Pearl Nash
There is more to being classy than just toting around a fancy bag or drinking fine wines. You also have to actually build the habits that make you a woman of class.
And hey, who doesn’t want to be classy and sophisticated?
In this article, I will enumerate each one for you (trust me, being classy is actually easy as pie!)
1) A classy woman has meticulous self-care
Not only does she dress well, she also does her best to make sure her body and mind are as healthy as can be.
It would be so easy to just lie down all day eating McDonald’s, but she does not do that, and instead makes sure she exercises and subscribes to a healthy diet. She also has a morning routine and a night-time routine.
And when she feels blue, she reads self-help books and consults with a therapist.
A classy woman knows that everything that defines her begins with a healthy body and mind, and that is why her health—physical and mental—is so important to her.
2) A classy woman reminds herself of her goals daily
Classy women are often called ambitious. But that’s not quite right—a more appropriate way to describe them would be that they have something to live for.
This can be anything from rising up the corporate ladder and becoming CEO, to knitting every day until they become good at it.
Now, you may say that this may describe a lot of other people, too. But what sets a classy woman apart is that she isn’t just all words. Instead, she would remind herself of her goals every single day.
3) A classy woman is always learning
A classy woman invests her time in things that could help her grow and become a better person.
Instead of engaging in small talk and gossip, she burrows her head in books and scientific articles. She gets curious about a lot of things from samba, Japanese culture, cartography, to philosophy and physics.
And here’s the thing. She has a love for learning that she indulges in for its own sake, and not simply so that people will call her “classy.”
4) A classy woman doesn’t overwork herself
A classy woman doesn’t subscribe to the “hustle” culture.
Sure, she’s very ambitious and driven. But when it’s time to rest, she rests.
She knows that life isn’t just about status and money—it’s about enjoying it, too!
Aside from her work and her business, she has her hobbies, her friends, her concerts, her vacations, and her pets. She values herself and the other aspects of her life that it’s incredibly rare that you find her working after office hours.
5) A classy woman actively develops her own way of thinking
A classy woman strives to be authentic to herself. And that means that rather than blindly agreeing with the things popular figures say or following trends, she turns on her brain and questions everything.
She would try to understand whatever it is that people are talking about—be it something as banal as fashion or as grave as politics—and then try to make her own thoughts about it.
At the same time, it would be wrong to assume that she’s merely a contrarian—her conclusions may agree with the majority at times, and she’s fine by that.
What matters to her is that she got there with her own head.
6) A classy woman practices self-discipline
Every single day, a classy woman makes it a habit to train herself to have self-discipline.
She knows how important this is in every aspect of her life—from her personal success to her interpersonal relationships.
She finds opportunities to show grace, self-restraint, and patience towards others. And when she’s presented with something that she knows is clearly bad for her, she knows to say no as politely as she could rather than give in.
7) A classy woman constantly evaluates herself
I don’t mean that she keeps asking herself if she’s classy enough. If anything, a classy woman is NOT concerned at all about whether she’s being “classy” or not.
Instead, she will ask herself more important questions like if she’s being kind, or if she’s being the best version of her that she could be.
She does this while she’s doing her everyday interactions. She cares about how she affects others as well as the kind of person she’s becoming…so this comes naturally for her to self-evaluate.
And because of this mindset, she’s aware that she’s flawed and keeps an open mind, especially towards any criticisms she might get.
8) A classy woman holds her head up high
And no, I don’t mean that she’s a snob, or a snotty know-it-all.
She values herself and has high self-esteem so that even if she hasn’t accomplished much in life yet, she still believes she’s a worthy person.
She doesn’t see any reason why she should feel inferior when she’s together with her superiors. She knows that we’re all more or less the same…some are just more advanced than others.
9) A classy woman cares about the world
She knows what’s happening in Iraq as well as what’s happening in her neighborhood.
Although she nerds out on the things she finds important, she makes sure she’s updated on what’s happening in the world and around her. She watches the news and discusses these things with others.
But it doesn’t end there. She also actively does what she can to make the world a better place whether that be donating to charity or giving the brokenhearted neighbor warm cookies.
10) A classy woman tries to master her emotions
It’s not easy to master one’s emotions, but a classy woman tries her hardest to do it every single day.
She counts to ten before reacting whenever she feels herself getting impatient.
When she’s in a situation where one is expected to break down, she tries to stay calm and strong. And if she really can’t handle it, she leaves the room instead of releasing her frustration for everyone to see.
Although she values emotions, she knows that impulsive behavior and reactions can be harmful for everyone, especially to herself.
11) A classy woman is mindful of her words
You rarely hear a classy woman get tactless, sarcastic, or rude. And that’s because she knows that words can cut deep and, once uttered, can never be taken back.
And that’s why she has trained herself to choose her words with care.
It might mean she’d be a bit slower to respond to a conversation than others, but that’s not a problem as far as she’s concerned.
It takes extraordinary circumstances to get a classy woman to use harsh words and, when she does so, her restraint makes those words hit that much harder.
12) A classy woman is mindful of her actions
A classy woman knows better than to let herself be sloppy or careless. You won’t see her fumbling around like she has sausages for fingers and mush for brains.
Whenever she decides to do something, she does it with intent and after having considered how her actions might affect others.
And well, she has good manners of course. She closes the things she opened, she asks permission, she doesn’t talk loudly in public transport.
She knows that her every action—even seemingly minor ones—can affect others around her, and that’s what sets her apart from the rest.
13) A classy woman sets a time in her day to daydream
While she enjoys being immersed in her work and hobbies, and while she enjoys the company of her friends and family, she makes sure she has some quiet time for herself.
Her mind is not idle or dull—she is a creative being who spends a good amount of her time daydreaming.
She imagines what life may be like in the year 2090, thinks of possibilities and new inventions, and ponders about the meaning of life.
She knows that life is beyond what’s here and now, and this makes her more interesting than the average person.
14) A classy woman is gentle and kind
A lot of people associate class with snobbishness, of turning one’s nose up and not bothering with the “bothersome” riff-raff.
But on the contrary, this kind of behavior is actually quite boorish.
Instead, to be classy is to be gentle and kind, not just towards their peers, but also to those below them.
When you’re with a classy woman, you have no fear that they’ll suddenly erupt like a volcano because they’re naturally gentle and kind to the people around them.
15) A classy woman makes sure she’s enjoying herself
A classy woman might spend a lot of time and effort making sure she’s treating the people around her right, but she does not neglect her own enjoyment in doing so.
She steps away when things have become too uncomfortable for her, and she would happily hole herself away for some time if she really needs some personal R&R.
She enjoys life so much that, contrary to how we think of “classy” women, she doesn’t care how people perceive her.
She doesn’t care either what other people think of her hobbies, or that she’s dining alone in a restaurant, or that she’s walking barefoot.
A classy woman is a lover of life.
And so long as she isn’t harming anyone, she lives for herself and nobody else.
Last words
Being a classy woman is actually quite simple at its very core. It means creating your own way of seeing the world.
It also means that you treat everyone around you with respect, while living for yourself and being true to who you are.
You might not be able to apply all the habits in this list, but even one or two will transform your life for the better.
One thing’s for sure—the world would be a much better place if everyone just strives to be a bit more classy.
