1. Clean hair.
You can never go wrong with this, because clean will always look classy. Messy or unkempt hair is tricky and difficult to pull off, and most likely you’re going to have to compensate in other things like expensive clothes, bag, or shoes to look sophisticated.

2. Neat makeup.
Your makeup doesn’t even have to be high-end. You just have to be able to apply well the right products for your face.

3. Watch.
Yes, watches are a luxury, especially when we’re talking about the classic Swiss ones. But you still can look sophisticated and powerful with a watch that doesn’t cost a fortune. Pick timepieces with a clean, minimalist face, with Roman numerals, lines, or dots for numbers, or ones with only just the hands showing. Make sure the steel is clean and the leather straps are not tattered.

4. Cellphone.
It’s the gadget everyone sees you with, since you text or chat with it, take photos, play games, watch shows, and listen to music with it. For sure phones make an impression on other people, and that would depend on what brand it is and how it looks. Because slim, sleek smartphones are the rage these days and beautifully designed iPhones are just too pricey, you can get Starmobile’s Knight Luxe. Costing P7690, it’s super thin, has a textured back, and looks really elegant with a simple front. The great part is that it performs well, too.

5. Pearls.
A classic strand of pearls helps you exude elegance.

6. Right eyewear.
The right glasses or shades will work wonders for your look. Make sure the style of the frames complements your face shape (round frames for angular faces, angular frames for round faces; and large frames for bigger faces).

7. Dark denim.
The darker, the sleeker, the better. You don’t have to wear designer jeans.

8. Posture.
Good posture not only shows you’re confident and strong, but also highlights how poised and graceful you are. Definitely for a woman on top. Great thing about it is that it’s free!

9. Good manners.
Sometimes it’s really the things money can’t buy that are most valuable, like good manners. Why? Because you’re not the only person in the world and the world doesn’t revolve around you. Life has a lot to do with how you deal with people from all walks of life, and being well-mannered to everyone shows that you’re remarkably kind and makes you someone people aspire to be.

This article originally appeared on Cosmo.ph.

* Minor edits have been made by the FemaleNetwork.com editors

PHOTO: Instagram @laureenuy