ON STAYING CLASSY | A LIST

I am a chronic list maker. I find them strewn throughout my belongings, appearing on tissues, old receipts, and sometimes actual notepaper. I’ve tried to make this a positive quality, by buying multiple planners, and vigorously scribing the meaning of life, into neat, enumerated columns. It makes life look less messy, but it’s probably just a weak disguise.

So I’ve written another list. It’s fourty-one points long, but great are my musings on classiness. It started when I was walking to the bus stop, and I saw a reflection of myself – ripped jeans, Adidas sneakers, and flecks of nail polish sporadically dispersed over my fingers. I was instantly terrified by the tasteless millenial I had become, and my unrefined neglect for style, grace, and self-care. I was blindly dressing myself in items of pop culture, not bothering to ask: is this who I am? Does this inspire respect? Would a French woman be caught wearing this? What would my mother say?

Let’s stop being basic, please – because we’re more than that: we’re women, and we’re every good connotation that comes with that word. If we like wearing lululemon’s to the grocery store, then so be it. But let’s not omit class from our daily routine – below.

1.     Take care of your nails.

2.     Don’t swear on social media.

3.     Never wear hoodies in public, unless you’re going to gym, or some form of exercise/sports.

4.     Wear perfume.

5.     Keep your handbag clean and organized.

6.     Be gracious to restaurant/grocery/retail workers.

7.     Say please and thank you.

8.     Send kind (although unneccessary!) messages, such as “nice to meet you today!” or “just wanted to say, loved having you round yesterday!”

9.     Buy yourself a nice coffee once in a while.

10.  Don’t eat at McDonald’s. (Or just, never get caught eating at McDonald’s.)

11.  If you’ve put on a face of makeup, put lipgloss/lipstick on as well.

12.  Take a drink bottle everywhere. And drink from it, of course.

13.  Exfoliate your skin once a week.

14.  Don’t downplay your intelligience.

15.  Save the trackpants or ‘sloppy’ clothing for around the house.

16.  Matching socks only – the only exception is if they’re no show.

17.  Be tasteful in jewelry choices – not tacky, not excessive, but something that is uniquely you.

18.  Two words: eyebrow maintenance.

19.  Another two words: self care.

20.  Write down your goals and read them frequently.

21.  Apply lip balm often.

22.  Only give compliments when you actually mean them.

23.  Use people’s names when greeting them.

24.  Invest in a good pair of boots.

25.  Be punctual.

26.  Be polite and courteous when turning down boys, but don’t feel bad about it.

27.  Stay on top of cleaning + tidying your living areas (easier said than physically done, I know).

28.  Watch Netflix, but be tasteful and wise about when, and how much, you consume.

29.  Never forget a meeting.

30.  Quality, not quantity.

31.  Dress modestly.

32.  Maintain good posture.

33.  Smile often.

34.  Get haircuts as soon as you need them.

35.  STOP WEARING A HAIR TIE AROUND YOUR WRIST. Soz for the caps – I am passionate about this.

36.  Pursue excellence in any job you do.

37.  Be thrifty, and avoid building a wardrobe based on ‘brands.’

38.  Always bring a gift for the hostess/host.

39.  Be a good listener (and look people in the eye when doing so).

40.  Occasionally tweet something in French.

41.  Basically, be Kate Middleton. Ignore everything else on this list.

Mads xx