Reader Question: I have light colouring so light colours work best. So what should you do when you’re overweight and feel that light colours make you look larger. Black is the most slimming colour, isn’t it? Retailers sell lots of black because it’s easy as they’ll tell you “black goes with everything” (it doesn’t, it’s…
Having worked with thousands of wonderful women over the past couple of decades I know (as they have told me repeatedly) that they wear black because they have come to believe it’s the most slimming colour (and they tell me that this is one of their dressing goals), that it also “goes with everything” and…
The exhibition: Gabrielle Chanel, Fashion Manifesto is currently on display at the National Gallery of Victoria and, as I was making my way around the exhibits of over 100 of her gorgeous outfits what struck me, was just what you could learn about wearing black from Chanel. Chanel was the instigator of black as a…
Busting the Black Myth In fashion magazine after fashion magazine you will read that essential in every woman’s wardrobe is a pair of black trousers and a Little Black Dress because both these garments are the most flattering and slimming you can find. They are of course aren’t they? I’m here to bust the…
If you’ve been one of my long time blog readers, or a client, you’d be aware that black is not the most flattering colour if you have warm colouring or muted/soft colouring, or even light colouring. This is because black’s colour properties are: Cool Undertone Dark/Deep Bright/Clear If you have colouring like mine, as these…
Do you have any blog posts on how to wear the black items in your wardrobe when your value contrast is low or medium and you don’t want to wear all neutrals/all black? I don’t want to part with all of those clothes as I still like them. I found a few posts about wearing…
What about ‘the little black dress’? I am a ‘summer’ (cool, soft and light colouring) and therefore black is not a good colour for me, yet I would love to wear a little black dress on special occasions. Would I be able to get away with that? Wear it at night When you turn out…
One of the questions I get asked most about since changing my hair colour so radically from deep brunette to light blonde, is how have the colours I wear changed. In a word, black, used to be my go-to dark neutral. Particularly in the 15 years where it was impossible to buy anything in navy…
I was recently asked for some advice: “How to add a dash of colour to her otherwise black wardrobe.” She tends to wear outfits of black, but has a few coloured jackets, and wants them to look tied together, rather than just an afterthought. So I’ve created up a selection of black outfits with coloured…
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…
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…
Most people who have light colouring don’t suit black. It’s just too dark and harsh on their complexion and it wears you, rather that you wearing the colour. But so many people still want to wear it, so here is a quick tip to make it less draining on you. 3 Simple Steps Think about…
Much of colour psychology relates back to natures. This is why the meanings are fairly universally recognized. There are always cultural influences, but we can all related to the meanings that found in nature. Black and Dark Greys Where are they found? Night time and stormy skies are what leap to mind. Black isn’t…
Orange, a secondary colour that sits between red and yellow on the colour wheel has both a warm overtone and a warm undertone. No matter which you way you alter it, adding black to shade just makes a deeper orange, white tints it lighter, grey softens it, yellow makes a yellow-orange and red makes a…
I like to wear skirts and dresses as well as pants in winter, I’m wondering what is the best legwear to go with my skirts and dresses. Sometimes black tights and leggings just don’t feel right with some colours or styles.I’m in my 60’s and live in the Macedon Ranges where it is a bit…
Looking for winter evening outfit ideas that feel stylish, elegant, and warm—without defaulting to black? For some it can be tricky to find winter outfits that feel as put-together as your summer wardrobe, but with a few key styling tips, you can create polished, comfortable looks that stand out in the colder months. If you…
So many women wear black (or grey or navy or brown) trousers to the office, but it can become such a uniform it becomes dull and boring. Today I thought I’d share some ideas on styling your black pants with a little more panache. You can create a dramatic and high contrast look with…
Celebrating Frocktober (and raising money to help fund vital research into finding an early detection test for ovarian cancer). Please make a small donation as it will help save lives. This year I’m styling dresses multiple ways (I don’t have enough dresses to do a dress a day, plus I love the challenge of finding…
The Little Black Dress is so widely known and loved and appears in many wardrobes – but how do you get full value from it? Why not dress it up and down to make it work harder for you. Here I’ve quickly put together some ideas on what accessories you could put with it to…
I’ve just finished reading Nina Garcia’s The Little Black Book of Style. With advice like “throw out what you don’t wear and what doesn’t look good on you” which is pretty basic stuff (though what many find hard to determine for themselves) there is some good advice to follow. Her basic 10…
Have you ever thought about which are you knockout colours? The ones that make your eyes pop and skin glow? These are your best colours and ones you want to build your wardrobe around, and are also fantastic in your jewellery too. Carol Karl and I discuss more about choosing colours and why black isn’t…
