Choosing Collars and Lapels O/A shape – broader collars to balance hips I, V shape or petite – narrower/smaller collars not to further broaden shoulders or overwhelm your frame H, X, 8 shape – medium collars – higher will make you look taller, lower will draw attention to bust and make larger Large bust –…
Reader Question: my biggest challenge is my weight I keep thinking hoping and praying I’ll lose it meanwhile I’ve put off buying new clothes that work on the body I have now I’ve never been a big shopper even when I wore a size eight I’m now about an 18 to 20 I’ve been this…
Over the years I’ve been working as an image consultant I’ve realised that style is a journey, not a destination. Your clothes must express who you are, without this you won’t appear confident. Without confidence, you won’t be anywhere as near stylish as you could be. So how do you combine what you like with what…
For most of us, spending thousands of dollars on our clothes will always be a pipe dream. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make our high-street items look like couture. I can think of only a handful of my clothing pieces which I have not had to hem, change or shape to suit me in…
Want to look taller and or slimmer? The column of colour is just one of the many illusion tricks I can teach you, so that you can become your own clothing magician. The column of colour is a great trick to elongate your body When we think about using lines to create the illusion of…
In This Video 0.08 I read your post Are you colour contrast dominant or value contrast dominant and I just wonder if you can be value contrast dominant although your ideal value contrast is medium? I believe I am medium contrast and I think my features are all neutrals. I do have green in my…
I suppose I’m “of a certain age” in some circles at least – look young 40s but I’m actually mid 50s – and the jewelry thing has me stymied. I have delicate features and small bones, so need smallish jewelry. Chunky or large things are just completely out of scale on me! I no longer…
In This Video 0.08 How to mix and match greys so they look good and I don’t look like I’ve gotten dressed in the dark 4.36 – I have a back issue that means I can’t wear heels but I don’t feel polished in my corporate work outfits in ballet flats. 7.20 – Petite H…
How do you know if your contrast is working? If your outfit focal points are in the right places for you? Or if you’re wearing your outfit, rather than your clothes wearing you? There is a simple way to do it, and it takes, literally, 3 seconds!It’s called The Blink Test. How to Do the…
Carol Karl and I talk jewellery again in this video, all about selecting jewellery to harmonise with your body shape and features. Body Shape and Jewellery Choices What body shape tells us, where to put horizontal lines and vertical lines, what the silhouette should be ideally. You can find out more about the impact…
Reader’s question: “If I’m purchasing a scarf for the average shape – what is the most versatile shape – square, rectangle or infinity?” What is the Most Versatile Shape Scarves make great accessories. There are so many ways to tie a scarf it makes them an incredibly versatile accessory. Not only that, you can so…
There is no one route to style. You cannot become instantly stylish just from understanding your body shape (sorry Trinny and Susannah, it’s just not that simple). There is, what I call, the Style Puzzle, a group of elements when they all go together define your personal style. These puzzle pieces are just the start…
Just because you wear a bigger size does not mean that you must automatically have a wardrobe full of boring, frumpy sacks. There are a few things that you can do to make sure you look your best. Quality Matters It is hard to find stylish clothing in larger sizes. Sometimes the clothes you do…
In This Video 0.08 My biggest challenge is streamlining my wardrobe. I have too many items that I don’t wear. 4.43 I wear belts to highlight my waist as I’m a petite X shape and it works really well. My problem is many skirts and pants don’t have belt loops and I find the belts…
Reader Question: “Where is the best place for a V-shape body to wear brooches? I’m especially interested in areas in the portrait since the brooch can help with both value contrast and colour contrast.” Most women when getting dressed focus on the body parts they like least. This is completely the wrong way of going…
In This Video 0.08 I’ve lost a lot of weight and have to rebuild my wardrobe – until now I’ve used clothes as armour – how do I find my style? 5.25 I’m short X shape with short waist. Petite rules seems to overemphasise the bust and I want a creative style – what to…
In this Video 0.16 What are some options if you have short legs and dark colouring but need a strap to keep your shoes on? 4.10 Will changing my hair colour change my palette or just my contrasts? 8.06 How do I know if I should wear patterns or solid colours? Faking a Low Vamp…
Many of you love the idea of creating wardrobe capsules to suit your lifestyle and personal style. It’s a great concept that can be used to segment your wardrobe and also get the best bang for your buck as you really can create lots of combinations from a well thought out capsule. If you have…
I totally dug Sally’s post on saying “Yes and …” and decided that I’d make it a theme for this weekend’s recommended reading roundup. So why not take her advice and then use the following blog posts as inspiration for an outfit or two over the next week. Please do share which you’re going to…
I spend quite a bit of time out shopping with clients and so I notice what the major trends the stores are showing, rather than just what the magazines tell us we’ll see. So I took some quick photos with my phone and thought I’d share a few of these Summer 2012/2013 fashion trends with…
And how that can help you discover your personal style, let go of clothes that don’t suit and build a better wardrobe This morning I was having a conversation with one of my lovely image consultant (personal stylist) graduates and she mentioned that she has great difficulty throwing out clothes and makeup that don’t work,…
