How do I start looking neater?

What is TCM?

Turner Classic Movies! Cable channel that shows old films.

Ohh ok. I thought of that but then considered that it could be the abbreviation to some show.

Well your solution is easy enough. Dress the way they dress. Not literally each and every piece but notice things like, their hair is always combed well and in place. Or it is in tight curls or it is put up. Make sure to keep it off your face. Just a neat hair style makes a big difference.

Also if you wear jeans make sure they are tight fitting or straight, they give a neater look than baggy ones. Try wearing more dress pants and shirts if you like.

Keep layering to minimal. As too many layers make an outfit look shabby. Simiarly don’t accessorize too much. That will also have the same effect.

Wearing cropped jackets or semi-smart jackets looks really nice and you can wear them with a casual dress or T-shirts as well

Classic, tailored clothes. That doesn’t mean you have to wear fancy clothes… even a t-shirt and jeans can look neat, if they fit well and are clean and free of holes/stains/hanging threads, etc.

There’s a good article about this on the blog called Already Pretty – link: http://www.alreadypretty.com/2011/06/reader-request-perfectly-polished.html

Do you put on a lot of thick, black eye make up? well if you do try toning that down a bit to give your self a more elegant look. HAIR, the most important thing keep it brushed and neat. If you have frequent bad hair days then just make a classy bun or put it in a pony tail. It looks better than you would think it would.

DON’T put on a lot of thick black eye makeup, just put on enough to make your eyes stand out, and not necessarily black. Some people look terrible with black eye makeup due to their eye shape or skin tone or what have you.

Keep your outfits clean, and make sure they fit you well. Emulate styles that appeal to you.

Clothes that fit are probably the best way to look neat and tidy. They don’t have to be super fancy or expensive – but wearing items that properly fit can change a “look” instantly.

Watch “What Not to Wear” and learn. They talk all about classic cuts, texture, tailored fits, what works for different body types. And the makeup artist, Carmindy is a miracle woman.

Hair and brows. You can be without makeup, jewelry and accessories, dressed very plain in a simple fitted shirt over a pair of straight pants and your hair will make all the difference.

“What Not To Wear” is a fun show, just keep the volume low or put it on subtitles.~

I agree with everything everybody else has already said, especially the part about wearing clothes that actually fit you. I can’t stand seeing women try to squeeze themselves in to skirts and blouses that are too tight (or too short), accentuating or creating rolls of fat, or wearing blouses that are too short, revealing their midriffs (that’s fine for the beach, but not for work or for school or for regular everyday social situations). Fabrics should be chosen that skim the body, rather than hugging the body (which shows imperfections on even the skinniest little super models) Hopefully the fad of low cut pants is over with, that look never said neat and it made even slim girls look chubby because of the muffin top that it created. And never, ever, ever wear a blouse in which your bra straps show. If you can’t find a strapless dress or a tank top with a built in bra, with really good support, don’t wear it. Be mindful of how blouses (especially the material that it’s made of) look over your bra. You don’t want to be able to see a clumpy bra under your blouse and you definitely don’t want the shape of your nipples to show through. Also, if you are going to wear nylons or tights, please refrain from wearing those ultra patterned or textured ones, and especially don’t do that and wear super pointy or super high heels at the same time, it just looks tacky (I had a supervisor at my last job who was in her late 40’s who violated this rule repeatedly and she looked like and old spent hooker). And try to get a pair of nice lower heeled shoes that cover your toe cleavage, otherwise it looks like your shoes are too big. Avoid wearing certain garrish colors such as lime green, shocking pink and neon orange (unless it’s in a little bitty accessory). And don’t wear blouses that are covered in frilly flounces and ruffles. Find out what clothing colors are flattering to your hair color and skin tone (ask someone you trust if you’re not sure). And don’t be afraid of brown, the new nuetral.

This next section is some absolute don’ts. Enjoy!

Don’t wear lip liner unless it’s the exact same color as your lipstick, don’t pluck out your eyebrows and draw them on, unless you draw them on in a natural manner (or only let a professional do it for you, if you have super thin brows, or you’ve already plucked them out) and don’t wear ultra thick eye makeup in un-natural colors like this poor woman

If you color your hair, use natural looking shades and natural looking highlights and lowlights. Try to avoid having your hair striped

Make sure that your eye make up is done with neutrals and not too thick. Don’t pile on the thick black racoon eye make up like this lady.

If you lighten your hair, make sure to touch up your roots instead of waiting too long and ending up looking like one of the Olesen twins

Here’s an example of wearing a blouse that is too tight and does not skim the body, making even this slim girl look unkempt.

Don’t even consider wearing Ugg Boots with shorts. Nor any kind of shorts with a word emblazoned on the butt.

Don’t dress like Carrie Bradsaw from Sex and the City. Instead, dress like Charlotte

Don’t dress like Japanese Teenagers Instead strive to dress like Emma Watson’s character Hermione from the Harry Potter movies.

Strive to dress like Cote de Pablo’s character Ziva David from NCIS, instead of like Pauley Perrette’s character Abby Sciuto (although I love both of these women!)

Go for the Audrey Hepburn look instead of the Amy Winehouse look.

If you want to wear a hat, try to go for this look instead of this look