Designers' Ultimate Fashion Advice for Every Woman

By Instyle
Updated Sep 26, 2012 @ 1:42 pm
Credit: Skip Bolen/WireImage; Amber De Vos/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa

Designers' Ultimate Fashion Advice for Every Woman

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Ultimate Fashion Advice

Credit: Barcroft/Fame Pictures; Jemal Countess/Getty; PacificCoastNews.com

What better way to feel fabulous than with a few style tips straight from the experts themselves? With New York Fashion Week on the horizon, we caught up the designers Hollywood loves to find out their ultimate fashion tips for every woman. Discover the advice designers dole out to their A-list clientele-and now, you-as illustrated by the stars wearing their creations.

See Kate Middleton in Jenny Packham (Says Packham: "A dress should never take over someone"), Jennifer Hudson in The Blonds ("Collect pieces you love and incorporate them into your own personal style") and Jennifer Lopez in Herve Leger by Max Azria ("Find the pieces that make you feel good about yourself") and see how the stars have put this advice to good use. Check out more designer tips now!

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Rebecca Taylor

Credit: Alexandra Wyman/Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

"Wear heels even though they kill you! Seriously! They look good. My daughter will be like, 'Why did you say that? They're terrible for women!' All the girls in my office show up in their flats and then put heels on at the office. That's the trick."

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Jason Wu

Credit: Marc Stamas/Getty; David X Prutting/BFAnyc/Sipa USA

"Wear clothes that fit your personal style, not what fits what's going on right now."

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Zac Posen

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"Wear color! For sure! Wear color, solid colors. You can be sexy and be elegant and look like an intelligent woman. If you dress the part, your life will follow."

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Badgley Mischka's James Mischka and Mark Badgley

Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage; John Shearer/WireImage

"The most important thing is making sure your clothes fit well. Have them tailored to you. You can make the most mediocre piece of clothing look great if it fits you well. So, save a little bit of money for beautiful alterations. If your clothes fit well, you always look like a million bucks."

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Rachel Roy

Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Jemal Countess/WireImage

"Dress for yourself. Don't follow the trends. Observe the trends, read about the trends, and apply them to yourself in a way that feels unique. Not all trends work. That said, try your best to be an individual, because the most attractive people in the world are the ones that are unique and have something different to say."

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Max Azria

Credit: Smart Pictures/PacificCoastNews.com; Shawn Ehlers/WireImage

"Be yourself. Find the pieces that work for you and make you feel good about yourself."

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Derek Lam

Credit: David X Prutting/BFAnyc/Sipa; Andreea Angelescu/Corbis

"When I really need to find something, personal shoppers in stores are amazing."

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Temperley London's Alice Temperley

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"If you try something on and you don't feel it, it's not for you. If you don't look good in a bright color, don't go there. If you don't look good in a low-cut dress, don't do it. No matter what designer or trend, if you understand what your body shape is, that's what you should wear. Create your own wardrobe that really suits you as an individual."

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Tory Burch

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"Know who you are. Know your age, know what looks good on you. It's not necessarily what's on the runway."

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Rebecca Minkoff

Credit: Jesse Grant/WireImage; Sylvain Gaboury/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa

"Invest in one good piece of timeless clothing you are proud of. Saving up for that one something special will likely last way longer and never go out of style so you can wear it season after season and feel good in it!"

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Kaufman Franco's Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco

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"You have to be confident about what you're putting on. If you're confident, you're going to look great. You don't want the clothes to wear you—you want to wear the clothes. Even if there are lots of bells and whistles, at the end of the day, it's really how you put it together that makes it come alive."

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Tommy Hilfiger

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"Less is better! Never over do it."

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Jenny Packham

Credit: Barcroft/Fame Pictures; Janette Pellegrini/FilmMagic

"I always think that the dress should never take over someone. You should dress so that you feel confident. Don't be too influenced by what's 'in fashion.' Just be a bit more individual about it."

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Jeremy Scott

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"Follow your instincts. That's best."

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J.Mendel’s Gilles Mendel

Credit: David Gabber / PR Photos; Julian Mackler/BFAnyc/Sipa

"Effortless is chic!"

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Naeem Khan

Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty; Chance Yeh/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa

"Being that I'm known for glamour, I'd say keep glamour simple and not too complicated."

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Chris Benz

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage; Steve Mack/Getty

"My one piece of fashion advice would be try, try, try to wear a heel for your life. If you have to wear a high, high heel—you can shove them in your bag. You can swap them out in a taxi or wherever you want."

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Yigal Azrouel

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage; Clint Spaulding/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa

"Be effortless. It doesn't matter what you wear just don't try very hard—just go with it."

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Tibi's Amy Smilovic

Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage; Eugene Gologursky/WireImage

"Wear what you feel comfortable in. Even if it's outrageous, just wear it! We've got one lifetime to live, wear what makes you feel good."

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The Blonds' Phillipe and David Blond

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"Always be yourself! It's about collecting pieces you love and incorporating them in ways that fit your own personal style. Wear clothing that makes you feel amazing because that is what fashion is all about!"

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Elie Tahari

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"Be relaxed in what you're wearing. Wear clothes that you are comfortable in, and that make you feel good."

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Alice + Olivia’s Stacey Bendet

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"Have fun with it. I think girls should have fun and look pretty."

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Alejandro Ingelmo

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"Definitely when you wear a heel, make sure you can manage. I think it's the most unsexy thing on a woman when she can't walk. If it's high or medium or a flat just make sure you can walk in it."

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Tadashi Shoji

Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty; Courtesy Photo

"Dress according to your body type. A good fit is key!"

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Cynthia Rowley

Credit: Skip Bolen/WireImage; Amber De Vos/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa

"Have a signature style and know what works best for you, but don't be afraid to experiment."

—With reporting by Sharon Clott, Caitlin Donovan, Caitlin Petreycik, Lindzi Scharf, Lauren Tumas, and Nakisha Williams

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