Becoming a magician with clothes involves learning the illusion of line. The slowest line we see is the curved line. Why? Well as our eye follows its path, it’s curves slow us down. Thus, if it’s a slower line to look at, it adds volume and curves to our bodies. Where do we find curves…
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Diagonals are action lines – they create movement, and interest. They move your eye from one point to another (as I discussed here). This weekend, your challenge is to find some diagonals and use them in an outfit. There are lots of different places you’ll find diagonals, from necklines (V) to collars,…
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Dear Imogen, Thank you so much for creating Inside Out Style. Many of the style blogs I find are designed for models or teens, at least that’s how it seems to me. Most of your articles are for more mature women, with children. And you don’t pretend to have a perfect figure, you teach us…
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When you are thinking about choosing earrings to flatter your face shape, think about how to balance it. How to Choose Earrings to Flatter a Heart Shape Face A heart shape face has a wider forehead and then narrows down to a more pointed V shape jaw. Thus the earrings that flatter will widen as…
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Diagonal lines create movement and action. They move the eye from one element to another and can be used to move the gaze upward or downward, depending on the direction of the diagonal. In Western cultures, because we read left to right, the left to right diagonal moves the gaze upwards (towards the face). The…
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One of the things I’ve noticed all my life, is just how your teeth affect how you smile. I’ve got friends who have chipped and uneven teeth and they always smile with their lips closed, which tends to make the smile feel less authentic. I had terrible teeth as a kid, a bunch of gravestones,…
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This weekend, your style challenge is to create an outfit based around vertical lines (check out this post, and this one on ideas and tips to adding verticals to your outfit). You can use a jacket or some sort of outer layer left open to add extra verticals. You can add a long scarf for…
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Hair Texture and Highlights or Block Colour Once you have figured out how to find the most flattering kinds of hair colours to suit your complexion so you look glowing, healthy and gorgeous, the second consideration is that of block colour versus higlight and lowlights. The answer to this conundrum comes down more to hair…
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As I discussed in this post on my Three Rules of Horizontal Lines, line in clothing design creates optical illusions depending on the direction of the line. Verticals lengthen. Partly because they go up and down (giving height) but also because our eyes move along them more quickly than they do on horizontal or curved…
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I’m excited to be able to welcome Denver Colorado (USA) based blogger and avid second hand shopper Judith Boyd of Style Crone to the Stylish Thoughts family. What is the secret to great style? For me, there really isn’t a secret. I think it’s important to take care of myself, which helps me to feel…
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One question that comes up with my clients and also on my 7 Steps to Style program forums is that of hair colouring and what works best. Skin Undertone and Hair Colour First consideration is always your skin. You want to find a hair colour that flatters your complexion. In fact, hair, as it’s so…
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Many, many years ago I came across a coffee table book of British artist, David Hockney prints and immediately fell in love with his art. I adore his use of colour and what appears to be a quite simple, natural style. So I was excited to go to the opening of the new David Hockney:…
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Before you take that garment into the change room, understanding the illusion of line really helps you choose clothes that flatter your figure. Lines are used in clothing design in a number of ways: As part of the silhouette – that’s the outline of the garment In the construction – that’s all the seams that…
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Underwear is something we all wear (well, most of us!). But have you ever thought about what your lingerie choices reveal about your personality? Did you know that your personality influences what you wear under your clothes? Personality and Lingerie: What Your Underwear Says About You “I need to be comfortable” Relaxed Go for cotton…
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This weekend, your style challenge is to go to the back of your drawers, shelves and wardrobe, fossick around and find something that you had forgotten about (or haven’t worn in ages) and wear it. It could be anything in your wardrobe, from a garment to an accessory. Style it up (or if you’ve…
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I love a weekend brunch. Going out, eat a lazy brunch (that’s breakfast and lunch) and relaxing is one of my favourite weekend treats. Now, if you’re bored with the regular brunch fare of eggs and bacon on toast, then I have the solution for you. Take a trip to Magic Mountain Saloon (Little Collins…
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Spring and Autumn are two seasons that often have more temperature variation than winter and summer. This can make dressing tricky. For many of us we live in places that have trans-seasonal seasons that can go for a while and dressing can be tricky. Melbourne can easily have a 20C temperature variation from morning to…
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Online Busty Retailers Overview- Part II Review by Ms SmartandBusty These busty retailer are more casual, but some of them still produce many items that is suitable for professional office wear. BiuBiu ($-$$) BiuBiu is a Polish company with a single brick and mortar store in Lodz. Sizing: 2 dimensional sizing with the same structure…
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So Vogue UK magazine has published a piece about how cleavage and boobs are out of fashion. Sure they may have meant that fashions that make cleavage and boobs the focus, but I have an issue with a mass market magazine telling us that the way a body part appears can be in or out…
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Find something from nature that really attracts or inspired you. Build an outfit using one of the qualities….colour…texture… From flowers to leaves, combinations of colours within the landscape. The texture of fur or feathers … Whatever it is that inspires you then put together an outfit and let us know what inspired you. My…
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Every now and again I get asked by you lovely readers about where to find information for the men in your life. Similar to the kind of information I post here for women. Some of you even suggest I start a blog for men (if there were only a few more million hours in…
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