by Francesca SlayFresh, relaxed, understated, and chic: when I think of a classic, perennially attractive look, I think of Jackie O. on the Greek islands. In a world awash with haircolor schemes, loud jewelry, of-the-moment-haircuts, and some very silly clothing options, the classic beauty is a breath of fresh air. < p>

But the best part about a foolproof program of classic chic is that it's so easy. Your mornings will be effortless, your wallet will thank you, and you can rest assured that you're always the most elegant woman in any room.

Let's start from the top: The first thing you need to do is grow your hair to at least your shoulders. No matter what your age, hair pulled back from the face is a visually uplifting look. And for most hair textures, a blunt cut along the bottom is just as good at the Hair Cuttery as it is at the salon. Keep it healthy and trimmed, and your hair will be a statement of elegance in of itself.

Hair in your face is never elegant, though, so you'll need to invest in some hair accessories. Your best friend and daily companion should be a very well-made tortisehsell hair clip. In a low ponytail or a casual French twist, the clip is thousands of times more elegant than an elastic - and tortiseshell goes with everything. Find a good clip, not a drugstore item. J. Crew, though they don't offer it on their website, always has thick and well made clips in-store.

Wearing a headband made from a scarf is a very chic and timeless look, but tying it just right and avoiding the telltale knot at your nape is a pain. Many women purchase comfortable cloth-covered headbands and cover these with the scarves themselves. Simply fold the scarf to the desired width - if it's a large scarf, you might want to use only a portion to avoid bulkiness - and glue to the headband. At the tips of the band, take a ribbon in a complementary color and bind the edges into a taper, securing with glue or a stitch.

Scarves are a very French, very chic accessory. A woman can wear nothing but good-fitting black pants and white shirt day in and day out if she mixes up a scarf around her neck or around her waist. They needn't be Hermes or Gucci, either. Beautiful silk scarves are available everywhere, from department stores to eBay. Really quality and lovely ones can be had for very little money if you don't care about flaunting a brand - and you shouldn't. That's not the essence of style.

A quality bag, on the other hand, is worth the money, but again, forego all logos.

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