Embracing Understated Elegance In Your Life

Elegance is a volatile concept that has a different meaning for different people, and for different periods of your life. It’s obvious, to take an example, that the emo goth elegance of your teenage years is miles away from your grey sophisticated office wear. And while you may roll your eyes in despair at the memory of the fashion faux pas of your youth, there’s no denying it: The meaning of elegance grows with you, and what used to work in the past doesn’t anymore. If you’re looking for a kind of style that will not make you blush in shame in a few years’ time, then you need to try your hand at creating a timeless look. Understated elegance is the core of a refined, graceful and simple style that works for your wardrobe, your work ethics and even your interior decor. It’s the harmonious combination of simple and assured tastes that creates the kind of elegance that never dies, the Audrey Hepburn of our generation if you wish. The way you dress, the way you interact with others, and the way you set your decor can reflect the timeless elegance you crave for.

Your Wardrobe

Your sense of fashion is a capsule of your personality that you share with others. It’s easy to see how fashion-aware individuals can easily manipulate an outfit to dress to impress. What you need to know, though, is that the impression people build from who you are is partially defined by your sense of fashion. It doesn’t matter how professional you are; the thing is that people who embrace a simple, elegant design are more likely to be perceived positively than those who love vibrant and buoyant styles. Why so? Because elegance is timeless and consequently always works. It doesn’t have to be highly sophisticated either, the latest collection from Mela Purdie blouses, shorts and skirts would do the trick perfectly. Focus on simple and neutral colours as well as understated patterns. In fact, the best lessons in elegance still come from Audrey Hepburn, from how to wear a simple dress to why high heels are not always the best solution. However, the most important thing you can learn from observing Hepburn’s style is that it remains comfortable. She wasn’t known for wearing impossible tight dresses you can’t walk in or insanely high heels that require half an hour to put on. Her style was elegant yet practical and extremely functional so that she could be herself whatever she was wearing. Finally, you’ve read about it in several fashion magazines, and it’s true, it’s not the clothes but the accessories that make the look. In other words, drop the bold pattern that’s painful to the eyes and grab yourself a cute little belt and a pair of simple studs to transform a simple-looking outfit into a timeless fashion statement.

At Work

At the tick of the click and buy approach, it can seem incongruous to suggest keeping a fountain pen on your desk at work – or in your drawer if it’s an expensive pen and you’re worried about people helping themselves to it. Fountain pens might seem like a blast from the past, but in reality, they are not only back in fashion but also extremely useful to add a personal touch to your communication. Of course, the email is not dead yet. But there are some forms of communication that deserve to be elevated to the personal level, such as thank you, birthday and condolences cards. Additionally, signing printed letters with a fountain pen immediately adds a touch of luxury to the exchange. More often than not, the ink element adds a touch of elegance that printed out materials and even biro writing lack. With a fountain pen, you give the impression of someone who’s taken the time to think about the message and adds the professional grace and harmony to otherwise digital transactions and exchanges. In fact, the importance of handwriting has even been recognised by the smart digital tech that we use every day. Very early in the mid-80s, users have come across PDAs with software solutions to translate handwriting into text. Other tools nowadays can translate the notes taken from a stylus into text files, while some can print out a copy of your handwriting to add a personal touch to a card. People are coming back to a word of pens and ink as a symbol of quality and aesthetics.

At Home

How do you translate elegance to your home, you ask. The answer is straightforward, but it may not be your cup of tea. You need to get rid of the unnecessary clutter that you’ve accumulated throughout the years, from the decorative presents that you keep for no good reasons to the drawers of dried makeup products that clog up the bathroom cabinet. If you want to fill your home with a satisfactory sense of effectiveness and elegance, you need to empty it first. Decluttering is an art that can be difficult to master at first, but it’s essential to achieve the timelessly harmonious decor you want. Start with a room by room approach, focusing on items that you don’t use regularly but have somehow kept religiously. Unwanted clutter can then be sold if it has retained its value, given to charity, repurposed into something useful – if you’ve got a garden and love DIY, you can turn an old chest of drawers into a flowery plantation, for example. Clearing all surfaces and room of clutter is the first step towards a minimalist decor that portrays the essence of an elegant interior. You might find that you need to keep some items at hand, such as your keys or your unpaid bills, but there’s no need for leaving them lying around. Instead, you should invest in aesthetic storage solutions so that they can be stored out of sight without getting misplaced in the process. Then you can focus your attention on painting a neutral base and choosing quality furniture. Becoming an elegance icon is not easily done. Even Audrey Hepburn needed time to develop her candid sophisticated look! So, take the time to sort out your wardrobe, your office desk and your interior decor before you switch from short-lived trends to timeless elegance.