Women Over 50 Living Visibly

S10 Ep7 Refined Style: What It Is & How to Master It

If you desire to elevate your style by adding an element of elegant sophistication, this is the podcast for you!

Refined Style is all about having a polished appearance that creates an air of timeless elegance.

Linda talks about steps you can take to achieve Refined Style, without investing a lot of time or money. Even if your style is Artsy Bohemian, you can use these steps to uplift and refine your look.

Who knows? This could be just the style update you’ve been looking for!

Mentioned in the Episode:

S7 Ep7 Timeless Style Over 50
S8 Ep6 How to Dress Impeccably Well On The Cheap

Find Linda & Lisa:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Style With Linda Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linda's Self-Guided Color & Style Courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simple Beauty Minerals Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SimpleBeautyMinerals.com⁠⁠⁠

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Duration:: 32m
Broadcast on:: 22 Oct 2024
Audio Format:: other

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But I really think, I have to say that this could be one of our up-level series, the step into confidence series, as this could be number four, I mean, it's that important. It really is. Because we notice women who have very refined look, they just get noticed, and I want to be noticed for all the right reasons, don't you? Yes, and without staring at that woman, it's hard to decipher, like, how did she do that? It's true. You know, and unless you're raised with royalty, or it just comes very natural to you, you know, how do you know how to do this? That's right. That's right. And I think, you know, in this particular episode, we talked about why it's important to strive for this refined style look, even if it's not really your personal style. There are parts of it that we can all adopt to elevate our look, which is what you and I have been talking about for the last several episodes. But I wanted to just define refined style very, very closely. It's something I didn't do in the episode, so I'm going to read this, refined style is a sophisticated and discerning approach to personal fashion and wardrobe, characterized by timeless elegance, attention to detail, and a deliberate selection of high quality pieces, it embodies understated luxury, emphasizing classic silhouettes, tailored fits, and a neutral color palette, while exuding confidence and poise in every outfit. Perfect. Isn't that wonderful? And that's what you describe. Yeah. Exactly how to do. That's right. And you break it down so well. Yes. And you can take whatever you want from this episode and adopt it to whatever your particular personal style is. So it works for everybody. Yay. Let's go do it. If it's Tuesday, it's another episode of living visibly over 50, where we challenge the notion that beauty fades with age. We've just given up on our style. I'm Lisa. And I'm Linda. Lisa and I talk about positive aging with beauty and style wisdom that keeps us looking and feeling confident and relevant in our second act. In one of our recent episodes, Linda, you mentioned refined style. I cannot remember what you were saying, but there was something we were talking about, different style aspects and that term refined, it's a very refined style or a very refined look. And my brain, wait, it went, what, what, what does that exactly mean? So I love, here we are, here we are, and you are going to tell us exactly what it means to have refined style. Oh, yes, of course, I will and I will have the correct accent for it for this podcast. Lift your pinky. I love this topic, Lisa, I'm so glad, you know, you thought of this because I look at certain women and there's something about them and it's this refined look. And I feel like if we can all just strive for that, I feel there's so much to learn about achieving a refined style. And it's really going to uplift everyone's style. So let me just tell you, I, in my opinion and experience, refined style is understated elegance. Okay. And then I want to say, well, what does that mean? Yeah. And I, that is the look that I go for and I teach my clients to go for because understated is one of those things that says, I'm not going to punch you in the face with my style. I'm going to do it subtly, but effectively. And I pair it with the word elegance, because elegance to me has a different meaning for every woman that embraces it. My deaf and go ahead. Well, I have two things. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're not here to say that this is what everyone should strive for. No. Well, there are the Iris Appfels of the world. I wouldn't call her refined, but she's fabulous in her way, though, her style is refined. Okay. This is so good. Okay. It's essence. So I also refined style is understated elegance, but it's also the essence of your look is polished in every piece you put on counts. I just looked up the definition, okay, says refined style is a polished classic aesthetic that emphasizes quality over quantity and attention to detail and wardrobe that will last. Yes. That's what I'm going to go through. Cool. Yeah. Okay. So the essence of your look is polished in every piece counts. And what that results in is that you appear precise, sophisticated, important, impactful. Why I think that refined style is something we can all strive for is because it's the word polished really comes into play here and you can be a polished, artsy bohemian dresser or you can be polished Iris Appfel. So we, we just look at them and we say you are refined. If you make this look, look effortless, how do you do this? But I agree, Lisa, refined style isn't for everybody, but we can all add refined elements to our look. For example, you know, my style incorporates bohemian elements, which is energetic. It's detailed. It's sort of messy. Yes. Dying, right? And I love that that is a fabulous look also. And that's the opposite of refined. Right. So we, however, I combine my boho with fitted structure in my outfit, which adds a refinement to my outfit and these opposing styles work really well together. So I usually add a some structure to my boho outfit because a it's better for my body shape. I look, it's more attractive for my body shape, but also I am those two styles. I do appreciate tailored structure. Can you tell me more about what you just said. It is better for your body shape. Yes. My body shape is rectangle, which means I pretty much am straight up and down. So in order to really create a feminine silhouette, I use tailoring and structure in my clothing to create kind of not especially not exactly an hourglass, but at least it gives me shape. So that structure and tailoring does that for a straight body, whereas someone that has an hourglass, maybe cinching at the waist, and that provides that beautiful silhouette. So I think this is something we can all learn to dress in a refined way with just a few techniques and attention to detail. But this is really for women who are looking, also looking to look more refined. I think it's wonderful because when I think of a refined look, I picture images of stylish women like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly. I think of Hallie Berry whenever I see her at an award ceremony, she's very refined. Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham, I also feel has that refined style. And these women generally wear tailored dresses or suits or coat. Everything is impeccable with their style. So those are the images that I picture when I think of refined style. Now the formula in achieving this polished refined appearance is quite simple. It doesn't really require you to invest a lot of time or money, but just acquire a bit of knowledge, make a little effort, and do some preparation in advance. And I'm going to go through some things you can do to achieve a refined style look. I think it's really also about embracing a classic and polished aesthetic. So that's what we're going to be picturing through this. It's about paying attention to the details. And that's part of the definition of refined, like you read Lisa, choosing quality over quantity, which is what we all want to do, should be doing, creating a wardrobe that really stands the test of time. And so we're thinking of minimalism, clean lines, neutral color palette. And that's going to create that refined look. Okay. Okay. So how do you achieve this refined look? Well, in general, you'll want to do several things that I'm going to go into some detail about, first, build a capsule wardrobe with versatile and timeless pieces. Focus on fit, embrace minimalism, pay attention to grooming, and experiment with a little adding texture to create interest. The first thing that I mentioned was refining your wardrobe by creating a capsule wardrobe. So women who have a refined style are not standing in front of their mirrors being feeling frazzled. Right? Right. So we don't see Audrey Hepburn when she was alive going, "Oh, I have all these clothes, nothing to wear." No. Her closet, or anyone who has refined style, has a capsule wardrobe that's refined down to the essence of the clothing and accessories that work together effortlessly. So they dress without frustration or worry. That's why I said there are elements of refined style that we should all strive for, because I want that. I have that. But it took me many years to develop that, where I'm not going, "Oh my God, I have all these clothes. I have nothing to wear." Right. What's helped me over the years and my clients is I create a capsule wardrobe that is a curated collection of versatile, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched. And that means you will always have something to wear. So you want to evaluate your existing wardrobe and look at each item and see if that's going to fit into, let's say, a capsule wardrobe for yourself, until you also need a few reliable pieces to form the foundation of your closet, your capsule wardrobe. And those foundation pieces give you that timeless, easy-to-mix-and-match feeling so that when you're ready to put together an outfit, you always have those reliable pieces to use. Now when you're looking to create your capsule wardrobe, keep your high-quality basics. So we all have those in our closet. We all have other stuff, but this is where we're going to focus our capsule wardrobe on high-quality basics like a tailored blazer, something you could wear in everyday life, but something that's tailored, maybe a couple button-down shirts in different colors and patterns, high-quality t-shirts that are thick and luxurious and hold their shape, well-fitted dresses in very simple silhouettes, well-fitted jeans and pants, and shoes and boots that are polished and clean. So if you have those items, those are your foundation pieces that are going to serve as a building block of your refined wardrobe. But when I picture a refined wardrobe, I see matching sets of tops and bottoms that are monochromatic, simple, elegant. It's very trendy today, thank goodness, because talk about effortless dressing, matching top and bottom, very, very refined. You can think about creating your go-to uniform, which could be jeans, whatever style works best for your body shape, a t-shirt of high-quality fabric, and a blazer with slip-on loafers or booties. So that could literally be a uniform, a very refined uniform. And you see, we're wearing jeans in this, but we're still going to look refined, because those jeans are high-quality, you maintain them, there's no rips or tears, they're very simple silhouettes. Another refined uniform could be a romantic cotton-vault blouse. And vault is that beautiful, fine-cotton fabric that's lightweight and sort of sheer in nature. So you could see that cotton blouse that maybe has a ruffled collar and blousey sleeve. So that's how the romantic dresser could bring in the refinement. Look refined, okay. And she's wearing it over a pair of dark street pants or a black pencil skirt. So you could see, you know, there's not a lot of elements. There are two elements, basically, to her outfit. But she's showing some of her feminine style preferences. You can also have your refined look-be collared shirt with maybe even a crisp white blouse worn with structured pants or a slender skirt. So each of these pieces are individually refined, and you don't need a lot of layering or embellishing with them. She's going to walk out the door and look refined. Now tailored classics do fit in very well with refined, right? That does seem to be that the structure or the foundation of this whole look. Right. But you can still play with this. Yeah, right. I don't want to put you in a box so that if your style preference is romantic- Or Boho as yours is- Uh-huh. Or Boho, we can still have that refined element to our look. So but tailored, if you're a tailored classic woman, you're already there, basically. It's long as the clothes fit you very well. So someone like Kate Middleton, that's who we're holding up, you know, to our standard. Everything she wears, every photo I see of her, everything fits her impeccably. We should go back to, we'll put the link to the episode on fit that we did. Yeah. That's the, was it number one in our series? It was. We'll link that. Because you go into detail about how to make sure you have- How to get that proper fit. Yes, exactly. Okay. So I love, you know, for refined looks, the women are wearing tailored clothes that flatter their body shape, enhance their natural curves, if they have curves. But everything is well tailored. So the easiest and fastest way to look refined is, and I've always said this, get a great structured coat. You know, you could have yoga pants and a t-shirt on, but if you want to walk out the door looking refined, put on your structured coat over that outfit and you're going to look great and very polished. So remember with refined looks, less is more. So we're pairing down your, your clothing to essentials. We talked about focus on fit. So really to look as elegant and refined as possible, everything you wear has to fit your body to a tee. So without the correct fit, even the most stylish and expensive outfit will look messy. So we want to avoid messy if we can. And sometimes all that's required to get a proper fit is to simply hem your pants. So they're not dragging on the floor or a, taking in a tiny pinch at the waist. So you're going to take time to get your clothes tailored to fit your body really well. Another thing you can do to achieve this refined look is embrace minimalism. And I know a lot of women don't want to do that because they, they love to have this massive amount of clothing and choice in their closet. And that's fine. As long as you're simplifying your actual outfit by embracing minimal, minimalist styling. So opt for clean lines, monochromatic colors, matching sets, streamlined silhouettes. So you're going to avoid excessive layering or excessive accessorizing and just let the beauty of simplicity shine through. You're going to also opt for the highest quality and the best quality you can afford. And that's why, again, I love consignment shopping because you're buying something that's reworn. Sometimes honestly, you're going to find a lot of clothes with the tags, still on them. But women buy things we never wear. So consignment stores allow you to achieve that high quality without paying the high price tag. And that's pretty much all I buy now, except for, like I always say, my lingerie, my underwear. Usually my t-shirts are new because really we wear our t-shirts to death, right? Right. You know, we really do, but I want you to feel luxurious and beautifully draped within your clothes. And that's going to add to that refined look. Now, another thing to get a refined style is to pay attention to grooming, skincare, make up, nails, all of that. If we take care of all of those items, that's really going to give us that slate. You can't have a refined style in your wardrobe and then have nails that are erect and brows that are out of place. Exactly. It's the whole package. That's right. It's the whole package. Your teen requested a ride, but this time, not from you. It's through their Uber teen account. It's an Uber account that allows your teen to request a ride under your supervision with live trip tracking and highly rated drivers. Your teen to your Uber account today. Hi. Linda here. You know, closets don't organize themselves. In fact, most closets are cluttered, overfilled and confusing. I want you to imagine a more refined closet where everything in it is something special that you love to wear and everything fits and flatters your shape and getting dressed every day is effortless. If you're ready to refine your closet and your life, I do virtual closet consultations where we meet on Zoom and we weed out the clothes you're never wear. We create new outfits and bam. You're ready to effortlessly rock your style. Email me at Linda@lindawalden.com and we'll get started and say goodbye to closet clutter. Now, I added in experimenting with texture when you're creating a refined look because while refined fashion often leans toward a very simple fabrics, very smooth surfaces with neutral colors, you can add interest to your outfits by incorporating different textures. So think about mixing fabrics that are smooth and luxurious like silk and cashmere or silk and leather or cashmere and tweed to create depth and dimension to your look because otherwise I think our outfits get a little bit too boring. That makes a lot of sense. Um, think about neutral color palette that immediately gives you a refined style look. And I would say especially if you're wearing your best neutrals, neutrals doesn't always mean black. Thank you. You wear your that in there. That's right. You were your black, but really if we stick to predominantly neutral color palette like if it is, if black is in your color palette, you could wear that. But I love whites and beige and tan and navy and shades of gray. All of those colors are timeless and very versatile. And you'll see those very refined women that we talked about. Those are the colors that they're wearing and it creates this effortless chic outfit for them. Now, your pops of color can be in your accessories. They have a place, right? Gorgeous handbag or necklace lip color. Perhaps. A lip color. Good one. Yeah. But your main color palette for refined style is going to be neutral. So here's some things to think about that I want you to add to your fashion habits to help you get to that refined look. Number one, get a steamer. Hmm. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Now, a lot of women I talk to say I hate to iron. I don't iron anymore. Okay. First of all, creases and wrinkled clothing will never look refined and polished. Right? So, if you hate to iron and I hear that a lot, get yourself a handheld steamer and steam your clothes before you, well, this is the best way. Steam them before you hang them back in your closet after you've worn them. I find steaming relaxing and it's great exercise for my arms. Okay. I always think of the positive. Good. So, this good. Okay. So by a steamer, they're not expensive and they're wonderful. It's a great handy tool so that you never walk out the door looking wrinkled. Number two, take care of your shoes. Buy the most elegant high quality shoes you can afford, but then take care of them. I would say make sure your shoes fit. Thank you. Don't you see that a lot where shoes are made, the women, their feet, the shoes do not fit at all. And it looks, I consider that a tacky look or there's this kind of scraping along the street because their heel is hopping out of the back of their shoe. That's not very refined. You want clean shoes. If you have shoes where the heels or the soles are crumbling or the fabric is peeling off, come on. Time to say goodbye to those shoes or get the repair if you can because we notice shoes. We do notice them and it can give the impression that you don't care. Right. So I want you to get your shoes rehealed or resold, whatever you have to do to have beautiful shoes always. Another thing is to practice good posture. You and I talk about that occasionally, Lisa, because this is women who are refined and have that elegant look, have beautiful posture and we notice them. Very true. Okay. So we don't want her, you know, bending over with her shoulders, not looking straight and proud. So it's not only her, your physical appearance. It's your clothing, but you want to have really great foundation. So we're generally we're paying attention to all the details and that makes a big difference. So we're paying attention to how we're putting outfits together, how our hair looks, how our makeup looks, how our accessories look, our nails, our manicure, our nails, proper fit. We're paying attention when we buy garments to the stitching, the buttons, I'm really into great buttons that look expensive. They may not be, but they look really great fabrics that look expensive. Just those, all of those subtle elements will elevate your overall look and the steamer or your ironed is your best friend to get that polished, wrinkle-free look. Bottom line self-awareness is key. This is a decision that we're making to get that very elegant, polished, refined look. Because one thing that all women who manage to look elegant, refined, have in common is self-awareness and checking themselves occasionally, maybe throughout the day, in the mirror, making adjustments as necessary. So it's that self-awareness, you know, do I have lipstick on my teeth? Right? I'm checking. I luckily have friends who will tell me when I do that and like if you have a hair growing out of your chin, yes, please tell me. That's right. So I'm just saying throughout your day, if you have a busy day, check yourself out halfway through the day and tidy up your sleeves. Maybe you had your collar popped and it has relaxed, so pop it back up, refresh some lotion on your hands so you're in your nails so they look very glowing and fix your makeup. You know, those simple, small details really do make a difference. I love it. I want to look refined, don't you? I know. I have. I have my goals have been upleveled. I have a few things to do. Thank you for being here and listening to the entire episode of Living Visibly Over 50. If you love our show and it's helped you in any way, would you mind doing two things for us? Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and leave us a review. Your five-star rating, wink, wink, and review help us to reach more women so they too can get a confidence boost to show up and stand out over 50. And be sure to head over to simplebeautyminnerals.com for your beauty and skincare needs. And lindawaldon.com, that's w-a-l-d-o-n.com to help refine your closet and your life.