The New Oxford American dictionary defines class as something that is “informal, stylish, and sophisticated.” Every girl seems to be caught up in the idea of being classy. Rightfully so. No girl wants to be thought of as “unclassy” or “trashy.” But what exactly does it mean to be classy?

Things Classy Is: Being respectful of the people around you, the environment you’re in, and most of all, you.

Manners never, ever go out of style. It’s a given, but being sure to say “please” and “thank you” are concepts that sometimes get swept under the rug. Sometimes, you just get caught up in the moment and may forget. But you can’t forget, it’s honestly just rude. Another way to be respectful of other people is to not trash talk or talk behind their backs. We’ve all done it, “Did you hear about what Suzie Q. did at the bar the other night?” And you may just be informing your friend, but if it’s something that’s going to make another person look bad then it’s talking behind their back. There’s no reason to point out someone’s flaws to make you look better.

If you’re invited to a wedding, you don’t show up in a t-shirt and Norts. You dress appropriately. If you’re at your cousin’s 8th birthday party, you don’t spew off swear words and drop f-bombs. Being conscious and respectful of the environment you’re in is a huge factor of how people will think of you. You wouldn’t want your Grandma thinking of you as a foul-mouthed slob, would you?

Being respectful of yourself is possibly the most important thing you can do. This means that you don’t tear yourself down and you hold yourself to the highest type of person you can be. If you treat yourself well, then you’ll have a higher level of confidence. Constantly breaking yourself down (“I need to lose weight,” “My face is disgusting.”) is only going to make you feel worse. You can’t expect others to think well of you if you don’t think well of yourself. Next time you don’t feel so hot, remind yourself of something you’re good at or something you love about yourself. Period have you feeling bloated in your mid-section? Do your hair or make up different and try something super cute, that way you know people will pay more attention to up here rather than down there.

Things Classy Is Not: Being a “bitch” to people, running around like a drunk slut, and boasting to everyone how “classy” you are.

We all have our days, and there are always those people who just irritate us. But that’s no excuse to break them down and attack them. Don’t like someone? Ignore them. Making yourself out to be a Regina George figure isn’t going to make you look classy. You’ll just look like a bitch, and nobody wants to be friends with someone like that.

Trying to forget about the time you let some rando do body shots off you at the bar after he saw you dancing like a raunchy stripper? Yeah, so is everyone else who was there that night. If you don’t want people to remember it, don’t do it. It’s as simple as that.

The biggest thing that shows a person isn’t classy is when they feel the need to tell everyone they come across how “classy” they are. If you have to tell people and make it known that you are something, chances are, you probably aren’t. If you want to be a classy lady, then do things and promote yourself in a way that will show people that you really do have class. It’s one of those things where actions truly do speak louder than words.

Classy is as classy does. There are certain things that will show that you truly are a classy girl. But there are also plenty of things that will prove that you’re not. Need some role models to give yourself a classy make over? Look to ladies like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy. They’re both beautiful, well-dressed, confident, and classy women. There are many other celebrities, such as Grace Kelly and Katherine Hepburn, that are also really great role models. So next time you’re out with friends or at a party, remember to be a Jackie, not a Paris.

What do you think?

What do you think “classy” means for women today? Share your insights with us by leaving a comment below.

What do you think? Is classy your new black? Who are some women that you consider to be classy ladies? What do you think makes someone classy? Post your comments below!

Just for Fun

4 Comments

  1. avatar YZ says:

    Class is so lost in today’s time. It’s nice to think it’s back. I find Cate Blanchet and Helen Mirren to be such a classy dames. Class to me is combination of manners, humility, and confidence. It’s a gentle grace. It sounds so outdated but such a treasure! There’s nothing pretencious about class.

  2. avatar Lauren says:

    Soso true :) Great article, by the way! I think that Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge is really classy and an excellent role model. She is polite, dresses appropriately, in a way that makes her look beautiful without showing too much skin!

    Anyway, thanks for the post!

    Lauren xxx

  3. avatar Nicky says:

    this article is MUCH NEEDED in our young female/ college girl culture today. girls under estimate the power of “class”.

x

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