How to Adopt a More Mature Yet Chic Style in Your Early Thirties

How do I adopt a more mature yet extremely chic and unique style in my early thirties? I’m also a professional woman so I would like advice on chic dressing for the office as well. ~ K

I started fashion blogging when I was 25. Back then, and until the succeeding years, I blogged about any trend or style that I liked. My blog, which was still built on a free blogspot platform during that time, was a mixed of just about any clothing or styling which I fancied.

My blog took a significant turn when I turned thirty. I realized that I became keen on writing about elegant personal style. My eyes became critical too, many trends from the runway or the street did not impress me. I became choosy of what to share to my readers.

I came to understand that the change did not happen overnight, it was a gradual process although I wasn´t really aware of it until it became entirely clear to me that my own personal style has matured. My blog is a reflection of it.

When we reach thirty, our style graduates into something matured, elegant and classy.

Now at 31, I continue to educate myself on how to keep my style sophisticated, something like Audrey Hepburn style.

Here are my tips on how to have an extremely chic and unique style.

1. Understand your body type and how to flatter it.

Knowing what´s your body type is crucial because unless you´re able to correctly identify the type of shape that you have, you won´t know how to flatter it.

Are you a pear, an apple, or an hourglass? If you have slight to no waist, you may have a rectangle or an inverted triangle.

Some women simply go for brands, the more expensive the better, or they simply follow what they see on magazines, on blogs or on television, only to end up frustrated because the investment pieces that they accumulated never look great on them.

It´s not about how much money you can spend on designer pieces, it´s how well you understand your body type.

This is the foundation of a super chic and elegant style, but the hard truth is very few women know their shape quite well. I can say this from the number of emails I receive asking for help on how to flatter their shape.

I am now designing + writing an eCourse, “Dress Your Body Type” which will launch hopefully early next year. Make sure to join us.

I used to wear ankle boots with rounded toes, but it´s only later when I learned that those shoes did not give my petite frame favor and didn´t help make my legs look longer.

I used to wear miniskirts most of the time because you know; they say “strut what you got”. But it´s only later when I realized that I should wear my hem around the knees in order to create an illusion of taller frame + it´s the knee-length that´s the chic-est.

2. Identify what colors complement you

Knowing what colors flatter your skin tone, hair and eye colors is also important in having a chic style that makes you shine. Although this book isn´t perfect, Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson will help you a great deal in finding your best colors.

3. Find your style

If there´s one most important advice on style that we got from Audrey Hepburn, it´s to “Find your style. And once you found it, stick to it.”

Since my early twenties I already knew my style, it´s minimalist yet elegant. My personal style improved when I discovered my body type and learned how to dress it, and it improved even more when I learned to invest on a few but classic and well-made pieces.

When I was younger I would buy cheap items so I could have more. But because I already had a good eye on style, those cheap items looked expensive once I wore them.

Now however, I save my money and invest on some statement players such as a versatile designer bag, my favorite is structured satchel, a few investment shoes, pumps and boots, some high-street dresses and separates, some affordable tops and t-shirts, a great coat, and then mix them up together.

In order to decode your style, spend an afternoon going through fashion magazines. Cut out all the looks that you like and stick them on an idea board. Then go through your closet, identify your most favorite pieces and the ones that you wear most. Compare them with the photos you collected from the magazines. This should give you an idea of the style personality that you have.

4. How to look chic for the office

When it comes to dressing for the office, you should consider the kind of style that is welcomed in your work environment and how to blend your personal style with it.

For example, you may have a boho or a vintage style but if you work in the corporate world, no matter how pleasing a vintage-inspired jacket is, it just won´t work for your work.

My advice is to stick with the basic yet powerful pieces such as a black pencil skirt, some dark-colored A-line skirts, some black smart trousers, and mix them with pieces that have a hint of trend and modern.

You can add on color, you can experiment with sparkle, you can try this season´s smart masculine style, you can steal some runway to office looks, inject some polka dots or animal print, or you can take advantage of the season´s hottest silhouette for dresses or skirts, the fit and flare flounce/trumpet. You should also invest on some versatile sheath dresses.

Make sure to check out my post, the ultimate work outfit trends.

If you need more chic outfit ideas for the office, review my archive of work outfit inspirations and you will never run out of business-appropriate outfits to wear.

I hope this helps.

Photo credits: 500px.com, thesartorialist.com, pinterest.com, behance.net