can be a paper journal, a Note on your phone, or there are apps like Day One (which I personally use) where you can journal with a combination of writing and photos.
If you leave your house in something that you don’t love and does not love you, you will not look polished, composed, or comfortable. Maybe it’s a dress that is a smidge too tight, a blouse that requires a few carefully hidden safety pins to keep your bra from public view, a sweater made from a fabric that itches, or of a color you don’t really like but seems popular this season.
I always say style comes from quality and not quantity; you likely don’t need let alone wear all that is in your closet. It is better to donate or re-gift those items that make you uncomfortable and save up for worthy replacements. Here are some questions you can ask to determine if that piece of clothing is worth keeping:
- How does the garment wear throughout the day? Does that pencil skirt end up resembling Venetian blinds by noon? Are you constantly adjusting the neckline of your blouse so your bra doesn’t show? Did the sleeves of your sweater stretch out so much from pushing them up on your forearms that now they are saggy bells around your fingertips? Who cares how sassy you feel at 8 am if you feel like a recycled grocery bag by happy hour? Such items do not deserve a place in your closet.
- How does the garment feel? Are you constantly pushing up the sleeves because they are too long and get in the way? Do the pants dig in when you sit? Is it itchy when you get overheated? These things matter. You deserve comfort and joy with your wardrobe, you can have them and polish and deserve both.
- How does the garment make you feel? YOU matter. And it is impossible to look polished if you are uncomfortable physically or personally. Clothing can be a sartorial security blanket for both good memories and bad. Colors alone can elicit a certain response, let alone factoring in fit, fabric, trend, brand or retailer, or the story behind the garment. You deserve to feel polished and confident in your wardrobe. It’s okay to say no to certain fashion for any reason, you don’t need to justify it to anyone.
This is fantastic intel. A way to develop your personal style is to recognize what you don’t like. This doesn’t have to be negative. It’s research, and a way to reduce further wardrobe negativity and look more polished and find your style.
Now, consider what pieces in your wardrobe make you walk tall and feel good. Maybe it’s that matte jersey wrap dress you found for a steal on clearance or a cashmere turtleneck in robin’s egg blue that you bought with your holiday bonus. Possibly it’s a frilly feminine confection that makes you feel as though you have been transported from a different time period or a pantsuit that has been tailored to fit you like a glove.
When I say “good,” I don’t mean cozy. I don’t mean an item that reminds you of your mom because she knit it for you back in college, or because it’s of cozy fleece and hides your lumps. Women often mistake feeling good for feeling safe. Sartorial security blankets have their place, but you came to this article to find out how to look polished. To look polished, you want clothes that make you feel beautiful, strong, confident, sexy, creative, unique, daring, or special. You are important, your wardrobe should reflect that.
Step 3: Take Good Care of Yourself… And Your Wardrobe
A polished woman does not have snags in her sweaters, stains on her shirts, or wrinkles on her wrap dresses. You spend hard-earned money on your wardrobe, it deserves to be cared for. And you deserve to wear cared-for clothing.
- If an item says do not put it in the dryer, do not put it in the dryer. Air drying will keep its shape and make it look better for longer.
- You likely own an iron, but also consider getting a garment steamer. It’s a way to quickly release wrinkles from brand-new purchases as well as garments that were worn but don’t need to be laundered before the next time they come out of your closet. A steamer can refresh clothing that has lingering scents from an event, and it takes less time than an iron. There is no need for a giant professional steamer, a travel or handheld steamer is usually less than $75 and can hold enough water to steam 1-2 garments.
- Hang up clothing at the end of the day. Your chair, treadmill, and doorknob are not meant to hold clothing, and it can cause creases, dents, and damage.
- Use proper hangers. The hangers you get from your dry cleaner can leave rust stains on clothes, put dents in shoulders, and creases where they shouldn’t be. For most apparel, I recommend the velvet flocked hangers you can find everywhere from Target to Amazon to an end cap at your local TJ Maxx; the texture keeps clothing from slipping off and the streamlined shape provides more room in your closet so clothing can breathe and won’t be crushed. For blazers and coats, a moulded hanger will help it keep its shape.
- As soon as you see a stain, take care of it.
- If you can’t take care of it, don’t get it. It’s okay if you don’t have a hand wash or dry clean-only lifestyle; few of us do. Don’t set yourself up for frustration or damaged clothing by buying pieces that won’t work with your life.
