The 'rule of 3' that means you'll never have another bad clothes day.

Why do some women put outfits together so well – when others don’t?

From school-pick up, a day at the office or a girl’s night out, they have this uncanny ability to pull off effortless style at every occasion.

They don’t necessarily have more time to get ready in the morning.

Their wardrobes are not filled with the latest trends.

They haven’t an unlimited budget to spend.

These women create balance, unity and harmony to their outfits using an element and method that is easy for all of us to learn:

Colour and the ‘Rule of 3’.

Whether it’s neutrals, pastels or brights, colour has the ability to transform an outfit from chaotic confusion to classy chic.

I have a client who travels extensively and accumulates clothes from New York, London and Paris. Despite this, she was never actually stylish. She put together outfits that were overbearing, clashed and just weren’t great to look at. She would lose her self confidence and revert back to clothes that were safe, dull, dowdy.

Another client, in her mid 40’s, only wore black despite enjoying colour before having kids. Her body shape had changed, she was unsure of what styles suited her now and there was hesitancy about how to incorporate colour without looking like a 20 year old.

By introducing the ‘rule of 3’, these women can now put outfits together from their wardrobes with ease.  They walk out the door each day feeling confident, attractive and stylish.

In 3 easy steps we can achieve the rule of 3:

Step 1:  Choose a base colour (such as a neutral, black or navy)

Step 2:  Add 1st accent colour

Step 3:  Add 2nd / 3rd accent colour

No more than 3 accent colours to be used.

Let’s look at 8 examples:

Why this works: The black trouser creates a base for the three accent colours to fashion an effortless everyday look.

Why this works: Versatile jeans form a canvas to play. Use three earthy hues to build a mod-retro weekend favourite.

Why this works: Form two neutrals, one being an accent with contrasting pastels, to command attention at a work meeting.

Why this works:  Use three colours to create striking elegance. Red dominates with blue and gold supporting to produce an outfit you will be remembered in.

Why this works: Use the blue base of the printed trouser as a starting point. Then work the pattern print to express the accents.

Why this works: Overlay a soft denim shirtdress with interchangeable orange, brown and turquoise. Mixing these complementary colours together.

Why this works: Classy sophistication uses similar hues.

Why this works: Bring it back to basics with lively block colours. Beige details bring it all together.

The best thing about the rule of 3 is that it can be achieved with any size wardrobe. Work with what you’ve got and incorporate accessories, jewellery and shoes to create a balanced, unified outfit. Then all you need to do is wait for the compliments!

Annie Sophia helps women feel confident by reviving their style through individual or group wardrobe audits, makeup skills and colour consults.

 

Want more style tips? Try these... 

26 iconic hairstyles that will never date. 

21 classic style lessons we learned from Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

Women of Style awards: So DAMN GLAM it almost hurts.