fashion

'I style women for a living. Here are the 5 golden fashion rules I live by.'

Anyone else feeling widely uninspired with their fashion right now? Please tell me it's not just me.

It's a feeling many can relate to. But fashion is fun. It inspires confidence. And it can be all these things, and still comfortable too, says stylist Emelia Morris.

"Styling women is the best part of my job. And bringing back personality and enjoyment to their outfits, it's just the best," Emelia tells Mamamia

Watch fashion crimes: Festival chaps. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia. 

There's always something new and on-trend to try, and this can be a lot of fun in itself. But amid the trends, there are certain fashion staples that remain. And these staples can make summer dressing a whole lot easier. 

With this in mind, Emelia shares with Mamamia her five golden fashion rules she lives by, as someone who styles women for a living.

1. Don't dress to impress. Dress for confidence.

"I feel like sometimes when you're not given the opportunity to be heard, you can use your clothes as a tool to really express a feeling and communicate something. For example, I'm into really bold colours and I love wearing a bright-colour top or dress. Yes it gets people's attention, but more than that it sparks a conversation and it shows my personality. It also helps with confidence," says Emelia.

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Of course, not everyone is into colour. And that's totally fine. Instead, it's about finding your confidence-booster in your wardrobe and bringing it out to play when you feel like a boost. Because at the end of the day, fashion is meant to be fun. 

2. The rule of thirds.

How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought there might be something...off... with your outfit?

This is where the rule of thirds can come into play, says Emelia.

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"I always follow the rule of thirds and I teach it to all my clients. Often when you break your outfit in half, it can cut your proportions off, but with the rule of thirds, it balances things out."

The concept of the rule of thirds is about choosing where to put a visual break in an outfit. Instead of breaking up the outfit in halves, lots of stylists like Emelia recommend opting for thirds instead.

As for what the rule of thirds actually looks like in practice, you can see it in this video below.

3. Don't depend on a capsule wardrobe.

Capsule wardrobes, according to Emelia, are fashion's biggest buzzword overkill. You heard it here first folks.

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They still have a place. But it feels over-exaggerated, she notes.

"Nowadays it's getting tossed around more than confetti at a party. In basic terms, a capsule wardrobe is meant to be a small but versatile collection of clothes that you can mix and match with ease. It's important to have style essentials and wardrobe basics, like a classic white tee, trusty jeans, black and navy pants," says Emelia.

"But I don't want women to lose sleep over the 'capsule wardrobe' lingo. Just keep it easy-breezy: 80 per cent classics and 20 per cent for those extra fun-loving pieces."

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4. The three-colour rule.

This is one of Emelia's most-loved tips.

For some spectacular reason that's hard to describe, having three colours in an outfit tends to look better than two. And yes, a neutral counts as a colour.

"Take for example a black and white outfit. Sometimes this can look a little stark, so the best thing to do could be adding beige accessories and shoes. The outfit with black, white and now beige brings a lot more harmony," Emelia explains.

Additional fun three-colour combinations include green, white and gold, or denim, navy and white.

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5. Plan ahead and get re-inspired.

Last but certainly not least is to plan, plan, plan. A bit of pre-organisation can really take the edge off, especially if you're someone who isn't finding much fun in fashion and styling lately.

"I always tell women to lay out their clothes the night before, as this means less stress in the morning when you're madly getting ready," says Emelia. 

"I want to help people who feel stressed about fashion, rather than excited. A lot of women struggle with dressing for work, either feeling too overdressed or underdressed. And for busy mums, it can be tough as well. I remember that feeling very well after having my own son a year ago. I felt like I had lost my style, and it took time for me to regain it again.

"Clothes are the last thing we think about because we're too busy worrying about our kids and everything else. But feeling confident and comfortable in our clothes can really make a substantial difference."

For more from Emelia Morris, you can visit her website here, and her Instagram here

What's some of your favourite fashion commandments to live by? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Instagram.

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