How to be Elegant

Discover how to be elegant, with Maria Sharapova and Keira knightley’s Anna Karenina and Beauty and the Beast’s Belle.

Elegance is sought after the world over. It’s sought after by fashion designers, fashion schools, make up artists, glamour model agencies and celebrities, but more importantly, it’s sought after by you and I. And no surprise. To look both classy and beautiful, you need to know how to be elegant.  Elegant women have an air of refinement and poise that serves to elevate their image, making them the brightest petals in the garden. The beauty of elegance is finely illustrated by the three cover stars of this article: Maria Sharapova, who is currently at the US Open, Keira Knightley’s Anna Karenina (coming to cinema in September) and perhaps Disney’s most elegant princess of all time: Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

There are many reasons why Maria Sharapova, Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina and Belle from Beauty and the Beast look elegant. They all wear classy women’s clothing. They all act as though they’ve just walked right out of finishing school. And they all happen to be pretty. While these are all important, however, the number one reason our poster ladies are so elegant is because of their use of nonverbal communication–body language, tone of voice, mannerisms and other elements of communication outside of plain speech.

It’s scientifically proven that 93% of all communication is nonverbal. Naturally, that makes nonrerbal communication extremely important to the presentation of character. By looking at the nonverbals of Maria Sharapova, Belle and Keira knightley, we will discover how nonverbal cues can be used to create elegance.

Elegant Body Language 

Body language is 55% of all communication. Body language is comprised of the way we hold our body, the way we move and the way we gesture.

To have elegant body language:

• Practice working on your posture. Posture is an absolute must for elegance. Imagine any of our three characters–Sharapova, Belle and Keira knightley–slumped over with bad posture. They would look no more elegant than a couch potato.
• Make your movements smooth: imagine a gymnasts movements. They are smooth and graceful. This is the key to elegant movement.
• Do not be too expressive. Being overly espressive looks childish and unrefined. Do, however, show enough expression to convey a warmth of emotion.
• Hold you chin a little above neutral position as this shows calm confidence and self assuredness.
• Elegant people show composure, so always remain totally aware and in control of what your body is expressing.
• Keep your shoulders back
• Avoid any kind of fidgeting. Fidgeting makes a person look uncertain, under confident and often ignorant.
• Make sure you are relaxed. Relaxation lengthens the spine and allows all the muscles to relax, returning the body to its correct and proper form.

I also Recommend this book: Guide to Elegance