Scale is one of the most important elements to consider when thinking about dressing your body and personality. It’s one of the tools we have to create an optical illusion, we can use it to make ourselves or parts of ourselves appear larger or smaller (or just as we are), depending what we want to…
If you’ve been reading this blog for more than a nanosecond, you’ll know that I truly believe that personality is the most important factor when choosing clothes and accessories. I listed 10 ways personality is more important than body shape here. And you may be aware (but if you’re new, maybe not) that body shape,…
What are some of the considerations you should think about when choosing rings? Scale of the Ring and Scale of Your Hands and Fingers You will need to consider the scale of both your hands and fingers, and the scale of the ring. The larger the scale of your hands, the larger the rings you…
What kind of handbag to choose for your body- is there a relationship between body shape and suitable handbag shapes besides size? How To Choose a Handbag to Flatter Your Body and Style Purpose and Practicality of the Handbag Is it an everyday handbag that you’re after? How much stuff do you need to carry…
This weekend’s style challenge is about having fun and experimenting with the scale of your accessories and details. To find out more about choosing scale of details and accessories read these posts: Choosing scale based on personality style How to flatter larger facial features S is for Scale How to choose a necklace How to make…
What about bead or chain necklaces? Are they a no-no or can a busty gal get away with them too? I like pendants once in awhile but I have a lot of beads, pearls, and chain necklaces that I like to wrap around my neck once or twice. Thanks for the advice! The scale of…
I was lucky enough to spend the day yesterday with Jan Fisher, AICI FLC a New Zealand based image consultant who you have met before here and here with her ideas for dressing women of a certain age. We went out for lunch and dropped into a local boutique and discovered this great necklace, which…
Prints: I find I usually default to solids because there seems to be an overwhelming amount of considerations with a print (color and value contrasts, size, modernity, age appropriateness, straight/curved lines, connected or individual pattern…). For example: sizewise -flower prints generally look like I’m lost in the garden, but would calico be twee? I find…
I suppose I’m “of a certain age” in some circles at least – look young 40s but I’m actually mid 50s – and the jewelry thing has me stymied. I have delicate features and small bones, so need smallish jewelry. Chunky or large things are just completely out of scale on me! I no longer…
Accessories can be extremely powerful because they complete a look, often taking it from nice to fabulous. Eye-catching accessories can also make a strong style statement. When you are considering accessories for your outfit, you should consider the principles of co-ordination. There are 4 main principles of co-ordination – these are: Levels of Refinement Principle…
Many women shy away from prints as they’ve read or been told that all prints make you look larger and are generally unflattering. Yet this is not true for all prints and patterns, in fact, many can be really wonderfully camouflaging if you know how to choose ones that flatter you. There are dimensions to…
It’s been a few years since I shared about my breast reduction surgery (in fact many who are newer to the blog won’t realise that I ever had this surgery back in 2014), and I was asked by a long-time reader who is thinking about going through the process to share an update! For me,…
Do you mix patterns? Does everything have to match? It’s not something a lot of people feel comfortable doing as you can easily feel that going wrong is so easy. Yet there are a few patterns that you can easily mix with other patterns, these the the ones that mix with everything. So if…
One of my lovely readers Karen sent me this email: I do think we can and should each find our own personal style and be comfortable with it. I do not understand the large size that handbags have become. If I carried a currently stylish handbag, it would be 90% empty, and I’m not sure…
If you learn how to mix prints and patterns in an outfit like a pro, you’ll expand your selection of possible ways of putting your existing clothes together and get way more bang for your fashion buck. Are there any fashion rules regarding mixing prints and patterns in your outfits? Mixing prints in fashion is…
The concept of possessing an inherent sense of style has often felt elusive to many, myself included. The elusive “style gene” seems out of reach for some of us. However, through my personal style journey, I’ve come to realize that style is not an inherent trait; it’s a science that can be learned. If you…
A collection of lovely handbags is a wonderful idea if you enjoy variety and dress for different occasions (from everyday casual, and business attire to evenings out). However, having a collection can mean spending a lot of money (though these days there are many places you can purchase quality handbags at affordable prices, from thrift…
Following on from my post on colour and value contrast this post on ultimate colour contrast is my simple guide to finding your ideal contrast levels. For each step write down the option that suits you for both colour and value. 1. What is your hair colour? Colour Contrast Colour – strawberry blonde, golden blonde,…
How do your features impact on your jewellery choices? In this chat with YouTube video creator and 7 Steps to Style sister Carol Karl we talk about how to find balance with your features using the concepts of Yin and Yang. If you missed our first chat all about personality and choosing clothes and jewellery…
Many people talk about horizontal stripes as the work of the devil. It’s true they can be widening, but some can also be lengthening. It’s all in the detail, the scale and your shape and scale and how you wear them. The wider the horizontal, the more your eye will slow down and focus on…
Reader Question – How do I get to be more adventurous with my styling? Being different, standing out, taking risks—these are things that sound scary and uncomfortable, but are actually really awesome. Since you change your outfit every day, you have a near-infinite number of chances to take risks, both big and small. And if you…
