Dutch fashion designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoreren met as first year fashion students at the Arnhem Academy of Arts and Design in 1988. In 1992 upon graduation they moved to Paris and began their collaboration and became Vicktor and Rolf after winning the Hyeres Prize with an entry that included this outfit. Their…
Let’s have fun this weekend accessorizing with colour. Jill Chivers and I recently discussed how turquoise is a great colour for beauty bundles as it is both a warm and cool colour and I even used this concept when putting together outfit ideas for our Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival events here. So grab a…
If you’re a keen racegoer, Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival can be an expensive time of year. So I thought, why not just buy one dress, and then using the beauty bundle concept, change it up so you feel like you’re wearing a completely different outfit each time, still on theme. I’ve chosen a simple offwhite…
Turquoise is one of the two universal colours that can be worn by both warm and cool undertone people. In this video, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss this fabulous colour that is so versatile because it has elements of both warm and cool and why it’s one of our go-to…
I was lucky enough to see (and meet) Ari Seth Cohen, author of Advanced Style (blog, movie and books) in action as he politely asked women to pose for him as he took photos. He was in Melbourne promoting his new book Advanced Style – Older and Wiser and I caught him at Readings Bookstore…
Overdyeing Act II : How To Dye And What You Need By Ms MakeitOver – Bernadette Lis In response to the many inquiries as to how I actually dye items following this blog post – check it out so you can see the kinds of results. This is the exact way in which I dye…
Many of us compare our styles to others (and often find our own style somehow, lacking, in our eyes). We can feel we are not creative, sophisticated, elegant, bold, feminine, relaxed (pick your word and insert it here) enough. We think that our outfits just aren’t good enough. Now I know that it’s very easy…
I’m really excited to be telling you about my Academy of Professional Image new and updated Certified Personal Stylist and Image Mastery training programs that are now available in the classroom and as a distance learning program so that everyone who can’t come and sit in my classroom can still get really detailed and thorough…
This weekend, why not play with colour and create an outfit around two different colours. Firstly, create an outfit that communicates more authority by using a higher contrast. Then by changing one garment using the concept of the way colour communicates which I wrote about in this post, change your outfit to communicate a…
Today I’m sharing why self-care and self-kindness are so integral in determining what gives you a foundation to be your best self yet often we think of self-care as being indulgent and selfish. In this video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss elements of self-care and self-kindness, why they are important and…
When you’re putting together an outfit, always consider what you want to communicate with it. Ask yourself what the situation/occassion you are wearing it. Who you are going to be interacting with, and how you want to be perceived. Then you can use this knowledge to choose the right combination of colours and contrast to…
One of the benefits of living in Australia is how close we are to South East Asia, and therefore masses of great Asian restaurants. Next time you’re looking for somewhere to eat, check out one of these great Asian restaurants. Jing Jai Thai – Melbourne Thai food is one of those cuisines I absolutely love…
….. I’m delighted to introduce you to Michelle who is a Sydney (Australia) based Instagrammer known as Fabuliciously Fun Life, who spent time doing my Evolve Your Style and 7-Steps to Style Programs. What is the secret to great style? Great style certainly includes the right mix of accessories, a flattering silhouette, and being well…
Contrast is a hot topic amongst my 7 Steps to Style and Evolve Your Style program members, because once you see its impact, you can’t go back to ignoring it. It’s an important part of any personal colour analysis – discovering how to wear your ideal colours (not just what they are). Colour contrast =…
Most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time (the old pareto principle). This weekend’s style challenge is aimed at getting you to wear more than that 20%. To help you get more value from the garments lurking in your wardrobe. In keeping with my post on the one question you need…
Should you throw out that garment or keep it? Here in this video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss one of the most important questions that you should ask yourself when doing a wardrobe cull before making a decision to bin it (and you can get some more tips here on keep…
One of the things I notice here with the comments I receive both here and on Facebook, is that sometimes we can get bogged down in the minutia of style guidelines (remember they are just guidelines, not rules). I think so many women have a perfectionist streak that we want to be ‘perfect’ at putting…
Bendigo Art Gallery has been making a name for itself these past few years amongst the fashion lovers of Victoria as it puts on fashion exhibitions of the highest calibre. Their current exhibition does not disappoint and is a must-see for anyone who loves fashion as art and theatre or sewing. Recently I went…
Recently I’ve been having fun playing with my scarf collection. Tying them in different ways (check out these 32 ways to tie your scarves), and using them as outfit colour scheme inspiration. Creating Colour Schemes Here I’m using a scarf (that was my grandmother’s) and have used the colours in it to create my outfit…
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…
I consider myself to be incredibly lucky. In my work, I get to meet some incredible people. People who have overcome adversity yet are positive in their attitudes to life, opportunity, and experiences. People who understand that they can use their clothing to help them feel more confident or even protected in the workplace. That…
