The world has been blessed with many classy women throughout the years. Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Julie Andrews, Kate Middleton, Lupita Nyong’o, Blake Lively…all of these women possess the right amount of confidence, elegance and style that is characteristic of a classy woman.

But if there’s anything I’ve noticed in our lovely grand ol’ society it’s that the number of classy women seems to be steadily declining – even with the popular phrase “classy not trashy” being thrown about every which way. I’m sure there are multiple reasons for this (maybe I’ll write about it someday) but I’m here to say that classy women should make a comeback – and I think it should start with you.

First, let’s talk about the term “classy”. I think a lot of women find “classy” to be a word that limits women or puts them in a box. It’s generally associated with being prim and proper, boring and conservative. It’s considered to be a super traditional term, one that holds a lot of (supposedly) old-fashioned ideals and one that pretty much only applies to our grandparents’ generation.

If you think this is what being classy is all about, I have good news for you: IT’S NOT! Being a classy woman is not going to limit you in anyway. And it’s certainly not old-fashioned. For this exact reason, Renee Wade (author of the article “7 Keys to Becoming a Classy Woman”) decided the term “classy woman” needed to be refined. This is her new and approved definition: a classy woman is “a genuine, feminine and high quality woman who holds herself and thinks of herself highly regardless of what life’s circumstances may present, and despite what other people may think.”

Being a classy woman is not just about how you dress. You can be the classiest dresser on this side of the Mississippi and still not be classy. Being a classy woman is about how you act as well as how you dress. It’s about knowing your worth, being authentic and showing the world that you are force to be reckoned with. It’s about dressing for the occasion and knowing what clothing is appropriate for different situations. It’s about being confident in who you are as a woman and feeling empowered to do whatever you want to do (yes you can be feminine AND empowered, as a side note). Ultimately, being classy is a lifestyle choice not just a fashion statement.

Embracing a classy lifestyle will change the way people view you and the biggest reward you will get from being classy is respect. This is what we all want isn’t it? We all want to be respected by our peers, acquaintances, friends, family and coworkers. But a common objection that I hear to this is “Well, people should always be treated with respect regardless of how they are dressed or what their attitude is like.” Yes, in a perfect world, everyone would be treated with respect regardless of how they act towards people or how they dress. But as it stands, how you present and market yourself both in dress and persona does affect how people view you. If you want to gain the respect of others you have to show them that you are worthy of their respect and if you market yourself as a high quality, classy woman respect is exactly what you will get.

One of Coco Chanel’s most famous quotes is “a girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” There is immense truth in this statement. Girls are strong, amazing and capable of doing incredible things. And being classy never goes out of style – I can promise you that.