With the new Absolutely Fabulous movie and some eye-scorching fashions revealed in it I thought I’d take a look at what you can learn from the wardrobes of Edina, Patsy and Saffy. Absolutely Fabulous is a great example of just how much what you wear tells the world so much about who you are, what…
The more I’ve worked with petite women (under 5’4″ tall) I’ve found that there are some elements that make a huge difference to how they appear. Scale Keep garments simple and uncluttered and small to medium in scale. Large patterns will swamp your frame, big collars will make you look smaller. Keep the scale…
Today I decided to mix zebra with leopard and then throw in a floral ribbon lace textured garment. One of the most important keys to mixing prints is to mix those in the same colour family. If you want to try this trend in a safe way: do it in black and white one print…
It would be interesting if you had some things about what to do when you are NOT petite or “regular” but are a*TALL Woman* and *long limbed*. For example, you had a blog post recently about getting things tailored that was all about how to make things smaller. You didn’t have anything about what to…
How to create a working wardrobe and get the right balance between basics and heroes? Whether those heroes are patterns or items in bold colours or textures that make their own statement it’s worth identifying the right balance or ratio for your wardrobe. This is the topic of discussion I had with Jill Chivers of…
Dear Imogen, I would appreciate advice of some sort, if possible š I have a dramatic personality, I love striking colours – but I have a soft, muted, low contrast, slightly warm colouring (āIntriguingā). Is there a way how to express my inner me in spite of this antagonism? Thank you very much, you are…
Hi Imogen, I love your blog! I am wondering if the type of prints (i.e. angular/curved prints) have anything to do with body shape. I saw two ladies who coincidentally were dressed in black and white printed dresses. One has an I-shaped girl and the prints on her dress were bold and angular. If she…
Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I agree that personality is the key to finding and developing your style. Most of the TV makeover shows only talk about body shapes and figure flattery, and that is important, but when you watch these shows, how many of the makoverees (yes I made that word up)…
When youāre petite, finding the right clothes can be a challenge. Along with dressing for your body shape, your height and proportions matter, too. When you have a straight body shape like an H shape, there is not much definition between the shoulders, waist and hips. As with all H shape bodies, petite, average or…
Dear Imogen, I am a big fan of your contrast series. I had never known about this concept before, and often kept myself wondering why some particular outfit felt off to me – but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It all really boiled down to contrast levels! I am amazed that so few…
If you’ve read my recommendations on how to dress the hourglass shapes – the X Shape and A shape, that have the wider lower hip area, you may have noticed that the instructions are to keep the bottom of your body more boring, plain and free of detail. Details to Avoid Below the Waist for…
Petite and curvy can be a little tricky to dress, so how do you take the X shape rules and then make them work for a petite height so that nothing overwhelms? And of course, your style also needs to relate to your personality too – this is part of the style puzzle that can…
One of the most important and integral parts of choosing prints and patterns is to make sure that the print is one you love. Prints, more than any other aspect of style and clothing choices, are based on personality. Body shape and figure flattery are important elements of the style puzzle, but if you don’t…
I’ve often heard comments about whether it’s still worth caring about style at a particular age (related to the age of the person making the comment) and whether or not they are too old at this point in their lives? I will always remember an experience where I was helping a lovely client sort out…
“Could you talk about negative space? In fabrics and accessories? What is it about a person that harmonizes with negative space? Is this a yin quality? It seems ethereal, like Iām asking to talk about what isnāt there.” What is negative space anyway? Is it good or bad? Who should or shouldn’t wear it? I…
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…
Following on from my post on how to interpret prints and patterns I want to talk more about different elements of prints and how they also relate to other elements of ourselves. You would be aware that not all florals are the same, just as not all animal prints, stripes or checks are the same,…
Just because you’re petite doesn’t mean you can break your style rules. You just have to do it in a knowledgeable way. You can read up lots of rules (which are of course just guidelines) here on the blog. Some of the petite style rules that I find matter the most are: Scale – don’t…
If you want to make your getting dressed process faster and easier each morning, you could create your own personal fashion formula, one that works with your style guidelines and personality, and that takes away some of the mental load. Let’s take a moment to talk about mental load… I see references to it everywhere…
In this Video 0.10 How do you determine your balance points? 4.19 Body 8 shape vs X shape – what’s the difference and why is the advice for each different? 6.44 Are there any shades of brown I could pick for my shoes and bags if my colouring is cool and bright? Balance Points Understanding…
I recently found this Colour Matching Guide and think it’s a nifty tool to help you find the value of a colour. Ā In fact, using it will make you an expert in finding the value of a colour and then putting together the right value contrast for you. How to Use the Colour Matching Guide…
