SPORTSWEAR/ HIKING WEAR etc: how to assemble small capsules of technical clothing for sporting activities, when shapes and colours are often very limited. What are the few things to do to adapt such clothes to ones own personality and needs? Long gone are the days when you wore a baggy old men’s (or promotional) tee…
Dresses and skirts are great alternatives to jeans and shorts (and athleisure wear) for in relaxed environments, yet so many women worry that they will be overdressed if they choose to wear these as dresses and skirts are often associated more with more formal attire. What to Look for When Choosing Dresses and Skirts for…
Basics are the staples and hard workers of your wardrobe. They often provide the canvas for an outfit. Basics are the plain pieces that are the supporting acts of your wardrobe. They are the simple, the plain, the unadorned tops and bottoms that allow you to create many outfits from fewer pieces. They are the…
Recently I was on a Facebook Live Q&A session in my 7 Steps to Style private group and one of the questions was about how to look more polished when you have a very ‘relaxed’ personality. What you may not realise is that I, like you may be, are essentially lazy. So how do you…
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…
Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I have been asked to talk about wardrobe decluttering. Some of you may regularly declutter or edit your wardrobes (this is both my and Jill’s current approach, what you might call a ‘continuous assessment’ method), whilst others may do a larger spring clean every now and again. Jill…
Handbags – I think they were my first fashion love (and gosh if I had any design skill, I’d love to be a handbag designer). Before shoes, for me, it was a handbag obsession which started in my university years. I have quite a collection of handbags and love to change up my bags with…
Winter is a time of year that allows you to throw on more, not less, which means it’s way easier to create more interesting outfits as you can keep adding layers of texture, pattern and adding details (unlike in summer, where even adding a “third piece” can be too much, which is why I’ve shared…
I have a business casual workplace, but do a lot of travel, and have many formal meetings in countries like the US and Europe. So I have many shirts, blouses and Jersey tops, and wear them mainly with light trousers suitable for the warm climate in which I work, and also for travel and business…
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…
Tell me …. are you often pushed for time? Do you want to know you look great without having to fuss or think too much? Know you can throw on an outfit and some accessories that go together and get out the door? This is what you get when you spend some time work (or play)…
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…
If you have a relaxed dressing style how do you still be yourself if you work in a corporate business environment? This is the topic of Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and my podcast episode. Why are you expected to dress more formally anyway? Rather than consider corporate dress codes as an imposed restriction upon…
I bought my first pair of brogues back in the late 1980s, they were the fashion trend at the time – but with a long pointy toe (not quite a winklepicker but heading that way). My next pair arrived into my life in the early 1990s, a rounded toe, and traditional decorative perforations. A third…
When the temperature soars or the humidity is high, being both stylish and comfortable can become really tricky, particularly if your body shape doesn’t suit the wafty, floaty, waistless styles of clothing that end up the most comfortable in the heat. So what kinds of tops work when it’s hot, when a waisted style is…
How to lighten up a colourful, but medium to dark wardrobe for low/medium contrast value. Help Please! If you have overall lighter colouring but you’ve got an overall darker wardrobe, and realise that to look your best you need to lighten up your outfits – but you only have a medium value contrast – how…
The eternal question that I get asked repeatedly, is how to make your outfits stylish, but still relaxed enough to suit your casual environment? And now let’s add another ingredient to this mix – that not everyone likes wearing jeans – so what to wear instead so you don’t look either over-dressed or sloppy and unstylish?…
Got some events or weddings coming up and you don’t want to spend a fortune on outfits? Why not think about wearing one base outfit and then changing up elements of the outfit to dress it up or down, depending on the style and formality of the event you’re attending. What You Need to Wear…
When thinking about putting together an outfit once you’ve got the basics sorted (find out more about my Outfit Formula and choosing the best neutral basics for you) you may want a uniting or linking piece that ties other elements of it together This may be a garment or accessory that contains elements such as…
I’m guessing that most of you who regularly read (or even just happen across) Inside Out Style, are looking for ways to improve your style. You’re in luck – as there are masses of resources here – thousands of blog posts written over the past decade, as well as programs that are designed specifically to…
Now that you have your wardrobe basics sorted out (the first element of my outfit formula), it’s time to add in interest pieces. What’s an Interest Piece? An interest piece is a garment or accessory that has some interest or detail, such as: Colour Pattern Noticeable texture Sheen or shine elements Unusual or interesting construction…
