What is the Fashion Trend Continuum? As with all products, and fashion is a product, there is a continuum, a growth and decline cycle. With fashion though, it can be fast (fad) which lasts 3-12 months or slow (classic) which last 5-10 years, though many fashions turn into that mid-point(trend), that last around 2-5 years.…
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There are just so many lists of essentials that “every woman should own” out there on the internet. If you’ve been reading Inside Out Style for a while you’ll realise that I don’t believe in such prescriptive lists. Why not? Well I know from the experience of working with thousands of clients is that we…
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Before I had my breast reduction surgery, shopping was a bit of a nightmare. When it’s hard to find any clothes that actually fit (if it fit my bust it was way too large on my shoulders). For me shoes, costume jewellery and handbags have been my “go to” items when shopping for many years.…
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2016 was my year of renovation. We added a second story to our house (4 bedrooms and a bathroom, plus living area for the kids) and gutted the entire house (except for my office), remodelling it, moving every room’s location, except for the laundry. It’s been huge. So many decisions to make on the fixtures…
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What is Pinspiration? It’s outfit inspiration gleaned from Pinterest. Did you read my post about how to get fabulous outfit inspiration with my easy Pinterest Hack? This weekend your style challenge is to use Pinterest to create an outfit – based around something in your wardrobe. My necklace was inspired by a necklace…
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Corporate wardrobes tend to be more expensive, yet if you are a recent university graduate or on an internship you just don’t have that kind of money to splash around. So how do you create a functional and stylish corporate wardrobe on a budget? Where to shop and what to buy? Create a Corporate Wardrobe…
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I often hear from women just how frustrating shopping can be. My clients tell me when we’re on a personal shopping expedition that they normally give up really quickly, and my online community of 7 Steps to Style members has also let me know just how dissatisfying and unfruitful a shopping trip can be. My…
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Life hacks are all the rage… I mean, don’t we all want to be able to do things more easily, faster, and well, just better? Pinterest is a fabulous tool for finding inspiration as well as a bunch of life hacks, whether it’s decorating your house, cooking a meal or putting together an outfit. That’s…
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Many of you will have a wardrobe that has items that don’t get worn that often, and other pieces that are worn all the time. That old Pareto Principle of 80/20 rule comes in here too – that you are most likely to wear the same 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. Now…
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Whatever the politics centred around Washington DC, USA, you may or may not agree with it (and I don’t think this is the forum to go into my personal opinions), I wanted to share just what a great place it is to visit, if you happen to be going there. My husband and I spent…
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Question: In one of your posts, you talked about our coloring changing as we age. This is true for me, when considering covering my newly multiplying grey hairs I put some streaks in my hair but now even the streaks aren’t giving the blended coverage I was hoping for. so it is time to tint…
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I often feel like some people expect me to be magical, not like a magician (that I can help you with … find out more about becoming a magician with clothing here). Truly magical – like a fairy godmother who grants you 3 wishes that will turn your wardrobe from frumpy to fantastic. Perfect in…
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It took pregnancy to have me really think about building a wardrobe that was versatile, cost-effective and that worked for all the aspects of my life. Most maternity wardrobes are great capsules. So let’s unpack what you can learn from that short gestational time in your wardrobe. 1. It’s Better to Have a Few Great…
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Many years ago, Tim Gunn had a TV show called Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style and in it, he would help women become more stylish as he showed them what flattered their shape. Now one of Tim’s essentials in any wardrobe, was what he called a “sweatsuit alternative”, that comfy thing you sling on when…
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Just like with skirts, different shoe styles suit different trouser styles. When you think about how to choose a shoe and heel style to work with your pants, you will want to take into consideration a few aspects. 1. Trouser Shape and Shoe Selection From the widest palazzo pant to your skinny leg pant, there…
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One of the issues I have in the cooler months, if I want to wear pants and an open top shoe – like a ballet flat or pump, even a loafer, but I don’t want to wear a pair of tights (hosiery), then my feet get cold. Now there have been the old “pop sock”…
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Many of you wear activity trackers. I wear one daily as it helps me know just how much time I’ve spent sitting down, and reminds me that I need to get up and move to stay healthy. Yet, most fitness trackers are fine for sport, but just don’t look right worn with your smarter or…
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Why is it that some women seem to be effortlessly stylish yet others struggle? From years of experience working with many clients and taking note of what makes a stylish woman, I’ve come up with this list: 7 Secrets of Stylish Women 1. They understand what flatters them physically in colours, shapes and proportions Knowing…
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This week I wrote about how to be a magician using the art of illusion and distraction (and if you missed the post, read it here). For this weekend’s style challenge, I want you to think about using some of these illusion and distraction techniques to create yourself a fabulous outfit. Here in this…
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Most of us know that keeping any relationship alive requires time spent together, focussing on your partner, without the distractions of work, home, chores and family getting in the way. This is why getting out on a date with your partner (either old or new) is an important thing to do. But so often we…
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How does magic work? We’re smart people, we should be able to see the tricks of a magician? Yet, how often have you seen a magic trick and been perplexed at it how fools your eye? The art of the magician is in illusion and distraction. The magician distracts you away from the trick, at…
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