items that make you look polished

[MissMasala5]

Wearing clothes that fit well. Ditto what someone said upthread about wrap dresses. I have a DVF-inspired sewing pattern for them and have sewn two so far.

Blazers are workhorse items. They can dress down a dressy dress for day, polish up a look with jeans, and they always make you look smart and chic no matter your age, size.

Silk scarves. I only have a couple nice ones. Need more.

A strand of pearls. Or any nice but understated jewelry.

Well-made shoes. And bag (was always into my footwear more than bags so am currently upping my handbag game. Need help!)

And my look is not complete without fragrance. Certain scents make me feel extra chic. A women can never go wrong with good perfume. I feel some kind of way when I encounter a put-together looking woman who is wearing cheap perfume or body spray as her fragrance; it's like having a genuine Picasso without his signature.

[hair_rehab]

Dark blue jeans, white button down shirt, flats and a quality belt. A simple turtleneck during the fall/winter is always a must for me.

[VelvetRain]

Here are my must haves:
Nice jewelrey( a mix of real gold or silver and costume)
Diamond studs
Quality Leather Handbags
Nice seasonless blazers
Well fitted Trench Coat
Dark Jeans as you can dress up and down
Quality leather boots
Little black dress
Tailored white crisp shirts
Fedora
Scarfs
Clutch
Cardigans in all fabrics( merino wool, cotton, silk etc)

[LHLover]

wow you ladies are so inspiring. I'm taking notes of all your suggestions. Other than the shoes and the bag what other accessories should one invest in? We've already mentioned watches and studs (or hoops). Anything else?

I want to get a nice good quality maybe yellow gold or white gold ring linked necklace
http://www.pradman.com/von/index.php...ex&cPath=13_45

I figure if I slowly start investing in key pieces that are interchangeable pretty soon being "put together" will not require much effort at all.

[MissMasala5]

Originally Posted by LHLover

wow you ladies are so inspiring. I'm taking notes of all your suggestions. Other than the shoes and the bag what other accessories should one invest in? We've already mentioned watches and studs (or hoops). Anything else?

Classic trench coat
Silk scarves
Cashmere sweaters-Twinset, cardigan, turtleneck
Good writing pen
Wallet
Rain boots
Compact mirror
Handkerchief-silk or linen

[pre_medicalrulz]

Originally Posted by MissMasala5

Classic trench coat
Silk scarves
Cashmere sweaters-Twinset, cardigan, turtleneck
Good writing pen
Wallet
Rain boots
Compact mirror
Handkerchief-silk or linen

Good writing pen? How come?

[MissMasala5]

Originally Posted by pre_medicalrulz

Good writing pen? How come?

Really only needed if you work in business and/or have a position where you need to sign things often. Or still use checks to pay for things. A fine pen always gives off a polished look. But in this digital age, nice writing pens are probably falling out of vogue?

[LHLover]

Originally Posted by MissMasala5

Classic trench coat
Silk scarves
Cashmere sweaters-Twinset, cardigan, turtleneck
Good writing pen
Wallet
Rain boots
Compact mirror
Handkerchief-silk or linen

I need a good wallet, the one I have is falling apart. Funny thing is I never really spend good money on my wallets, bags I will but not wallets. I need to change that.

Banana Republic has good classic trench coats which bears a very close resemblance to the burberry iconic trench.

Where do you guys buy your Cashmere cardigans/sweaters from? How much is a reasonable amount of money to spend on one sweater or cardigan?

[mschristine]

I need a stylist, lol

[chelleypie810]

Pearls
Hair
Shoes (preferably close toed flats)
Nice bag
Wallet
BLAZERS!!!

[Curlykale]

- the right colors. I noticed that if I put some research into the ones that really flatter my skin tone, no matter what I buy, I look and feel so much better. And since they all have this common thing of flattering my skin tone, they often go together!

- handbag + wallet (I invested in a few ones that were both casual and dressy and big enough/long lasting). Great stuff on sale and without spending a lot it really improved my look.

- bodycare: it;s more work but I put more effort on skin, hair, nails, body, groomed eyebrows than I do on fashion: this makes me look much more polished than make up does!

- fragrance

- 1 interesting detail (it can be a lipstick, a pair of earrings, a ring...)

I keep the rest very simple!

[LHLover]

Originally Posted by Curlykale

- the right colors. I noticed that if I put some research into the ones that really flatter my skin tone, no matter what I buy, I look and feel so much better. And since they all have this common thing of flattering my skin tone, they often go together!

That's a very good point. I started paying more attention to colours not too long ago. This blogger helped me understand which colours flatter my skin tone:

http://thevainvillain.blogspot.com/

She also has very helpful posts on body shape and face shape.

[MissMasala5]

@LHLover Re: cashmere knits, the prices of cashmere have come down a lot over the years mainly due to wider availability of the fiber. A cardi that would have cost $500+ a decade ago can now be fetched for less than $100. A few years ago I got some nice cashmere sweaters from La Redoute. Check the site here http://www.laredoute.com/index.aspx

[butter_pecan]

Originally Posted by LHLover

http://thevainvillain.blogspot.com/

She also has very helpful posts on body shape and face shape.

I don't like her tips for pears. My legs/hips look awesome in pencil skirts and minis.

[wanakee]

Neat manicured nails with clear or colored polish at a practical length (no glitter, no Konad/designs)

Men's watches look nice on women.

Shoes, dressy or casual should look clean + polished.

[pre_medicalrulz]

I love this thread. I like to shop but I prefer to shop online than to mall hop. Too lazy. Know any good sites I can find nice chic clothes & shoes ladies?

[awhyley]

Originally Posted by MissMasala5

Really only needed if you work in business and/or have a position where you need to sign things often. Or still use checks to pay for things. A fine pen always gives off a polished look. But in this digital age, nice writing pens are probably falling out of vogue?

A good writing pen is always in style!

[MissMasala5]

Originally Posted by pre_medicalrulz

I love this thread. I like to shop but I prefer to shop online than to mall hop. Too lazy. Know any good sites I can find nice chic clothes & shoes ladies?

What's your budget?

[spacetygrss]

Originally Posted by LHLover

Where do you guys buy your Cashmere cardigans/sweaters from? How much is a reasonable amount of money to spend on one sweater or cardigan?

@LHLover: You can find cashmere sweaters for a wide range of prices. It depends on the quality, the knit, the store, etc. I buy mine from lots of different places, although I tend to get most of them at Nordstrom and J.Crew (just because those are a couple of my favorite stores). I'm sure that you can find them at places like Nordstrom's Rack, Last Call Neiman Marcus, etc. Don't forget to look at Thrift stores too. Good quality, 100% cashmere holds up well so it's worth it.
Also, if 100% cashmere is out of your budget you can always go with cashmere/wool blends or with 100% merino wool. Just realize that it won't be as soft. It will still look nice and hold up well. IMO, you can't go wrong with natural fibers.

HTH

[windblownhair]

A nice handbag. I don't have many, but I take good care of the ones I do have. Good quality leather, no/small logos.

I love my silk scarves. A dear friend of mine left me her collection of Hermes scarves. I really treasure them. Would like to buy more, but they're so expensive

And fragrance. I bounce pretty regularly between male and female fragrances, but it seems like a lot of good scents work on anyone.