Legacy of Pearl

I get asked about where the name for my blog comes from a lot. Although I love pearls, it doesn't have much to do with them. "Pearl" is the translation of my late Mother's name to English. My Mother was a women with personal style, but also had a sense of elegance and confidence to her that made her stand out. She was a living example of how you can do it effortlessly by applying a few simple principles. Even as a six-year-old girl, I was expected to choose, care for and organize my clothes which made the same principles a part of my personality. So since most of what I know about my style comes from her, I decided to name this blog "Legacy of Pearl".

Recently, a friend asked me about what the real legacy was. What could she have taught me 20+ years ago that made into my adult life? Here are some of them. Most of what I summarized below are so carved in me that I find myself automatically doing them. Hope these tips help you as mush as they helped me all my life.

The Basics: With these in place, you'll feel more confident. Confidence will show itself in all areas of life improving your quality of life in return.

1. A genuine heartfelt smile
2. A good haircut
3. Posture
4. Manicured nails
5. Clean wrinkle-free clothes

On Styling:

1. Dress for yourself and to show your respect for an occasion.
2. Make sure you're comfortable in your clothes before you leave the house.
3. Think vertically when you dress to create a sleek slim line.
4. Don't be scared of color and mix them according to your visual appeal.
5. Don't change your make up routine unless it is a special occasion.
6. Mix a few timeless pieces in your outfit with one or two trendy pieces to refresh your look and look yourself at the same time.
7. Make sure your clothes make no sound when you move.
8. The longer the skirt, the lower the heels should be. This might sound old-fashioned but I'm always reminded of it when I see a maxi skirt with very high heels.
9. A scarf is a versatile piece. It can go in your head, neck, waist, bag... you name it.
10. Putting a pin on a blazer jacket's collar or pockets can dress it down or up significantly.

On Taking Care of Your Clothes:

1. Keep your knees close when you sit. This is more elegant and also helps you keep a good sitting posture.
2. Pull up your pants above the knees just a bit as you sit. You won't have big knee stretches on the pants after wearing them.
3. Similar to #2, pull your skirt up just a bit as you sit to avoid wrinkle lines and stretching around the hip.
4. Hang your clothes right after you take them off and air them outside of your closet before deciding if they need to be cleaned. This saves energy in all kinds of ways.
5. Make sure what goes in your closet is ready to wear. After airing, decide if clothes need to be re-steamed, washed or dry-cleaned.
6. Take care of  spill on your clothes before it dries completely.

This is not a complete list in a particular order. None of these have any links to fashion, but they increase one's style quotient significantly. They are not coming from a styling professional and they are only meant as a summary of the principals I learned and apply daily.

I would love to hear your tips and thoughts. What would you add to this list?