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Get It Together

There is an art to successfully assembling an outfit. It goes beyond the ability to choose classic pieces for your wardrobe or your jewellery box and it is a skill that has no bearing whatsoever on the amount of money you choose to spend on your clothes and accessories. It is simply a matter of taste and instinct. That is not to say, however, that fashion coordination and the ability to come up with a stylish ensemble is not something can be learnt or improved upon with time. Here are a few quick tips to get you started:

Think about the focus of your outfit. Some outfits will have an obvious focus. For example, if you are wearing one of New Look's bold print spring dresses, you won't need to go over the top with your accessories. The dress forms the statement piece of this outfit. Have a look at their website for a seasonal browse of their dresses, which are so ornate that your bag, shoes, jewellery and cover up need only complement this focus.

The focus of an outfit needn't be the biggest part of it, either. The classic little black dress remains classic simply because it is versatile enough to allow the focus to be anywhere you like. You can team your dress with a bejewelled pair of shoes or a brightly coloured beaded handbag, for example, and then this will become the focus of your ensemble. One great way to add an unusual twist to a little black dress is to be creative with your accessories. For example, instead of dressing it up with a statement necklace, why not go for a statement hairpiece instead? Find one that looks like it could belong to the 1920s or 30s and place it near the front of your hair for instant vintage chic.

Another rule of thumb to go by is to try to ensure that you have enough interest to make your outfit stylish, but not so much as to make you look overdone. Interest in an outfit could come from fabric textures, patterns and colours, the shape of a particular piece or in the form of eye-catching bracelets, necklaces and earrings, hair slides, rings, shoes, bags and scarves. Getting the balance right between your clothes and accessories is also something that will improve with time and experience as you become more confident expressing your personality through your fashion choices.