It’s a lie that to be stylish you have to be born with an innate talent for it. Sure some people are naturally more stylish, but I know plenty of people who have learned how to become more stylish using much of the information I share on this blog. Do you feel that you should…
This week I wrote about how to be a magician using the art of illusion and distraction (and if you missed the post, read it here). For this weekend’s style challenge, I want you to think about using some of these illusion and distraction techniques to create yourself a fabulous outfit. Here in this…
How do I narrow down what works for me? There are so many options in stores and I get overwhelmed by all the choices. My mother says a similar thing to me, “I won’t shop in department stores because I’m just overwhelmed, there’s just too much out there.” The world is your oyster these days…
So you’ve got a bunch of black items in your wardrobe that you can’t afford to get rid of (or just don’t want to), but you know that black isn’t the most flattering colour on you. How do you get your wear out of them and make them work? Here are my top 3 tips…
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…
More Inside Out Style readers nominate their favourite blog posts here. What would you add to this list? Please share in the comments! Lucie – I would nominate the Fibonacci blog post as my favourite – it was a real aha moment as to why some things ‘felt’ wrong and I had to get changed!…
There are lots of ‘nude’ coloured garments in clothing stores and people often comment to me that they are impossible to wear. So I want to give you some ideas on how to wear nude so you don’t look nude or washed out. So to get past the nude nude look, you need to wear…
Shopping mistakes around clothing are so common. Why? For a myriad of reasons that may include: Feeling the need to purchase to make the salesperson happy or not feel like you’ve wasted their time Feeling the need to purchase so that you justify your time and effort spent shopping (that hunter/gatherer instinct in us) The…
It’s summer here in Australia and I’m seeing lots of shorts when I’m out and about. I’m wearing them myself too! Now shorts can be a tricky garment to wear and feel that they flatter you. Sure I’ve got shorts that I wear to go running and shorts that I wear to do gardening, but…
When it comes to creating a style that fits and flatters your body, it can often feel overwhelming and confusing. You may have a sense of what your personal style is, but have difficulty translating it into something that looks good on your unique body. However, with a few key tips and tricks, you can…
What is your process for morphing your style rules change – such as body shape, colouring or lifestyle changes that happen to us all over time? Change happens to us all and how we deal with it is something can be tricky for many of us. In this video with Jill Chivers of 16 Style…
In this podcast episode, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss how solid garments can still be classed as heroes. Not all statement (hero) items are prints, so what other elements of garments can be heroes and how can you tell the difference between a hero print and an interest print. Which Kind of…
In this podcast episode, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss how solid garments can still be classed as heroes. Not all statement (hero) items are prints, so what other elements of garments can be heroes and how can you tell the difference between a hero print and an interest print. Which Kind of…
Answering readers questions about our process of thinking about what to wear each day, from the colours and how they impact, to our processes for choosing an outfit which we shared here and here, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I have been asked to answer the question of how do you know when your…
This weekend, why not play with colour and create an outfit around two different colours. Firstly, create an outfit that communicates more authority by using a higher contrast. Then by changing one garment using the concept of the way colour communicates which I wrote about in this post, change your outfit to communicate a…
So what do you wear on a date? It can be a particularly vexing question for many women, particularly if it’s with someone new or newish. We don’t want to get it wrong – either seem too forward or too uninterested. Given that it’s Valentines day in a few days, I thought I’d give you…
I’ve been following the discussion in the 7 Steps to Style group about different types of feminine dressing. I identify with the ethereal dressing with its long lines floaty gossamer-like fabrics. How would you suggest adapting your style to a business casual work setting? The definition of Ethereal is to be extremely delicate and light…
What are the guidelines for layering tops? Many people tell me they have no idea how to do it, so here are some quick tips. 5 Tips on How to Layer Tops 1. The underlayer needs to be tighter than the overlayer (unless it’s very soft and blousy and doesn’t add extra bulk or show…
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…
Jane from Work that Wardrobe (and boy does she work it hard) was given (don’t worry, she didn’t buy it) a pale peach jacket, it’s a Chanel style tweed, and similar colour to this jacket. She asked me what she should wear it with colourwise, so I’ve put together a layout of 5 outfits in…
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll have come across the idea of a Style Statement or Style Recipe. These are words that help you define who you are on the inside and how you want to be perceived by the outside world. They are an authentic reflection of your inner self,…
