I still remember buying them. I was nineteen years old and buying my first “real” piece of clothing from a tiny boutique in Manchester. Black wide-leg trousers. £85.
A huge amount to me at the time (I barely had money for beans on toast and lager money in university). My mum nearly fell off her chair. “Eighty-five pounds?! For trousers?” She exclaimed, mortified.
Well, fast forward twenty years, several wardrobe revolutions and they’re STILL in my wardrobe. Job interviews.
First dates.
Funerals.
Lazy Sundays. They’ve been through it all.
The material has even softened nicely with age. And yet still, no matter how many trends come and go (skinny jeans, harem trousers, culottes, or whatever else those bizarre trash fire trousers were called…) they still look current. This wasn’t luck.
Although it did feel like it at the time. It took me years of questionable fashion choices (looking at you 2010 neon obsession that my sister will forever remind me about) to learn what “timeless” style really meant. Yes, magazines and Instagram influencers will push out a new list of “must-have” trends every season.
But there are certain universal rules to style that never go out of fashion. Secrets of the people who always look effortlessly stylish that you’d be smart to understand. Let me share… The Rules of Timeless Style Everyone Should Know: Rule #1: The Rule of Proportion Don’t believe me?
Think Katharine Hepburn sporting wide-leg trousers and sharp menswear-inspired shirts in the 1940s knew nothing of this rule. Nope. She knew better.
While many rules on this list apply to anyone, body shape doesn’t limit this one. Whether you prefer to dress feminine or masculine, flare you bum or hide it away, the rule of proportion has something for you. Proportion means nothing more than balancing your look.
Pairing something flowing and voluminous with something more fitted. If you’re wearing a boxy jacket with wide-leg trousers, balance it out with a fitted tee. Throw on a belt at your natural waist.
This example is what I mean about my wide-leg trousers always looking current. I pair them with something fitted at my waist, creating a balanced silhouette that looks intentional (rather than sloppy). Rule #2: Colour That Actually Matches Your Skin Tone I’ll be honest, this one took me years to learn.
I used to religiously purchase whatever colour was deemed “the new black” every season. Looking back at photos from these years, I feel drained every time I see myself wearing these colours. Yes, they were probably “in” at the time, but they weren’t actually in my colour palette.
Feeling energized by these colours is the ultimate test. The first time I truly learned this was when I found a gorgeous deep burgundy jumper I was “too bored” to try on because it wasn’t the trend colour that winter. I slipped it on in the changing room and literally had the shop assistant double take at me. “That colour SUITS you!”, she exclaimed.
She wasn’t wrong. Suddenly my eyes popped and I didn’t look quite so tired all the time. Experiment and find a colour that makes you feel amazing wearing it.
For me, that meant jewel tones and richer neutrals. Pastels and neons made me look washed out and tired. Learn what colours suit you best and only buy clothes in those colours.
Pro tip: buy something in a colour you know suits you well first. If you only have cool toned skin? Buy a gorgeous navy jacket and experiment around that colour.
Rule #3: Know Your Fit: Notice I didn’t say “buy things that fit perfectly”? News flash. Clothes that are supposed to be tailored won’t fit YOUR PARTICULAR BODY perfectly straight off the rack.
Well, unless you have the body shapes of a Victorian painting. Ha. I used to think this meant I should only buy things that fit like a glove.
If they weren’t skinny enough to see my Calvins through, I didn’t buy them. I also proceeded to struggle for air at dinners out for most of my twenties. It took me years, scrolling through hundreds of poorly-fitting clothes in my wardrobe before it finally clicked.
My body does NOT proportion to clothing manufacturers ideas of “small”, “medium” or “large”. No wonder I always struggled to find something that fit! Take note of where things consistently don’t fit you and learn your body.
I finally understood where my natural waist was when that chic lady in Edinburgh explained it to me. Now I look for jackets that fit at my waist. For me, that means higher than most standard cuts.
I also know sleeves are always too long on me and need hemming, shoulder seams too broad, and waistbands rarely hit at my natural waist. Once you know how your body fits (HIGH-WAIST BOTTOMS. ALWAYS. ), you can avoid silly mistakes at the checkout.
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Don’t feel pressured to wear something just because “it’s supposed to fit like that.” Find cuts that work for YOUR body. Learn this and shopping will become SO much easier. Rule #4: Invest in Quality Materials Oh How I wish I’d known this when I was younger.
I was lured in by the cheap prices and trend-focused pieces of fast fashion for far too long. “Five new tops are better than one good one!” I’d lie to myself. Except the five cheap tops always looked rubbish after a couple of wears and washes. And cost MORE than one good-quality piece in the long run.
Thankfully I learned my lesson. When I finally bought myself a pricey merino wool jumper one Christmas (three times what I’d usually spend on a jumper!) I quickly learned that lesson the hard way. It STILL looks brand spanking new five years and multiple wears later. *Cough*hand washonly*cough* but looks great.
Compare that to the heap of poorer-quality shirts I’ve bought (and discarded) since. How can you spot quality material? Natural fabrics like wool, cotton, linen, and silk last way longer than their artificial counterparts.
They also drape better on the body. Move with you. Breathe better.
And get better with age, not just LOOK worn down. Once you start to buy better, you’ll see clothes you love that are made with quality materials in places you wouldn’t expect. I’ve picked up 100% wool jumpers in charity shops.
Bargain-bin pure cotton shirts at markets. It doesn’t cost much to buy one great quality basic. Focus on those, pick out a few wardrobe staples that are well-made and you’ll never look back.
Rule #5: Have A Signature Style… This is going to sound counterintuitive to everything I’ve talked about with regards to “timeless style”, but hear me out. For the longest time, I used to completely change up my look each year (or season if I was feeling particularly delusional). Why?
Because fashion magazines told me I should! News flash. They don’t.
I wasted so much money getting “too old” for my clothes several times over. Nothing works quite like realising you feel MOST confident when wearing certain fabrics,silhouettes, or colours. My go-to’s?
High-waisted bottoms. Statement jackets that hit at my waist. Simple knitwear.
Less is more when it comes to accessories for me. Once I realised that, I stopped trying to wear trendy things that don’t suit my body. Boho dresses?
Not my thing. Flowy, oversized everything? Doesn’t flatter my frame.
Once you know what your style IS, you can avoid wasting money on things that don’t suit you – even if they’re “on-trend”. Find your style and own it! Your Signature Style won’t look like mine, or Mr.
Fashionable’s. It’ll be unique to you. And that is what makes it timeless.
Trust me, some of the most stylish ladies I know look nothing alike. But they always look like THEMSELVES. Why?
Once you know your style signature, you can experiment with trends that FIT your style. Sort of like how we all pair those versatile black trousers. TL;DR: Invest In Your Closet – Not Every Trend That Comes Along: Do you see how these all connect now?
The staples in my wardrobe TRULY go together because they share colours I know suit me.
Silhouettes that fit my body shape.
Materials that last.
But most importantly? They’re all Me. Once you understand these five rules of timeless style, you can branch out.
Try new trends without losing sight of what works for YOU. You’ll save money. Help the planet by buying less crap clothes.
And who knows? Maybe you’ll even have fun getting dressed in the morning again. P.S My black trousers will always hold a special place in my wardrobe.
Want to see what I mean? Find them here.
