One question that popped up for me (and is something I’m asked about) when I wrote about the expected fashion lifespan of your wardrobe staples here, is how long can you expect a garment to really last – as far as it still looking good and wearing well – how long will your clothes really…
When you’re out shopping and deciding whether or not you should bring home a new item. How do you know it’s a winner and will earn a place in your wardrobe? Or is it just going to end up as clutter that fills up your precious space? This is a really important step to take…
How we can we honour our style recipes in a retail world where quality is low, prices are high and individuality is minimum? I live in NYC and many of the interesting boutiques are gone and most stores carry very similar inventory. Honouring Your Style in a Mass Market Retail World To feel truly stylish…
Whenever I visit London (and I realised on the way over on the plane – in that 24 hours that is such fun in a tin tube – that it’s been 16 years since I was last here), I love to visit Liberty of London – just off Regent Street in Central London – as…
How Do You Know You’ve Found the One? Not the man or woman of your dreams, but the clothing or accessory you’ve been searching for? When is it time to settle, when is it time to give up and get something made, and when is too soon and you haven’t looked enough? Jill Chivers of…
The era of disposable fashion is coming to a close (well I really hope so), that buy it, wear it once or twice, then throw it out fashion that has been rampant in what is known as the “junior market” (that is the young women’s fashion 16 – 25 age market). And I believe that…
Have you ever thought about whether you are a hunter or a gatherer when it comes to your shopping style? In this podcast episode (yes it was a very fuzzy video), Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I discuss how the concept of hunting and gathering from ancient times is still an applicable idea…
I hate shopping now. I used to be a “good enough” buyer and now I know what I want and can’t find it. I’m not sure if I’m being too picky or not allocating enough time or not going to the right stores, but I’m frustrated at having needs I can’t fulfil. For example, I…
Inside Out Style Reader Question Online shopping tips, please! How to get a good enough match with the colour in the palette from Imogen as each of the colours in the swatch has their own names; can I use it for online shopping? This is a tricky one – sadly there is not a fabulous answer…
Sponsored by Godfreys Welcome to my studio, come inside and I’ll show you around as I road test the Vorwerk Kobold VK200 Upright Vacuum Since you’re coming over, I thought I’d better just give the place a quick tidy up! Welcome to Inside Out Style Headquarters Today I thought I’d share with you a…
The 7 Words to Listen For That Tell You To Definitely Not Buy a Garment Beware, next time you’re in the store changing room, trying on some clothes and want to know if the colour is right or wrong … How often have you been trying on something in a store and the ever ‘helpful’…
What are the colours you can expect to start popping up this year in fashion? According to Pantone’s Spring 2018 colour forecast, they include some colours we’ve been seeing for a while that will hang around, and a bunch of new colours may start to also filter through (though honestly, I don’t always think that…
Sponsored by Airpufs I have a reasonably sized shoe collection (my husband would say large, I say reasonable) which I’ve gradually acquired over many, many years (actually I still have two pairs of shoes from the mid 90s). One of the reasons I have so many is that when I was about 19 years old…
Social media, Instagram in particular, is changing the way many women consume clothing. This is the topic of discussion with Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe in our video. The ubiquitous outfit photo that is posted daily on Instagram creates a pressure to turn over your wardrobe, or just acquire more and more new items…
From stocking stuffers and Kris Kringle/Secret Santa/White Elephant gifts to useful and desirable things for your family and friends (or even something to hint at for others to give you. I’ve been looking around to find fun and fabulous gifts to give. Where To Buy Gifts Under $10 Unicorn pencil case Egg separator Leopard…
Got a top that a bit too long and kind of shapeless (kind of even looks a little maternity)? Love to wear it with your jeans or any sort of pants or skirt( like my denim skirt here) that has belt loops? Then it’s time to try the belt-loop half-tuck. You may have picked up…
How do you make decisions about whether or not you should jump on board a fashion trend or not? For many of us it depends on how you feel about your body, what flatters it and whether or not you are happy to ‘give up’ some elements of figure flattery for the sake of fashion…
The “cold shoulder” or “off the shoulder” trend has been big the last summer or so and continues on into the cooler months. So if you love this trend (and it’s great for those A shapes who want to add a nice horizontal line across the shoulders to balance hips), here is some inspiration. …
How can you love everything in your wardrobe that much more? Is it even possible? In this video, Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I discuss a technique to make sure that what you buy is what you love, so that you do feel excited and inspired by your wardrobe each day. Use the…
Op Shops, as they are known in Australia, Thrift stores as they may be known outside of this wide brown land, are a fantastic place to find clothes and accessories. Why is this? Well not everything is tired, worn out and old (yes there is some of that) as so many people have unworn garments…
Before I purchase anything (in fact before I even bother to try it on, as I don’t get naked if it’s not got some chance of working), I always, always, always check the label on the clothes for: Fibre content Care instructions Why is this? Well I know that some fabrics pill easily (you know…
