DON'T mix hardware
Let's say your bag has silver metal, but your jacket and your belt and your shoes have gold. You need to pick one and stick with it. Mixing metals like silver and gold doesn't rest well with the eye. 

DO go for "pops."
Accents of color always brighten you up in an item from shoes, bags, tops, bottoms or accessories. If you have on a pair of black trousers and you do a great printed shirt with some beautiful floral print or a bold red color, your whole face can really come alive.  I call it a pop because you should only wear one piece like that at a time. 

DON'T get discouraged by a limited budget
Some of the people I know with the smallest spending accounts have the biggest style. The key is creativity in mixing and matching what you wear. Even the girls with Balenciaga bags or Lanvin flats pair them with HM, Anthropologie, and Topshop. At this point fashion is so accessible, it's easy to be on trend for very little money. 

DON'T rely completely on the mirror.
I'd love to be able to say, "Look in the mirror to see what works best," but most people don't know. Sometimes we're just not the best judges of ourselves  because we've been looking at our reflections for our entire lives. The mirror might not always be the most helpful thing, but cameras don't lie. They allow you to step outside yourself and see an outfit with an objective eye, so take pictures if you're not positive about a look. 

DO remember that the best accessory is always attitude.
In order to look good, you need to feel good. If someone's saying to you, "You look amazing in that skintight dress" but you're miserably uncomfortable, it will show. You have to find the compromise between what looks best on you and what's going to give you the most confidence. Half of beauty is the belief that you're beautiful.​​​​

Los Angeles

Amanda's Do's and Don't of Style

By: Amanda Styles

DO tread lightly on trends.
You have to interpret what's hot to make it work on yourself. The idea is that you wear it the way that becomes the most you. For example, skinny jeans couldn't be more in style, but they make my legs look really short, so I only do them with thigh-high boots.