Three Things I Learned About Elegance
Elegance isn’t something you purchase off a rack or at a luxury goods store. It’s something that you cultivate and curate from a place deep within your own heart and soul. Elegance is a timeless state of being able to move through situations with nobility and grace. It’s being able to handle challenges and adversity without losing composure. Once that elegance is refined in your soul, it will naturally radiate in your home, wardrobe and even things you read. You will no longer crave the fast fashion trends, but will look towards things that bring you a deeper more lasting joy. That incredible bag you purchased on a trip to New York City that only gets better with age. The turquoise stones gathered in New Mexico that were mounted into unique jewelry pieces. The simple gold watch you wear on repeat because it goes with everything from a white tshirt to an evening gown. You’ll choose simple lattes instead of a fancy frappe or even better a cappuccino. You’ll take more time picking fruit and vegetables out at a local market. You will never skip buying flowers for yourself. You will choose who accesses you and when. Yes, elegance is the art of finding alignment with who God created you to be and then exhibiting that through daily decisions. Here are three lessons in elegance.
Lesson 1: Elegance is restrained not performative.
Elegance isn’t being the loudest or most clever in the room. It’s choosing when and who to talk to. It’s being selective about your words and spending time observing. It doesn’t require piling on more makeup, instead choosing the best makeup for your skin tone, features and face shape. It’s buying a home that gives you a feeling of joy even if it’s smaller, instead of going for a cookie cutter larger home in a popular neighborhood. Anyone can copy, trends fade, but elegance is lasting and pulls people toward you. Think soft satin champagne instead of sequins at a formal. Think a shimmery glow and rosy cheeks instead of heavy eye makeup. The more you edit, the more elegance can draw the eye in to focus.
Lesson 2: Elegance cannot be purchased.
As mentioned above, elegance is a state of alignment. Being able to be in your own rhythm and go with the flow of the Lord will create that alignment. Understanding that he fearfully and wonderfully made you to be authentic. Trusting the deep innerworkings he designed in you to move with confidence. This was something I really struggled with. I felt so out of place in a fast fashion and trendy world. I longed for quieter places and spaces. So, that’s when Authentically Made was created. To help women align and develop their rhythm with the Lord so they could stand firm in their identity with him. It’s hard to be elegant if you struggle with simply saying “no” to things you do not want to do. Firm boundaries, choosing higher thoughts about yourself and developing an identity that the world cannot shake is key to developing a sophisticated posture.
Lesson 3: Elegance is timeless.
I remember when my grandmother passed down a blazer he sister gave her to my mother and then my mother handed it to me. It was navy blue check tweed and fit perfectly! I wore it to tons of business meetings and even jeans for years until the lining fell apart. Looking back, I should have taken it to a tailor, but my point was that the blazer spanned across three 9generations. My grandmother wearing it in the 60’s and my mother in the 80’s and me in the 2000’s. Choosing structured well made pieces tailored for your body will allow you to say no to fast fashion. The reason you struggle finding something to wear is not for lack of clothes, but lack of fit and form. When you have pieces made out of silk, tweed, wool, linen and cotton… they are breathable and lasting. The same bag I purchased in my twenties the first time I went to New York is the bag I still love today. It’s buttery leather and quality shape is just as beautiful as it was back then two decades later. Choose simply, but choose wisely and it will withstand time.
I’ve curated a list of beautiful pieces below that will suit anyone’s wardrobe, but I recommend first going through the Authentically Made . It’s five lessons can be listened to while you are on your way to pick up your kids or to grab coffee. You won’t regret getting aligned with Jesus first.
