By Phoebe Montague aka Lady Melbourne

You might be a lady, but are you ladylike? I’m not talking about the demure, tea drinking, knit-by-day-burlesque-by-night trend that has pervaded fashion magazines for the last couple of years. I’m talking about the way you dress.

Being ladylike has it’s common themes – you like to ride a bike. You like craft. You wear skirts. Everywhere. 

But it bores me time after time when I see it as a ‘trend’ because you can either nail this look, or you can’t. ‘Well bully for you!’ you might be thinking as you read this, but over the coming month I’m going to take you inside what I think it takes to achieve this overall look because whether you like it or not, Mrs. Prada says it’s a trend so we can’t argue with that.

Step 1.

Here is your checklist:

Do you own lipstick? 
Not gloss, not Vaseline, not balm. Coloured wax, in a tubular encasement. Brightly coloured lips are another trend in itself so you’re killing two birds with one stone. Choose a colour, and buy.

Do you own skirts or dresses?
You will have to forsake jeans and more than likely pants if you want to really devote yourself to being ladylike. Pant wearing comes later once you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘Karl Lagerfeld would approve of this outfit.’ Although if you’ve reached that pinnacle stop reading this and I bow down at your fashion alter.

Do you paint your nails?
Manicure, manicure, manicure. You can do your own, I did proudly for many years every Sunday night. Buy the stuff that dries in a minute and you’ll have all your nails done in 20. Ladylike is a state of being (I sound crazy right now), it’s about attention to detail. It’s not about being fussy and don’t get them confused, it’s about being polished and deliberate. 

That should be quite enough to get you started on your way to wearing this trend like a boss. It’s here this season, in lace everything (think Valentino, Chanel, Miu Miu), up do’s, buns and chignons (Sonia Rykiel) and pastel shades that were seen in so many collections they’re too numerous to mention. 

If you have any questions on this particular topic or have a suggestion for how to be ladylike while unblocking a drain, click here.