It’s Not the Mirror, and It’s Not You You go into a fitting room feeling reasonably good about yourself and the outfit you’re wearing to the shops. You come out twenty minutes later having decided that you have terrible legs, that your stomach has staged some kind of coup, and that you should probably not…
If You’re a Shopaholic With “Nothing to Wear.” Here’s What’s Actually Going On. “I’m a shopaholic, yet I feel like I have nothing to wear, and it gives me anxiety because I have too much stuff.” This was emailed to me by one of my lovely readers. If that sentence made you wince a little…
Why You Packed a Hat and Never Wore It (And What To Do Differently Next Trip) A reader recently wrote to me with a confession I suspect a lot of you share. She’d packed a hat for her trip, a good one, chosen specifically for sun protection. It came home unworn. Why? Because nobody else…
You’re Not Buying the Bag. You’re Buying a Holiday from Yourself. Here’s a question worth sitting with before you tap “confirm purchase” next time: are you buying something because you want it, or because you want a feeling to go away? It sounds confronting. But understanding the difference is one of the most useful things…
What are the key wardrobe basics I need? Type this question into Google and you’ll get the same answer fifty times over: a white shirt, dark jeans, a trench coat, a little black dress, nude heels. Pin it, buy it, you’re sorted. Except you’re not, because that list was written for nobody in particular. It…
Have you ever put on a “wardrobe essential” and thought: why does this look so wrong on me? Not slightly off. Not just-not-your-style. Fundamentally, inexplicably wrong. Maybe it’s that essential white tee (that you can never find quite the right version of, and you just feel frumpy wearing it). If that’s happened to you, I’d…
Do You Actually Suit Prints? (It’s Not a Matter of Taste — It’s a Matter of Physics) “I find prints tricky, I’m not sure about finding my preferred shapes and colours when trends don’t necessarily reflect them. My daughter says I should just wear solid colours and neutrals, but I like some prints,” wrote a…
A delightful reader wrote to me with this query: “I can’t believe that it’s now been about 10 years since I started reading the blog and taking all of the programs and masterclasses, and I would still say that it’s some of the best money I’ve ever spent! “I turned 60 in March, and maybe…
You’ve probably experienced this without quite naming it. You put on an outfit that’s perfectly “fine” – good fit, flattering colour, nothing technically wrong – and yet it feels a little flat. Then, on another day, you wear something with just a hint of sheen… and suddenly everything feels more elevated. Not overdressed. Not flashy.…
Before You Buy a Single Thing, Do This First Patricia is 80 years young, and she wants to look fabulous again. After five years as a full-time caregiver, she wrote to me asking where to start. Her words: “By necessity, I fell into lots of bad personal care habits, and now I would like to…
The final of my top 10 most Googled personal style questions is “What colours look best on me? I’ve been asked this question more times than I can count. In consult rooms, on comment threads, in DMs at 11pm from women standing in front of their wardrobes having what I can only describe as a…
A lovely reader wrote to me with this fashion issue: “My height and build, which is petite, is my main challenge when it comes to shopping for clothes. Most especially trousers. I’ve bought crop trousers, however, the fit isn’t that good. Tops with V-necks or cro crossover dresses are a problem as the V comes too low.…
Here’s a question I get all the time, and it makes complete sense that you’re asking it: “Imogen, I keep buying things I never wear. What is wrong with me?” Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong with you. But something very interesting is happening in your brain, and once you understand it, you’ll have a much…
A lovely reader recently wrote to me with the following conundrum: “I have smooth, wavy hair, with textured skin and have read your post about how to wear texture when you’re naturally smooth, but as I’m the opposite, I wanted some tips on how to wear smooth fabrics when you’re textured.” Ways to Add Smoothness…
I have been asked this question so many times I could answer it in my sleep. And honestly? That tells you everything. If “business casual” were actually clear, nobody would need to ask. Here’s the uncomfortable truth. “Business casual” and “smart casual” are not dress codes. They are dress code suggestions written by people who…
Lois wrote to me recently with something I hear all the time: “I’ve got too many clothes and I love them all. I need to donate more and I can’t seem to cull them out.” Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Wardrobe overwhelm is one of the most common things my clients come to me with,…
I had a question from Margie recently that I suspect a lot of you will relate to. She’s a Classic style personality living in Texas, where summer temperatures sit in the high 90s to low 100s Fahrenheit, which is roughly high 30s to low 40s Celsius for everyone else. She wanted to know: how do…
You’d think finding a pair of comfortable pants would be straightforward. Something you can move in, bend in, sit on the floor in… and still feel like yourself in. But if you’ve ever stood in a fitting room wondering why everything either feels good or looks good – but never both – you’ll know it’s…
The Most Googled Style Question That Isn’t Really About Style Have you ever typed into Google something on the following lines: How to wear [specific item] (e.g., barrel-leg jeans, sneakers, oversized blazer)… Every day, millions of searches are typed into Google that follow a familiar pattern. How to style a blazer. How to wear an…
There’s a quiet assumption that trips a lot of women up – that feminine style and low-maintenance style sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. That if you love softness, detail, or a more romantic feel, you’re signing yourself up for effort, upkeep, and complexity. But that’s not actually what’s going on. What’s really happening…
In our Top 10 Most Googled Style Questions, the next on our list is “How Can I Dress More Confidently and Powerfully?” It’s an interesting question, as research on confidence suggests that it comes from action and building skill. This is why just following the style formula of someone else, who is not you, won’t…
