Elegance coach reveals the must have items every classy lady needs in her wardrobe this spring

Spring is finally upon us – and it’s time to throw out your dark and dreary frocks which optimised warmth, and let a little colour into your wardrobe. 

An elegance coach has shared her top tips for how to spruce up your wardrobe for the warmer weather so you can achieve an elegant ensemble every time.

Stressing the importance of knowing which cuts best suit your body shape, Anna Bey, 38, shared her recommendations in a YouTube video – where the popular influencer has more than 1.63 million subscribers.

The style guru, who splits her time between London and Geneva is now well known for her classy fashion tips. But underneath her sunny demeanour is a painful past which she opened up about earlier this year. 

Thirteen years ago, the social media star was a nightclub dancer who partied all the time, was ‘unhappy’, and used cigarettes and alcohol ‘as a form of escape’.

In 2010, a 25-year-old Anna appeared on reality show Paradise Hotel Sweden for 12 episodes during a time she describes as the ‘lowest point in her life’. 

Now, she ‘helps other women improve themselves so they can live their best lives’.

Here, FEMAIL looks at the style experts Spring wardrobe recommendations, and the standout tips from her video. 

RED, VINTAGE-CUT DRESS 

Anna said that a classic, vintage-style red, especially in a stunning red, will elevate your look to something that’s both elegant and fun.

‘You’re gonna be surprised how much positive male attention you’re gonna get,’ she said.

The expert assured that while some may find the cut ‘too conservative’, it’s all about adding touches of excitement – such as the vibrant scarlet.

‘And then you have maybe personal grooming like I have today,’ she added, ‘that is a little bit more…flirty, feminine, relaxed – sensual somehow.

‘It adds a good nice little mix to it meaning that it’s not all just stuffy and boring and kind of uptight.’

Anna said that petite ladies may find this dress length ‘drowns’ them – so suggested it for regular height shoppers, or those who are taller.

She also warned that this style of frock needs the right shoes – most usually, heels. 

‘Some of these kind of dresses can be worn with flats but I wouldn’t wear this dress with flats,’ she added. ‘It looks better with a pair of sandals.’

RETRO JUMPSUIT

Donning a Manhattan Jumpsuit from Sezane, Anna complimented the cut and proportions of the ensemble

The elegance coach said that while a jumpsuit may feel inherently masculine – the right details could make this a perfect pick for classy ladies in the spring.  

Donning a Manhattan Jumpsuit from Sezane, Anna complimented the cut and proportions of the ensemble. 

‘So the style of this jumpsuit is quite I would say maybe more trendy fashionista style maybe a little bit more edgy for some,’ she explained.

‘It’s not hyper feminine at all but sometimes you can still look feminine in something that has more of a masculine touch to it it all depends how you groom yourself, what shoes you’re wear, how you accessorise things.

‘As you can see, I have done my hair, I’m wearing a pair of heels, I’m wearing a little bag and you know what then it doesn’t look as masculine as if I would just wear it with a pair of sneakers and my hair pulled up.’

Focusing on the ‘retro’ cut of the jumpsuit, she added that it gives the look an effortlessly classy feel.

‘It kind of brings out the the vintage feel sometimes,’ she added.

‘A big plus of this jumpsuit is the fact that it has a belt,’ Anna pointed out.

‘If it didn’t have a belt and I would not have recommended it to you because the belt has a bit of femininity which is really nice considering that everything else is quite masculine.’

SELECTION OF MINI-DRESSES 

Nice fabric and detailing also add even more of a feminine and romantic flair to the look. Anna pictured in a dress from Sandro (left) and another from Reformation (right)

Anna said mini-dresses are a great way to bring in a ‘pop of colour’ into spring, and accentuate the waist.

The style guru warned that one key detail to look out for are the sleeves – as some, particularly flowy balloon-style cuts – may ‘widen you a little bit’ on the top while leaving the mid-section ‘tightened’. 

‘Certain body types really have to be cautious with this,’ she explained.

Waist placement, Anna added, is also really important to consider. 

‘Not everybody has their waist in exactly the same place and that’s really important to pay attention to when you are shopping for clothes,’ she said.

‘Because actually many ladies don’t even understand that they bought a dress where the waist maybe sits here although their waist is like up here and then it looks odd.’

Nice fabric and detailing also add even more of a feminine and romantic flair to the look. 

A FEMININE BLOUSE 

She in particular recommended the Ann Shirt in Blue from Sezane – praising it’s colour and silky feel

‘Blouses, tops, shirts, long sleeves, short sleeve, knitwear, you name it, are so important in our wardrobe especially during these transitional times when it’s still a little bit too cold to just wear bare shoulders we need something a little bit more covering,’ Anna said.

‘And I think it’s quite hard to find nice blouses.’

She in particular recommended the Ann Shirt in Blue from Sezane – praising it’s colour and silky feel.

‘The only drawback of it (and it’s on purpose actually which sometimes brands do which I don’t really understand why they do it) but they add a little washed out effect,’ she added.

The expert says that the right blouse is a hero item because they’re the perfect complement to a pair of high-waisted trousers. 

‘I love tucking my blouse in just the way I’ve done it here and then it gives me this illusion of really long legs,’ she explained.

‘Yet it kind of looks a little bit nonchalant when it’s hanging halfway out, and I like that touch because everything that is like properly aligned and you know can feel a little bit stuffy and a little bit too elegant sometimes.’

Anna says the ensemble also feel harmonious because it’s both ‘semi-relaxed’ and ‘dressed up’.

SPRING KNITWEAR

Anna says knitwear risks being boring, frumpy and old-fashioned – but with the transitional weather, it’s handy to have these warmer items in your wardrobe. Pictured in a cardigan from Sezane

Anna says knitwear risks being boring, frumpy and old-fashioned – but with the transitional weather, it’s handy to have these warmer items in your wardrobe.

So it’s important to make sure you do the work to wear it well.

‘If you just tuck it in a little bit, instantly it becomes more elevated,’ Anna demonstrated.

‘Now this is a trick ladies that I really want you to pay attention to because sometimes we’re gonna find really beautiful sweaters, cardigans, etc. that don’t work in their kind of natural shape.

‘You have to jazz it up a bit.’

POLKA DOT PRINT 

Showing off an Ann Shirt – in Navy – from Sezane, Anna also stressed the importance of having different styles and patterns of blouses

Anna praises polka dot print as one ‘one of the most classic and elegant ones’ out there – as well as being ‘very feminine’.

‘Thing about the polka dots is that they come in all kinds of colors, shapes and forms,’ she said.

‘And you can see that here I’m wearing something more kind of white dots with navy and here you have black dots with white print.

‘Earlier I had something completely different so think about the polka dots come in all kinds of variations.’

Showing off an Ann Shirt – in Navy – from Sezane, Anna also stressed the importance of having different styles and patterns of blouses. 

‘And I was also talking very heavily about upper wear in today’s video which is why I wanted to end with yet another blouse, because I think we all need a lot of blouses because it gives us a lot of variations in our wardrobes,’ she added.

‘Separates are always a good investment. Trust me on that one and memorise that.’