A commonly asked question is what to wear to a funeral or memorial service? It used to be that black was the only appropriate funeral attire. These days funerals are not as formal as they once were, and colours other than black are usually appropriate. Unless there has been a request for bright colours as…
There is so much out here on the internet about wardrobe capsules. When I started writing about them six years ago, it wasn’t something that people talked much about. Now, they are everywhere and there are hundreds (if not thousands) of blog posts giving advice on how to create your ideal capsule. But what I…
I have a style challenge that I need help with. I am a Spring according to the color theory websites. I am the one season that does not look well in black, in fact, I have given away my black garments with the exception of a black dress that I only wear to funerals. My…
My question is this: I’ll be turning 50 in a few months and still haven’t discovered my personal style – from hairstyle, clothing style, colors, fabrics.. the whole thing. When I was young, we didn’t have finances except for hand-me-downs and thrift stores. I didn’t learn “style” when I most girls did. But at my…
Many of us have a ‘go-to’ shoe that we wear with lots of different things. Inspired by my post on how a simple pair of shoes changes the whole feeling of your outfit. Your weekend style challenge is to change the feeling of your outfit just by changing your shoes. Take a pic with the…
One lovely reader recently posted on a super old blog post (but still evergreen) on how a simple pair of shoes can change your outfit, and asked me if I could do a similar post with skirts (as she’s not a pant/jean wearer). Trawling through my archives of outfits I came across this leopard skirt…
Bit tired of your wardrobe? Is it time for an update? Wish you could afford a whole new wardrobe but you can’t? Then why not check out these tips on updating your wardrobe and you don’t have to spend a fortune to do so with my tips on what to think about or look for…
Since knee surgery and changes it has made, for whatever reason, I find I can no longer keep a lot of my low vamp shoes, particularly flats, on my feet. I walk right out of one or both at the most inopportune times – like when crossing the street. I’ve been forced to have to…
Tips on What to Keep and What to Let Go I love shopping my closet and tend to keep things a long time as a result. My problem is knowing when to get rid of things. I don’t believe in throwing clothes out just because they’re X years old, but I worry that I don’t…
What is the vamp of your shoe? And what’s it got to do with anything anyway? More people than less seem to have shorter legs proportionally (in my experience) and they long for longer legs. This is where shoe vamp matters. The vamp of your shoe is where the top of the shoe ends on…
I love a statement necklace. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’ll generally see me wearing a statement necklace of some kind. Why do I love them so much? Well our love affair started when I learned that a large scale (statement) necklace will make your bust appear smaller. And…
Belts are an accessory that can add interest and detail to your outfit. They can add definition or highlight your waist or hips (depending where you’re wearing them). But they can also draw an unflattering horizontal line (which is broadening as I’ve explained in the illusion of horizontal lines here) if you already have a…
In this video discussion, Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I discuss the concept of personal style and wardrobe cycles. What are personal style cycles? They relate to the speed to which you stick with the same style or alterntively how often you tend to replace your wardrobe or update your style. In this…
One thing I’ve noticed when going through many wardrobes in my image consulting career is that so many of us forget what we own. Frequently I discover items that the owner completely forgot they’d bought. This is particularly common when there are multiple garments on hangers or great big drawers where clothes get lost under…
All Boxed Up – Bella Beauty Box and HerFashion Box There are a number of fashion and beauty boxes on the market that are a subscription based service that post you a treat in the mail each month. Two available here in Australia are bellabox and Her Fashion Box and I thought I’d share the…
And how that can help you discover your personal style, let go of clothes that don’t suit and build a better wardrobe This morning I was having a conversation with one of my lovely image consultant (personal stylist) graduates and she mentioned that she has great difficulty throwing out clothes and makeup that don’t work,…
1. Match without Being Matchy Think about how you put together your accessories. There is no need to buy a matching set (and it can look kind of contrived in this modern age), so think about matching: Shapes Colours Textures Sheen Sparkle Metal Read: Matching jewellery – sets without beings sets 2. Level of Refinement…
Answering another reader’s question about choosing underwear (aka foundation garments) Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I tackle this subject in this video blog post. The Most Important Aspects of Choosing Great Foundation Garments Choosing the right shape of bra for what you’re wearing – tips here. Your underpants may need to be a…
Hi Imogen. I am working on making a wardrobe capsule. The colors are brown, red, grey and white. I have an argyle sweater that I would like to build the capsule around. Would like to have some print pieces in the capsule. My question, what print patterns would work with the argyle sweater or should…
Capsule Wardrobes are a great concept that can be a god-send to many. They don’t suit everyone, but if you’re trying to decide if you should “capsule” your wardrobe here are 5 excellent reasons to build a capsule wardrobe 1. You Want to Keep it Simple You enjoy owning very few clothes. You want to…
This has got to be the easiest garment to knit – seriously! Hand knits are right on trend this year and you can pay a fortune buying them, or a few days knitting one like this (I like to knit while watching TV, but nothing complicated so that I can just knit without looking which…
