258: Colour and Style Q&A: Ageing, Fit, and Feminine mixed with Relaxed Lifestyle.

Leave a comment

The big one for me atm is ageing — I don’t want to give up, any tips?
My biggest issue with fashion is finding ready-made clothing that fits well enough to wear comfortably & look good. I wear a size 8 jean, but need a 14-16 top to fit the bustline. However, the 14-16 shoulders, neck/sleeve openings, sleeve lengths, etc. are too big to look nice on me.
How can I combine my feminine style personality with a relaxed lifestyle? I love florals, lace, pink, skirts and dresses, and feminine details, but as a stay at home mom with five kids (including a baby that I’m breastfeeding), I need my clothes to be practical, comfortable, and casual. I also have (I think) medium high value contrast and medium color contrast, so the very low contrast pastel look of many feminine outfits doesn’t work for me. I would appreciate any tips.

257: Colour and Style Q&A: Pink, Capsule Wardrobe, and Best Clothes.

Leave a comment

How exactly do colors need to match when you have an outfit with multiple items in the same color? For example, I have a pink and beige patterned skirt. I would normally think to wear it with a pink top or cardigan, but none of mine are exactly the same pink. Is that okay, or is it better to wear a top that’s neutral or a different color?
How do I create a perfect capsule wardrobe where everything goes together for all changing seasons and no thought about what to wear everyday?
How do I edit my wardrobe so it’s just my best clothes?

255: Colour and Style Q&A: Colour contrast dominant vs value contrast dominant, getting out of the rut, and some clothing recommendations.

Leave a comment

I just wonder if you can be value contrast dominant although your ideal value contrast is medium? But what if you have medium value contrast and neutral features?
My biggest style challenge is getting out of the rut I’m in with my clothes – I feel like my clothes are boring, dull and lack imagination and creativity.
Would you please recommend some clothing styles that would work for someone petite, creative (but in a business setting), and will let me look my age or younger?

250: Colour and Style Q&A: Streamlining your wardrobe, Belt for X shape, and Clothing that last a lifetime.

Leave a comment

My biggest challenge is streamlining my wardrobe. I have too many items that I don’t wear.
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 slip up at the back or twist as I move. Any suggestions as to how to keep them nicely in place.
What clothing can I buy to last a lifetime?

248: Colour and Style Q&A: Mixing Outfits, Wardrobe on a Budget, and New Body.

Leave a comment

How do I choose outfits I could easily mix and match and not feel as though I’m wearing the same thing over and over again.
How do you find great clothes without spending a fortune or buying cheap unethically created (no cheap and abused labour in poor countries) garments?
Having had 2 children my body shape has changed and I struggle to fit my style into the new body – any tips?

247: Colour and Style Q&A: Youthful dressing, Yin & Yang, and Plus size.

Leave a comment

I don’t want to dress like a teenager but I want to dress like an old woman. Any tips?
My biggest challenge is combining what looks good on my more yang frame and also fits my more yin personality. I wear jeans to work and rarely have a need to dress up. Plus, comfort and not putting much thought into getting dressed are important to me. Most inspiration outfits that would look good on my silhouette are with blazers, dresses, skirts, or dress pants, which I usually don’t wear. A lot of the clothes with bows and other pretty details come in pastel colors, which wash me out. Simple has always looked best on me. But, as I’m getting older, I find that I need more drama in my look.
My biggest challenge is being overweight. I don’t look as good in my clothes and can’t do some of the styling with my clothes that I could if I was thinner. My classic rectangular body that goes with my classic, style has disappeared.

246: Colour and Style Q&A: Activewear, Sensory Values, and Prints that Flatter.

2 Comments

I am retired and exercise and train triathlon. I am classic style with a bob. I currently wear leggings or stretch pants long legs with a top that is wickked. I get very salty hair from my workouts and am trying to develop a style where I don’t need to change more than once a day. Sometimes I might do a hard bike ride eg 2 hrs then meet someone for lunch then go swimming pm.
I don’t have a sense of what looks good on me. I also have sensory sensitivities, particularly to fabric feel and tightness. I’ve been studying color theory, and personality style. My biggest issues are trying to put all of this together while still having a functional, practical, and comfortable style for my lifestyle, which relies on layers and outfits suitable for a casual outdoorsy lifestyle.
With age I’ve shrunk and my waist has expanded and I can’t wear heels. I love wearing skirts and dresses but having difficulty choosing pattern/style for the dress which doesn’t overwhelm me or shorten me. (I am a sewer)

245: Colour and Style Q&A: Curated Wardrobe, Beige Outfit, and Creating a Go To Outfit.

Leave a comment

What challenges me is how to move from my existing wardrobe to a more curated style – especially with a restricted budget.
I have a really nice light beige dress pants and jacket that I really like to wear in summer. As an “enigmatic”, I tend to wear it with a darker top.
I was thinking it would be nice to get some more wear out of it before winter sets in. Would you have any ideas how to wear it? or should I just forget about it until next summer?
I love my taste in fashion and I have fun with it too. But, getting dressed for work in the morning is a real pain. I love looking put together and I have very nice clothes but lack the desire to take the time and effort to do so. Since my job is casual I mostly opt for activewear (cute activewear though). I wish for the motivation to wear those faves in my closet

243: Colour and Style Q&A: Greens, Stay Warm in Cold Office, and Flattering Clothes.

Leave a comment

Can you reinforce for me the difference between cool and warm greens. I know olive is warm but it is those greens that are somewhat sage and those that are mint greens that confuse me.
I would love to know how to stay stylish and warm in a cold office? I feel my style is ruined as everything nice I wear leaves me cold and I have to always wear a big cardigan. My other issue is that I am slim but often get bloated so what looks good in the morning has me wanting to cover up by evening. Any hacks for this other than more cardigans?
I don’t know how to put things on that are actually flattering. I need clothes that are comfortable and practical as I live on a farm, but when I do go out and want to look more stylish when I see pics of myself I can’t believe I went out looking like that.

242: Colour and Style Q&A: Retired Wardrobe, Personal Style, and Seasonal Clothes

Leave a comment

I’ m having trouble working out how my wardrobe needs to change, heading towards planned retirement. I”m Still struggling to reduce the size of my wardrobe. Particularly knowing whether it’s really worth keeping the items that only get worn once in a blue moon.
I feel that I do not fit in and have had people comment on my relaxed style being not feminine and being told that I should wear more dresses and consider wearing makeup. I have short hair and I am considered to be weird and strange as I love the outdoors, watersports and rugby.
How to make summer clothes look more seasonal

239: Colour and Style Q&A: Farm lifestyle, Black neutrals, and Black Wardrobe.

Leave a comment

I’m a farmer’s daughter / farmer / farmer’s wife / farmers mother so my lifestyle has always needed comfortable & practical clothes. I’m now 70 & recently retired.
I still want my clothes to be comfortable & practical but I want to wear pretty & smart things as well. Your quiz says Relaxed but the colours you link to that are revolting…. they belong down the paddock up to my ears in mud or dust. Please can we have some Nice, Pretty, Smart & Practical style suggestions with no heels in sight?
My neutrals are black, navy and grey in the autumn/winter, and beige in the spring/summer. I’ve got a good capsule wardrobe and I look after my clothes. I am definitely a classic but being retired, it’s mostly casual. I always wear jewellery and makeup.
However, to make everything work better together I need to get over my aversion to wearing black and navy together – do I need to drop one of these colours? My accent colours are reds and turquoise/teal, both of which I love but, again, I’m not so keen on wearing them together in an outfit.
I have a few handbags in neutral colours plus tan, but have recently settled on a good grey leather bag, which seems to go with everything, and means I don’t need to change my bag very often, something I’m bored with doing.
How to introduce color (not primary) into my basically black wardrobe.

238: Colour and Style Q&A: Petite, Caribbean Descent Body, and Stylish at 50s.

Leave a comment

I’m 5 foot tall. Even where there are petite ranges, the ‘petite’ element seems only to apply to width, and not height as well. I know I’m well under the average, but I find it difficult to believe that a size 8/10 is likely to be for the same height person as a size 16/18. Plus sizes have whole ranges – petite seem only to be a percentage (and not a large one) of a store/line’s merchandise. Finding something that fits – it’s a challenge, and often dispiriting.
In light of the pandemic and my gaining more weight than losing it, I believe my shape has become an “O.”
I am of Caribbean descent and therefore have inherited more behind than hips. How should I take this into account when figuring out what to wear. I can’t seem to find anyone — either online or in books — who takes this into account. I don’t have wide hips just a big bodacious backside.
I’ve lost 70 pounds in the last eight months. I’m not sure I even know what is supposed to be stylish for someone that is in their 50’s.

236: Colour and Style Q&A: Retired, Petite, and Casual.

Leave a comment

I’m retired, have a large bust and am petite plus have lymphedema so need compression stockings – I find it hard to find attractive clothes that work for me It’s a struggle to find items I like.
I am a petite O and recently bought a summery print skirt that is the right length ( top of my knee) according to your formula. I wore it with a solid knit top again the right length ( high hip, just covering the fullest part of my belly), but I see they are just about equal in length! Do I just go with it or do you have another thought?
I’m retired and have nothing between more formal corporate clothes and super casual as my life is now very casual and doesn’t suit the classic/formal clothing style I’ve been living in for many years and some guidance is needed!

232: Colour and Style Q&A: INFJ, go to outfits, and mixing neutral with undertone.

Leave a comment

I’m an INFJ and the idea that I can “let style slip” in favor of comfort and versatility (from 16 style types) really resonated with me. I love clothes, and this still happens! What can I do to combat this tendency and keep committing to outfits that have unique style?
I think the hardest thing, I am not a morning person, so I don’t do a lot of thinking before my first cup of coffee and my wardrobe is so uninspiring that I often don’t get dressed until I absolutely have to.
Additionally I sew as a hobby and would love to sew things for myself but the last few items looked great on the mannequin but just didn’t suit me. Needless to say, I haven’t made anything for myself in a while.
I’ve been wondering, can I mix neutrals with different undertones, such as black with warm grey or cool taupe with warm navy? Finding a truly cool navy has been a challenge for me.

231: Colour and Style Q&A: Value and Colour, Contrast, and Changes.

Leave a comment

My question is about value and color, given that mine seem to change drastically based on lighting. Regardless of lighting, my skin has a lot of color, but my eyes and hair both seem to do a pretty drastic shift in color and value based on lighting when I look at myself in photos ., I’m really not sure how to interpret my value contrast. I would love to hear your advice on the topic!
I have a more yang physicality (body—larger bones, a relatively straight waist) but am otherwise quite yin (personality/voice/movement/facial features). How does one deal with this contrast to create a harmonious look?
My biggest style challenge at the moment is how to get the courage to make the drastic changes I know I need to make with my image and style. I’m 35 and I’ve had zero style for so long that I worry that if I suddenly start wearing makeup and flattering clothes and beautiful jewellery, I’ll feel clownish or like I’m playing dress up.
I’d say my ideal style is 70% relaxed, 20% feminine and 10% unique/quirky. But my actual current ‘style’ is whatever is boring, comfortable and cheap 

228: Colour and Style Q&A: How can I dress my portrait area? Why is it so hard to form my own style? How to formulate a capsule wardrobe?

Leave a comment

I’ve just had thyroid surgery and, as a result, I have a 7cm scar on the front of my lower neck. How can I “dress” my portrait area without drawing attention to the scar or having to wear scarves or jewellery over it?
My style isn’t cohesive enough. When I make moodboards, they feel to all-over-the-place and don’t convey a unified style. Of course, I could just set artificial limits for my style, and that would make my wardrobe cohesive, but I don’t want to do that. I want my likes and personality to form one unified, visually appealing and memorable style. Like a wardrobe for a fantasy character. I want my style to be beautiful, distinctive, cool, and memorable, like a cool eccentric character. I love creating characters. When I design their wardrobes, it comes really easily to me, to make a distinctive, visually appealing clothing style for my characters. But when I try doing it for myself, it’s too messy and incohesive. I just don’t understand, why is it so hard to form my own style? I’ve been at it for 5 years now. It’s so easy to create a style for a character. When I create a character, I know their characteristics and create a visual style based on that.
How to formulate a capsule wardrobe to take me into the next phases of my life – 50s 60s 70s?