How To Be Classy
Classically Elegant

A write up about how to be classy, classically elegant and simply sophisticated for sophisticated women. Similar interests include how to be elegant sophisticated women, become a socialite, or what's in socialite life?

Learning to 'be classy' is about changing your feather to a finer class. Contrary to popular belief, money and class are not the same thing.

What is "class" then?

Class refers to a group of people according to the things they have in common, including money.

Unfortunately, many think once they have money, they have class. See How to be a lady.

It is possible to have lots of money and no class. It is also possible to have class and no money. We'll talk about what it means to be "classy", in specifics, classically elegant.

Be Classy - Classically Elegant - The Word "Classy"

Image via Flickr Cocokelly

If you googled the number of websites with the word "classy" in the entire web, you'll find that there are 78763 number of pages using that word.

It is one of the most misrepresented words. People use it to describe elegance, sophistication, stylish women. They also use it to describe art, a hotel, a restaurant etc.

While it is not "wrong", it is also very subjective. What appears to be "classy" to you, may not be classy to someone else.

Even the Dictionaries have very little to say about the subject. Dictionary.com simply classifies it an informal word which represents the traits, 'stylish and sophisticated'. As defined earlier, "Class refers to a group of people according to the things they have in common, including money." The key, then is to get as much of these 'traits' as possible.

Be Classy
Classify Yourself

The root words of 'Class' are 'classification' and 'to classify'. That is true in our everyday lives. We sort people, things out, whether consciously or unconsciously.

classically elegant elegant audrey hepburn

The classically elegant Audrey Hepburn

art_es_anna / CC BY 2.0

When we look at someone, meet someone, eat something, go somewhere we automatically 'classify' in our minds. For example, you may have these thoughts:

"Oh wow, he is a doctor. He must be smart."

"This is the kind of place that teenagers go to."

"How can she afford these things? Her dad/husband must be rich."

Though we are all different, the stages of refinement are similar everywhere in the world. The characteristics of a "classy person" are identified by people of different backgrounds, though they may use another word. This explains why every royal princess of different cultures have similar traits, "well-groomed, educated, good posture, gracious etc..." In other words, in order to be classy, we continue to grow towards refinement in every sense of the word.

Be Classy - Refinement

Is refinement important? Is it superficial and silly?

Many scoff at the term 'Self-improvement'. They believe their high salaries are enough to buy themselves into the world of luxury. They think they are classy. But it doesn't work that way! There is some value in that because being able to afford luxuries can help you learn how to be classy in trickles. But affording luxuries are not what makes a woman refined.

jneilson23 / CC BY 2.0

Stop feeling guilty!

Sometimes, you may feel the desire for refinement are silly pursuits. The dream for the finer things in life, the wish for a fine way of living. There is a sense of guilt when we indulge in some form of luxury. We think it's bad. It's bad to spend money, bad to want nicer things. Put a stop to this! Don't confuse a healthy desire to improve and extravagance. When we feel guilty and confuse our dreams for extravagance, we have (unknowingly), placed a low value on ourselves. We are telling ourselves that we are not worthy.

Refinement is an act of improvement. If the most accomplished men and women on earth did not invest their lives, time and dollars into improving medicine, furniture, electrical appliances, we wouldn't be where we are today. We wouldn't have things we have now. We won't be enjoying gourmet food, typing emails to your friends, talking on our mobile phones or taking digital pictures. We are far wealthier than any time period! Being classy is simply a way of life. It is being all you can be and living your best life.

Why Should You Be Classy

Firstly, it is beautiful. It is also a way of experiencing a life of quality and living well. Maybe you'll like to socialize with people you admire. People who are refined will identify you as "one of them". Maybe you want to do business with high net worth clients. Because you've acquired these common traits with the 'classy folks', they'll identify you as one of their own. They would want to socialize with you, do business with you, marry you, welcome your children into marriages with theirs.

Having these connections can help you access opportunities not available to you before. Layers

Be Classy - Traits of Class

Ginie Sayles lists these traits of class as layers. I prefer to call them 'traits'. There are fourteen of them, though I've added the fifteen and sixteenth trait. She says that as long as you develop those layers, you can be classy, without money. She recommends to have at least 10. Please note that these are mere descriptions of the intrinsic values of "class". It is one woman's opinion (and mine) and they are not facts.

Layer one - Wealth
Layer two - Lineage

65172294@N00 / CC BY 2.0

Layer three - Memberships
Layer four - Education
Layer five - Arts
Layer six - Social savvy
Layer seven - Political clout
Layer eight - Travel sophistication
Layer nine - Sports
Layer ten - Values
Layer eleven - Achievement
Layer twelve - Hobbies
Layer thirteen - Philanthropy
Layer fourteen - Manners and Self care
Layer fifteen - Having A good command of Languages
Layer Sixteen - A Refined Accent

Please click on each layer/link to read more about what each layer means. (I will be adding these layers from time to time).

Be Classy - Developing These Layers

Each layer adds quality to your life. Developing these layers gives each of us a personalized roadmap to how to be classy. In doing so, we increase in our self confidence and knowledge. We expand our minds, widen our horizons, and begin to believe in ourselves. That is how, in general, we become classically elegant.

It is impossible to write about everything in one page. This series of 'Class' will be continued. To keep updated with elegantwoman.org, you may subscribe or check the site's blog.

Thank you for reading 'How to be Classy, Classically Elegant'!