About

"Style is not a display of wealth but an expression of  imagination." 

- Refinement Society 

Why Refinement?

If you are someone who is seeking a life of fulfillment, reaching your optimal potential, loving what you do, love to dress well, believe in Style over Trends, aspired trailblazer to 'look good, feel good (physically and mentally), ready to a journey of life-long continuous learning for self-growth, and appreciate being elevated to a 'Life Well Live', focusing on what is necessary over essentials, you have found your inspiration as this is the blog for you. 

Welcome to Refinement Society. 

Taking the first step of being here and the next step, by following and subscribing to this blog, you have the opportunity to (virtually) meet and greet men and women sharing and exchanging views and knowledge on 'The Art of Living Well', where we call it 'Refinement'. 

The inception of Refinement Society came into my thoughts after years of being an Image Styling Coach (officially known as an Image Consultant). I had a curiosity about life and the world since a young age as I grew up in a small town in a remote and widely diverse multi-cultural Asian Community.  I wanted to explore life outside my horizon, which led me to a decade of living in and working in Europe, exploring the beauty of the countryside to traveling around the metropolitan cities of the world, where I learned to live a life I enjoyed living. This is definitely life's knowledge that is something that is not able to fully satiated by a tertiary or academic education. 

Aristotle once said that the ultimate aim or purpose of human life is to achieve your own happiness. You are happiest when you are doing what's on the outside is congruent with your values on the inside.

Where it all began...

I mastered self-discovery during my travel and meeting people from diverse backgrounds and situations. (In my groundbreaking refinement book 'The Image Factor', I dived in on the concepts that help men and women experience their own profound shift.) My travelling and life abroad enriched my outlook on life, and the way I think, and behave which helped define 'the better me'. My life journey through my curiosity instinct helped elevate me to a more 'refined me', in all humbleness. I wish to implode on REFINEMENT as it has given me immense contentment and I wish to inspire you to live a 'Life Well Live', during both good times and challenging times. 

Let's clear the clutter in your lives (for example you can start from your wardrobe), and then get started bringing in your 'REFINEMENT' ideas, and approaches to get enriched and elevated each day no matter what your income, age, house or location you live in,  or relationship status. 

Refinement is a life-long journey of finding your niche passion and being uniquely different to shine, inspire, and help others find theirs. 

But what does REFINEMENT looks like? The good news is there is not just simply one way to LIVE WELL. There are core basic principles that will enable you to reach your full potential and live the life of your dreams, achieving your vision and goals. 

As for me, I am still fascinated by life and seek to define myself by continuing to try to improve. 

Getting Started towards REFINEMENT 

Tune in to my blog and if possible, read my book 'The Image Factor', you will get to learn the simplistic and practical way to elevate your Personal Refinement and adopt a Life- Well-Live. It is about the 11 pillars to building the Life and Look of Success by laying the foundation of REFINEMENT. Also, be sure to check out my ebook 'Minimalist Simple Wardrobe' - How to get started on clearing the CLUTTER in your life, starting from your wardrobe. 

What is Refinement?  Some of the ways to practise Refinement and much more...

"Practice good social etiquette and gentlemanly chivalry. Always be mindful that you are representing your Brand, Your Company, Your Family, and People in your associations". 

Ready to make a Self-Improvement that will elevate you to a higher level and navigate the rest of your lifetime? We aspire to continue sharing on the subject of 'Personal Image, Brand-Yourself, Styling & Life Refinement' and we hope to set you on a journey to a finer, more elegant lifestyle while encouraging and challenging you to become the best person you can be in all areas of life. Social, Professional, family, and even financial... you can balance it all with grace, poise, and talent you never thought you had.

• Treating others with RESPECT while maintaining a sophisticated CLASS and IMAGE

Refined people are known for their elegance, subtlety, poise, attitude, taste, class, and social tact. Individuals with Refinement can understand and appreciate manners, kindness, refined dressing, personal conduct, appropriate etiquette, respecting others, personal grooming and hygiene, word choice, and humility. 

• Refinement is also about Enhancing Personality

A highly refined individual is a person who has his or her focus largely on the overall, evolving themselves to a higher level psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually allowing them to further reach their full potential.

• He or She has refined MANNERS

Refined individuals are cultivated with refined taste. These individuals have a high state of culture and development both socially, personally, and in business. They are refined in appearance, behavior, style, and the way they speak. They give attention to detail, are concerned with personal care, and personal hygiene, and are polished. 

Manners are wonderful to have. It makes a person beautiful! Manners are kind and it is a source of Refinement. Do you enjoy being in the presence of family members or groups of friends where everyone speaks kindly to each other? 

• He or She has a CULTIVATED mind

Refinement can be defined as the continuous improvement of what is already acceptable. In the uncompromising rush to make things as affordable and as widely available as possible, it's easy to lose sight of how valuable refinement can be. The trend in the current digital era and business-driven dominant culture has pushed the value of Refinement to become invisible. 

Refinement is also learning about other cultures. CULTURAL Refinement is an enabler to bridging culture, embracing diversity towards inclusivity and change.

Image Credit: Refinement Society
Author Teresa with Artistic Belly Dancer Performer from Beirut, Lebanon

A cultivated mind perceives and makes a connection to elegance in nature, in art, and in other people, while an unrefined (or uncultivated or uncultured)  mind is oblivious to those qualities and is distracted by easier sources of stimulation.

• Art Appreciation is one of the methods of Refinement

Everyone sees beauty in their own way and it just brings out the refined qualities in you. 

Image Credit: Author Teresa with Paris-based Artist Diana Liu

Image Credit: Author buying Art on behalf of Clients from Artist Shima 

When you find your place in the art world, you'll become familiar with it, and soon you become more sophisticated in art appreciation. ART is about seeing beauty differently in different people, and spending some time pursuing the Arts brings about a refining quality. Arts also awaken creativity from within and we need creativity to bring a fresh approach to relationships, house decorations, buying elegant gifts for loved ones, and for business. Not only Arts will awaken your finer qualities, but they will also bring inspiration, pleasure, joy, and mental balance. The uniqueness of arts is, rich or poor, there is no divide as individuals who appreciate Arts speak with a polished, right tone, poise, and relaxed ease.

• A CONNOISSEUR of Taste and Style

The art of pursuing Refinement is synonymous with being elegant and classy. Ladies and gentlemen are not born, they are made through intentional learning and consistent practising.  It makes you a better person and it equips you for a higher quality of life. The determined effort towards refinement builds exquisite people in a Nation. You are a Connoisseur who has acquired fine taste, and you profess great sensitivity to beauty, authenticity, quality, and nature. In others, you become an expert judge in TASTE, Beauty, and Fine things in life. You are a cultured person of great self-respect and to others too.  

We would love to hear from you. What worked, what didn't, what was your experience, and where were your outcomes? 

Feel free to input comments below or email us directly at teresadianchew5@gmail.com to have a chat. 

Be Refined, Be Classy, Stay Safe.  

"Elegance is not being noticed, it's about being remembered".