If you do these 7 subtle style things, you're actually very elegant

Elegance is rarely loud.

It whispers in how you move, what you choose not to wear, and the tiny decisions that most people miss.

I notice this a lot when I’m shooting street photos. The most compelling subjects aren’t the ones dressed like billboards. They’re the ones whose details resolve only when you look closer.

Here’s my first-person checklist for the kind of quiet style that reads as genuinely elegant—no status gymnastics required. It’s also the format I use for VegOutMag pieces, and the spirit I try to keep in my work .

1. Fit

If the silhouette is right, almost everything else takes care of itself.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago I kept buying the “right” pieces, then wondering why I still looked sloppy. A tailor fixed it in one appointment. Suddenly my shirts hit mid-zipper, my jackets hugged the shoulders, and my trousers brushed—not puddled—the tops of my shoes.

Elegant fit is precise but not tight. Shoulder seams end at the shoulder. Sleeves kiss the wrist bone. Trousers fall with a clean line and a slight break. If you’re wearing something oversized, it’s intentional—balanced by structure elsewhere.

When in doubt, tailor it. Hemming, taking in the waist, or slimming a sleeve costs less than a new outfit and looks ten times more considered.

2. Posture

Clothes can’t compensate for the way you carry yourself.

If you’ve ever seen someone in a simple tee and jeans look incredible, posture is doing a lot of that work. Stand tall through the crown of your head. Relax your shoulders down and back. Keep your phone out of your hands when you walk so your arms swing naturally.

This reads as elegant because it communicates ease and presence. You’re not tugging at your hem or hunching to disappear. You’re comfortable in your own space—and that comfort makes everything on your body look better.

Quick reset when you catch yourself slouching: plant your feet, inhale, imagine a thread lifting you an inch taller, then exhale and keep that height. It’s free tailoring.

3. Texture

Elegance is a tactile story. The fabrics you choose create it.

A matte silk blouse, a nubby bouclé, a crisp poplin, a dense cotton knit—textures signal quality and restraint without needing a giant logo to explain themselves. Mixed well, they create depth even in a minimal palette.

I like to keep a simple rule when I get dressed: combine at least two textures. Linen with leather. Cashmere with clean denim. A structured canvas bag against a soft wool coat. The contrast looks intentional while staying quiet.

This is where plant-based and cruelty-free choices shine too. There are phenomenal vegan leathers and innovative fabrics now that give you that refined handfeel without compromise. They don’t shout. They just feel right.

4. Grooming

No outfit survives bad grooming.

You don’t need a barber-level fade or a salon blowout. You do need clean nails, tidy hair, fresh breath, and clothes that don’t look like they spent the night on the floor. Steam is your friend. A lint roller is a superpower. So is a discreet travel toothbrush.

Fragrance should be intimate, not overwhelming. If someone can smell you before they see you, that’s not elegance—that’s assault. One spray, maybe two, and let people discover it in conversation, not in the elevator.

I’ve mentioned this before but details beat dollars. Switching to a cruelty-free deodorant that actually works or finding a vegan hair product that gives natural finish? Those are small upgrades that change how “put together” reads in real life.

5. Color restraint

Coco Chanel put it plainly: “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” You can feel that in color choices.

You don’t have to live in black, white, and beige, but a restrained palette reads as intentional. Tonal dressing—shades of one color—instantly looks polished. If you want a pop, let it be one thing: a scarf, a sneaker, a lip, a pocket square. Not all four.

Logos and loud prints can be fun, but they age quickly. A clean block of color lasts longer, photographs better, and gives your textures and silhouette room to speak.

Here’s a trick I use when I’m packing light for a trip. Choose one base color (navy or black), one light (white or cream), and one accent (olive, burgundy, or blue). Everything mixes, nothing fights, and you look coherent at breakfast or after midnight.

6. Quiet accessories

“The details are not the details. They make the design,” said Charles Eames. The same goes for your accessories.

Elegant choices don’t beg for attention; they reward it. Think clean metal, a single ring, a watch with a simple face, or earrings that frame rather than dominate.

Belts should match the formality and tone of your shoes or bag. Hardware stays consistent—silver with silver, gold with gold—unless you’re intentionally mixing.

Bags tell on us. A minimal tote with sharp edges and no loose threads looks expensive even when it isn’t. Keep it conditioned and empty the receipt graveyard inside.

Shoes, too. Polish or clean them. Replace the laces. Swap factory insoles. People underestimate how much scuffed shoes cheapen an otherwise elegant look.

Eyewear is another stealth signal. Frames that fit your face—no sliding, no pinching—instantly elevate even a hoodie. If you wear blue-light glasses, choose a pair you wouldn’t mind wearing in a café as part of an outfit, not just at a desk at 11 p.m.

7. Graceful manners

Elegance is behavior, not just wardrobe.

Hold the door. Let others finish. Put your phone away at the table. Say please, thank you, and excuse me. These are tiny acts that make every room feel easier—and your presence feel considered.

As etiquette icon Emily Post famously said, “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.” Nothing you wear outruns that truth. The most stylish person at a party can instantly feel inelegant if they’re rude to the server or loud over someone else’s story.

Timekeeping counts here too. Showing up when you said you would is an unflashy way of saying, “I value you.” So is following up with a short thank-you text after a dinner or a meeting. Elegance is social generosity disguised as normal behavior.

A few final personal guardrails I use:

If it needs constant tugging, it’s a no.

If it looks great but smells like a chemical spill, also a no.

If it’s delicate, I treat it that way—hand-wash bags, lay knits flat, use wooden hangers.

If I’m unsure, I remove one accessory. Nine times out of ten, the simpler version is better.

And when I buy anything new, I ask one question: will this make the rest of my closet work harder? If yes, that’s an elegant choice because it creates clarity elsewhere, not chaos.

Elegance isn’t a budget. It’s a point of view.

It’s how you edit, how you care, and how you carry yourself through the world.

If you practice these seven subtle moves—fit, posture, texture, grooming, color restraint, quiet accessories, and graceful manners—you won’t need to tell anyone you’re elegant. They’ll just feel it when you walk in.