As part of a new feature, our stylists from across the globe are sharing their top style tips.
Style Doctors CEO, Elin Mai chatted with the amazing Stylist Nouf from Saudi Arabia, who has put together 4 looks for various body shapes and style personalities in this video.
Nouf’s key tips for creating any outfit would be to find the right Balance along with proper sizing.
Balance in terms of creating an illusion of a hour-glass body shape, regardless if you have an inverted triangle, rectangle or triangle body shape, you create harmony & balance between the top & bottom half of your body by choosing the right pieces for YOU.
Sizing in terms of what fits right, regardless of the brand & “labelled” sizes. Once you understand what you’re trying to achieve with each look – be it emphasizing your shoulders, neckline, waistline, body extension, etc., it’s all about creating a balance throughout.
When shopping with Clients, Nouf suggests considering EVERY purchase as an investment – to maximise its use and make it seem worthwhile in every way.
Your outfit speaks of your personality and what message you’d like to convey to the people you’re with, so dressing the “right” part is essential. Drawing the attention with just one statement piece in your outfit, or highlighting or hiding a specific part of your body – it all comes down to making the right choices from head-to-toe. Once you’ve understood how and what you’d like people to see, you’re one step closer to styling yourself.
Live Styling Tips Video
Nouf also mentions how footwear is such an essential piece to complete an outfit, and how one can switch from day to night dressing with a simple change of shoes to help dress it up or down.
Look 1 - Bold, Chic, Modest Summer look
A classic pairing of a simple white tee (tank) with blue denim jeans is a go-to staple look for most of us. There are unlimited options to play around with when it comes to this combination – be it with jewellery, bags, footwear, sunglasses, hats, scarves, belts… the list seems endless.
Layering this combination with a leather jacket, your latest trench coat, an embellished jumper, a colourful printed wraparound top, a simple knitted sweater, or even over a dark coloured turtle-neck top – it’s all part of effortless styling.
That’s the look Nouf achieved here – pairing these basic pieces with a beautiful, soft printed wraparound Kimono, keeping the colour palette very neutral, and simply adding a woven bucket bag and gold accessories to complete this Summer Style look.
Muted tones of orange, fuchsia or beige will be perfect, if you want to style with a headscarf, to transform into a completely Modest look.
Nouf recommends this look for a modest, bohemian, sporty or casual chic style personality. However, she stresses that it’s essential to invest in the right style of jeans to suit your shape & style personality.
Look 2 – Classic Work Attire (with a stylish flair)
If you’re tired of dressing the same way to work everyday, a few changes to the silhouettes you select will help amplify your look with minimal effort.
Sticking to a more solid colour palette in this look, Nouf has made a more bold, powerful statement with this shirt that gives a clear definition to the waistline (with a “twist”), pairing it with these black tapered pegged harem trousers that narrow down towards the ankle – suitable for most body shapes.
Add to this a pair of simple black, buckle loafers, sparkly studs and a classic black tote and you have a unique work outfit.
Layer it with an Abaya and a simple headpiece to transform this into a modest look. “An outfit is a representation of one’s personality” is what Nouf has to say when it comes to choosing the right professional attire.
Look 3 - Elegant Tonal look
A tonal look styled with elegance & simplicity, Nouf has successfully styled this tonal selection that is timeless and suitable for almost every body shape & style personality.
Dressing head-to-toe in one tone helps create an elongated body shape.
Add pops of colour with a bright coloured printed scarf, belt, footwear or jewellery, and transform the look completely. Both Elin & Nouf love to dress in tonal looks – especially now with the return of comfortable, stretchy fabrics.
With this look, Nouf shows how easy it is to elevate an outfit with the smallest of tweaks & tricks – transforming comfy loungewear to elegant, chic smart (casual) wear.
Look 4 - Colour Blocking (with Pizzazz)
In this look created by Nouf, she has successfully managed to pair two colours on the opposite ends of the colour wheel for this glammed-up look.
Elevated further with a pair of statement heels & earrings, and a glossy bucket bag; this look is certainly not for the more conservative style personalities.
Sometimes it’s hard for someone to envision a colour pairing that is completely contrasting, however it’s always a good idea to experiment with colours as long as it looks balanced and in harmony.
You can start with introducing a second bold colour in a single item, then slowly building up, to see how harmonious the pairing is. If you’re very brave, and a lover of dramatic, fashion forward and bold styles like Nouf, this look is a must-have.
The wrap blazer dress has an interesting low-waist wrap belt that helps to create a defined waist-to-hip line, and is most suitable for a rectangular, athletic body shape.
Stylist Nouf
Nouf has managed to simplify & breakdown the process of understanding one’s body shape & style personality, and how to dress accordingly.
Personal stylists help to educate their clients with multiple style tips & tricks that they can learn from and incorporate in their daily lives.
We hope that everyone watching this video takes away at least one style tip (if not more) and we’d love to hear what those are! Comment below or let us know on our Instagram.
If you’re interested in receiving your own, customised Digital Look Book, curated by Nouf, get in touch with our fabulous team in UAE to assist you further.
- Styling: Nouf
- Words: Khushbu
- Video & Creative: Clara
