What is a neutral? Basically, we define most neutrals as colours that are ‘off the colour wheel‘ – as in we don’t give them a name of the rainbow colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) so we’re talking grey, brown, white, black, tan, camel etc. These are bascially the non-colours. They are created by…
Have you had a personal colour analysis but only wear a small selection of the colours in your palette? There are a number of reasons for this. They can be psychological – you just don’t like the colour (often some sort of association with the colour that is negative for you) or it can just…
Do you wear the same colour combinations over and over? Are you a little bored with these but not sure how to combine colours so they look good together and don’t clash? Take this opportunity to try some new colour combinations. Why not try a different combination, particularly if you are normally as neutral plus…
Sheer garments are lovely and light and can add a feminine or elegant element to your outfit. Assuming you’re not a Hollywood Starlet (or catwalk model) looking to get your picture in the news, the question often is, what to wear under them? How do you choose the right underlayer for your sheer garments? There…
Ideally, choosing prints and patterns that are within your ideal colour contrast level is the best solution to looking in harmony with your outfit. But should you choose to go outside of those levels, how to pull off the look so you wear the pattern rather than the pattern wearing you? We all have favourite…
Have you ever stood in front of your wardrobe, feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of choices yet struggling to piece together an outfit that resonates with your style? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us face this sartorial challenge, but fear not, for the secret to creating a versatile and cohesive wardrobe might be…
Following on from my Colour Personality Quiz and the descriptions of how colour choices fit into the six personality dressing styles, I wanted to some frequent thoughts and comments that you may find helpful. Most Don’t Choose Just One Style or Set of Colours Going all the comments that all you lovely readers have written,…
Overdying clothes into colours that flatter you can be a great way to “save” a garment that is a great shape and style, but the colour just isn’t right for you. You can change a colour completely, or just tweak it slightly to a more flattering shade for you. If you’ve been thinking about tackling…
Colour has such a profound impact on our appearance. It really does. Because of this impact, I’m passionate about colour and you will see me wearing colour more of the time than less. It can make you look: younger or older brighter or duller more vibrant or more tired I don’t know about you but…
Green is a reassuring colour. Why so? Because when we see lots of green we know that plants are growing and food is abundant, nothing to worry about! True green is neither warm nor cool – as it’s made from mixing blue (cool) with yellow (warm). This makes it very balanced and calming. But…
One of the tricks in my magician’s bag of illusions is using colour to elongate and make you look taller (if this is something you desire). Here are some simple ways you can create a more elongated silhouette without having to wear heels of any description! 1. Column of Colour This is a single colour…
Yellow is the happiest colour. It’s a bright sunshiny day. As the brightest and lightest colour in the visible colour spectrum it is fun, playful and uplifting. Because it is so light and bright and noticeable from a distance, it’s used for taxi cabs in many places and traffic signs to grab our attention and…
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…
By Ms MakeItOver Bernadette Lis We all love shoes! If you’d like to have some fun with, a pair that doesn’t thrill you anymore or need a colour which is difficult to find, then grab some leather paint and let me show you how I changed mine. Tools You will need: shoes Ammonia cleaner…
Inside Out Style Reader Question Online shopping tips, please! How to get a good enough match with the colour in the palette from Imogen as each of the colours in the swatch has their own names; can I use it for online shopping? This is a tricky one – sadly there is not a fabulous…
Do you think that you’d love to do what I do for a career? Or maybe you’re already working as a personal stylist and are smart enough to realise that training could really take your skills to the next level. If so, why not check out our training courses. We have both classroom training in…
In this Video 0.38 How can I wear black and white when I have grey hair and muted colouring? 6.40 How do I get a waist if belts make me look short waisted? 11.30 I’m having trouble figuring out my body shape – what tips have you got? Wearing Black and White Why Black…
Blogger Karen left this comment on What to Wear When Dating Do you think different cultures see colors representing different things than we normally find in the western world? Brides in China wear red for luck. In the US they might look like tarts or very aggressive women in red satin and lace. In China,white…
How do you choose a colour for your bathers? Swimwear can be tricky to purchase at the best of times for many of us! And wearing a swimsuit can feel very exposing, so finding a colour that will draw attention away from your body and to your face is a great way to feel more…
How does the contrast of your clothes communicate? Did you know that wearing different contrast levels (both value contrast and colour contrast) communicate in different ways? In this video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I talk about the psychology of contrast and how it communicates so you can use this knowledge to your…
Answering another lovely reader’s question about how to work with a limited colour palette, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I took up the challenge to help demystify and share our secret sauce on the subject. How to Use a Limited Range of Colours and Not Get Bored Is it really limited or is it…
