Style Resources for Women and Buying Guides

Ladies, it's time to get dressed. For the uninitiated without an eye for style, the world of fashion can be a vast and sometimes scary place.  But you don't want to waste too much time with your head in your closet or walking the aisles of trendy stores.  If you don't have time to flip through page after page of fashion magazines,  here is great fashion cheat sheet to help you decide what to wear. Want to know which styles look good on your body?  Read our Figure-Flattering Clothes for Women.

Style Tips
  • Above all, your clothes should fit your body. No one cares what size is on your tag. A good fit is essential to presenting a polished image and, more importantly, feeling great in your clothes.
    • Women's clothing sizes vary hugely from designer, style, year, and even within a brand. When you find a designer that works for your figure, make friends with a sales associate at a store that carries the brand and make sure you sign up for email alerts from said designer's Web site. If you can't tell Donatella from Donald Duck you may want to read the Guide to Women's Clothing Designers.
    • Shop like a man: Consider buying multiples of items if you find a great fit. Especially when it comes to undergarments and jeans.
    • Splurge on timeless classics, skimp on trends. Read the Women's Fashion Trends article for advice on differentiating a seasonal trend from a wardrobe staples. This page also includes a checklist of relentlessly fashionable styles.
      • If you're most comfortable in a solid fitted dress shirt, buy several! If it's a staple to you wardrobe, you should splurge on a well fitted, well made, quality item. You can make the same white button down look like a totally different shirt with an inexpensive cardigan, a pair of jeans, or costume jewelry. If you're going to wear it often, you'll end up saving in the long run with a more durable (and more expensive) version.
  • If you've got no fashion instinct whatsoever, you can still have a cohesive collection of stylish clothing. Try this:
    • Put together an outfit that you feel really defines you. If you're a cheerful person, try bright colors. If you're low key, comfort clothes. Artistic? Try untraditional cuts or play with different patterns.
    • Once you've created your outfit, think about why it defines you. What is it that you like so much? The way the different colors look together? The variety of fabrics? The simplicity?
    • Whatever it is that makes you love that outfit should guide your shopping. Look for clothes that share these qualities, and you'll end up with a style of your own and a wardrobe that you love.
  • If shopping online, try on the clothes before you decide to keep them. Don't be afraid to send clothing back.
  • Alternately, try clothes on in stores and then bargain shop online for those exact styles and sizes.
  • Always check yourself in a three-way mirror before making a big purchase.
  • Don't make rushed decisions. Shop with a level head and a list of needs, this way you'll avoid making returns and ruining your finances.
  • Research a good tailor in your area. A few simple alterations can make an outfit look altogether better.

Online Fashion Magazines

  • Style -- The online home of Vogue and W. Check out the latest runway looks and identify the latest trends.
  • Elle -- More couture and slightly less imposing fashions.
  • Allure -- More fashion. More affordable. More user friendly for those of us who don't have much time to shop.
  • Marie Claire -- Even more down-to-earth fashion.
  • Jane -- Jane's fashion advice for the regular young woman who wants to be a half-step offbeat. Targets the under 30 crowd.
  • Lucky-- An entire magazine devoted to one thing...shopping. They do the leg work and scout out the best fashion bang for the buck. Young and irreverent attitude.

Online Newspapers