How To Find Chic Style: A Modern Guide To Elegance
chic style
FASHIONHow to Find Chic Style: A Modern Guide to Elegance
written by Stephanie WhitlockThere is style, and then there is chic. The difference is hard to articulate. After all, chic is a form of style, but with added layers of elegance and sophistication, which leaves many confused when trying to translate the word into reality. Its essence can seem wholly owned by a select few, though many are taught its ways by those who came before them. I often look to the natives of the word chic — the French. Is being chic simply that, a French-born inheritance, or is it something more?
It seems to be that je ne sais quoi of it all — the unexplainable quality that somehow just is. To be chic carries something elusive, if only you know where to look. And perhaps that is the beginning of it: knowing where to look, and just as importantly, knowing where not to.
Just as in life, we often find ourselves strolling through a museum of art, yet so many do not spend enough time taking in the beauty before them. They miss the quiet cues and the silent works, never absorbing them for more than a few seconds. It takes someone willing to linger a little longer, not rushing on out of boredom, always searching for something shinier, bigger, more profound and bold. Instead, bask in the beauty, and read the small plaque if confusion still lingers.
That is where chic is truly found. It is not in simple staples alone, nor in any fixed blueprint. Of course, parts of it can be, but each of us has our own shape, mind and preference in what we believe to be truly magnificent or right. Chic begins by paying attention — to what draws you in naturally, what feels elegant without effort, and what remains appealing long after the novelty has worn off.
It begins, too, with the notion that it is perfectly acceptable not to like what others like. Instead, consider what you like without outside opinion, and without doubt. The first step in finding chic is often removing the pressure to admire everything simply because it is admired by others.
For me, I began small. I started by removing the noise — the apps, the trend-hunter feeds — and instead looking towards what brought me the best feeling. Others may want to dazzle and showcase; I have always preferred comfort and ease. That, perhaps, is another part of the blueprint: understanding what you want your style to do for you. Whether it is to soften, sharpen, simplify or bring confidence, it should answer to you first.
Instead of idealised Pinterest boards, I wanted the real thing. This began by curating not only my wardrobe, but my life. Slowly, with time, the two merged. That is what chic is made from: self-love, care and curation. A life cultivated inwardly becomes outwardly expressed. To find chic, then, is not only to look at clothing, but to look at the life surrounding it.
Choose carefully. Made-to-measure pieces may, on occasion, be rare investments, but sometimes they are necessary. Yet clothes do not always need to be altered; often, they simply need to be chosen with care. The frustration of trying on clothes endlessly, or ordering at random, can feel more irritating than enjoyable. Nowadays, I find myself selecting pieces in person rather than from a screen full of prospects. There, you find the fit, the quality, the colour — and then, if needed, you can go online for more options. Chic is often found in this exact process: less impulse, more discernment.
Fit matters. Quality matters. Colour matters. And perhaps most of all, feeling matters. A chic wardrobe is rarely built from pieces that only look good in theory. It is built from pieces that sit well, wear well, and belong naturally to the person wearing them. That is why choosing correctly will always take you further than choosing quickly.
Clothes, however, are not the be-all and end-all of chic. It is self-care too: fragrance, grooming, and taking time with yourself. No rushing — instead, moving with care in all parts of life, knowing speed can come later once the routine has been refined. Chic is often found in repetition: the rituals that work, the products that suit, the habits that leave you feeling composed rather than undone.
Finding your style is not only about clothing, but also about make-up and hair. Even the aesthetics of your home matter. Truthfully, what surrounds you inspires you. The spaces you inhabit, the objects you choose, and the atmosphere you create all begin to shape the way chic reveals itself. A person’s style becomes stronger when their wardrobe, beauty and surroundings are not at odds, but in quiet conversation with one another.
So perhaps the blueprint is this: remove the noise, pay attention, choose with care, refine your routine, and build a life that reflects your taste as much as your wardrobe does. Not copying, not rushing, not overwhelming — but selecting, editing and returning to what feels most like you.
To find chic, then, is to linger a little longer. To trust your own eye. To value fit over fuss, quality over quantity, ease over performance, and consistency over excess. It is found slowly — in the wardrobe, in self-care, in routine, in taste, and in the life you build around yourself.
Because in the end, chic is not only about what you wear. It is about how you live.
shopping experience
A bold, editorial-style print for the girl in her becoming era.
“Who’s that girl?” is the headline of your life edit – the moment you realise you’ve outgrown the old version of you. This black-and-white typography print adds a chic, magazine feel to your space and a reminder that you’re allowed to change.
Designed in a clean, minimal style to sit with the Lavie edit aesthetic – coffee-table books, neutral tones and intentional living.