Today I’m excited to share with you the Stylish Thoughts of Melbourne based mum and blogger Bron of Flat Bum Mum
What is the secret to great style?
I believe that great style doesn’t have to be expensive but it has to be you. No point wearing the latest fashions if they just don’t suit you. If you play around with your clothes you soon start to see what shapes suit, what colours flatter and what pieces bring a spark of joy to your day.
What is the one thing you would spend a lot of money on?
I tend to spend bigger on bras than some of my smaller chested friends. I can’t afford to go without a little scaffolding around ‘the girls.’ I think its important to wear bras that give you a good shape and lift your bust up to where it looks natural. Failing that a Louis Vuitton bag could always hide a pair of saggy boobs-if it was big enough.
Do you have a signature piece?
I don’t have a signature piece but it’s rare for me to be seen without some form of accessory. I love long strings of beads, stacks of thin gold necklaces or a big chunky neck piece. I am also quite partial to a scarf. Basically if it can go on my neck I’m into it.
What’s the secret to looking polished.
Imogen, this is too easy. You talk about it so much on Inside Out Style. Grooming. If your hair is flat, your nails are broken and your upper lip is vying for a place in the movember moustace competition then no amount of styling is going to save you. A great haircut that suits your face shape, basic care for your nails and a bit of whisker taming in the areas we want to be smooth is all it takes to add the first layer of polish to an outfit. The rest is just icing on the cake.
What is the one piece of advice that most women need but don’t get?
Buy a bra that fits! Double boob, Uni-Boob, Deflated Boob can all be things of the past if you just take yourself down to a fitter and get professional help.
How do you balance new trends with a more timeless look?
I tend to use a spend-o-meter. Things that will last I will spend money on and these timeless pieces are the ones that just keep giving me year after year of wardrobe love. Jeans, jackets, shoes and bags tend to be my most classic styles. I spend more on these as they are worn so frequently.
I love a bit of fast fashion. Trend pieces give me a hit of current style and keep me from feeling frumpy. I stay very low on the spend-o-meter though, because I know in a very short fashion minute trend pieces will become redundant. I never spend big on pieces like t-shirts, skirts or pants in bold shapes and things with trendy prints or patterns. (Chevron anyone?)
What’s the secret to making yourself stand out.
Accessories are the key to making my outfits different. I don’t necessarily want to stand out, but I do want to look and feel really comfortable and confident in what I wear. I see loads of mums doing the school run wearing similar clothes to me (we all shop at similar places, and probably have a similar clothing budget –minimal) but I think by adding a statement piece of jewellery or a scarf you can really set yourself apart from the pack. Without being too showy.
I really enjoyed seeing her casual style and how she works a polished casual look.
You clearly actually have a fairly mint body under all the draping and stretched t-shirts. My number one place for you to spend a little bit more money is – fabrics (feeling free to be frank as you seem to be that way inclined.) Low-slung belts could look nice. Remove loafers. Open-toe sandals. You’re very good-looking. Gina Davis type face. Nice hair. Some asymmetry is nice. Glasses look good if wearing a symmetrical vertical centre line. And last, but not least, hopefully I can sneak this one through, with the utmost respect, as you have a tendency to slouch, I would make sure you are being correctly fitted for your bras and that you’re adjusting the straps up properly. I personally have a tendency to want to make things last as long as possible, and this can sometimes translate into odd habits like not wanting to “pull my bra straps up too tight” because this will “wear them out faster”. A horizontal line also looks good. For example, the dress is not as interesting as it could be on you because it’s unbroken from neck to knee.