Aug 5, 2017 | Bridesmaids, Celebration, Clothing, Fashion, Wedding
Having enjoyed being a guest at my gorgeous cousins wedding last month, I couldn’t be more impressed with the colour theme’s on the day! Not by chance I’ll have you know, as I was lucky enough to hold a colour party before the plans for the big day got underway. It was a fabulous session which included the bride, alongside her 5 bridesmaids, the mother of the groom, the mother of the bride and a fabulous auntie thrown in for good measure.
We started by establishing the 12 universal colours that suit each of the 6 dominant palettes, as these offer a great option when catering for a mix of different hair colours, skin tones and eye colours. This gave the bride a real variety of options safe in the knowledge that all the bridesmaids would shine on the big day. I’m sure you all agree that the results are spectacular!
Next we decided on the brides best “white” so that when choosing “The Dress” it would suit her to the max.
I then set about assessing each of the wedding party’s natural colourings so that I could complete make-up prescriptions for each of them whilst pin pointing their 6 “wow” colours that are in fashion this season. To round up the session we enjoyed a step by step make-up lesson using the CMB makeup range which is specifically designed to take colour theory in to consideration so that it can help you to showcase your natural beauty by enhancing your best bits!
It was such a pleasure sharing all my colour theory with this glamorous tribe and I’m sure you’ll agree that everyone looked fabulous on the day.
For anyone planning a special occasion where colour features highly then please don’t hesitate to contact me, should you want tips on how to showcase everyone to the maximum.
Jul 24, 2017 | Clothing, Fashion
Looking and feeling good, needn’t be saved for just those special occasions, we should be introducing this concept in to all areas of our lives, for this very reason, I never make any new purchases unless they make me feel good about myself. This even applies to sleepwear, as why shouldn’t we feel great when catching sight of ourselves first thing on a morning or last thing at night (or if you share my natural style personality, whenever the mood takes you)!
The first consideration when choosing the right sleepwear for you is your style personality. Are you motivated by comfort and practicality rather than how frilly and detailed an item is? Do you like everything to co-ordinate or are you happy adding a little flare with a mix and match option? Do you like to make a statement with your look no matter the occasion?
If you’re not sure on what motivates you in-terms of your style personality and would like to know more, then why not message me to be added to my monthly newsletter. This month’s edition covers all things style personality related so you can see what drives you when making those all important buying decisions. Once you figure out the looks that make you happy you can then tailor what you want with regards to colour and fit.
When up-dating my sleepwear, I take time to try on lots of different styles in a research capacity as this will then save such a great amount of time and energy in the future as you will know the certain cuts and styles that are great on you and your body shape. This will be more time efficient on future shopping trips as you know the styles to buy without necessarily needing to try them on!
Considerations:
- Leg length – with a 36″ inside leg I can only buy pyjama bottoms from Long Tall Sally or Tall Girls on line (otherwise I’m trying on half masts that make me feel miserable or men’s, that make me feel masculine). If you don’t fit the “average” bracket for leg length and have either extra long or extra short then research Tall or Petite options that are available to you. Alternatively a pyjama short might be better suited to you.
– Colour – for me, paler colours from my palette work better on my top half so I actively choose items that are not too dark.
- Length of top – being “long” everywhere I have to buy tops that are a bit more forgiving on length (this will apply to you if you are low-waisted). Monsoon are good on length, in addition to the obvious Long Tall Sally/Tall Girls. If you struggle with top length but are average height there’s nothing stopping you from trying tall ranges to get a better fit.
- Size of pattern – having a “grand” scale I actively choose patterns that complement this and go for larger and bolder prints where possible. If you are very petite, bolder patterns will swamp you so try for something finer.
- Use – being a natural style personality, I live in my sleepwear so it has to be fit for purpose, whether that be cleaning the bathroom, hovering the stairs, making tea or playing games with the kids. Negligée’s just wouldn’t work as they would make me feel uncomfortable and I would avoid wearing them so in turn they would sit in my wardrobe gathering dust.
- Body Shape – having a straight body line means that geometric patterns and stripes work best when considering patterns.
By considering all of the above, we can go the bed safe in the knowledge that we’re creating the best version of ourselves and that in turn is hugely rewarding. Happy shopping folks.
Feb 14, 2017 | Clothing, Fashion, Style
Having two children in my midst, Valentines Day takes on a slightly different role these days. No longer do we “go out” for a special evening, fuelled with good food, wine and candlelight. Instead, we recreate all of these things, from the comfort of our own home, content in the knowledge that we don’t have to pay a babysitter, nor do we have to foot inflated prices or wait longer than we’d like in cramped restaurants all trying to create the perfect atmosphere for the masses.
Being predominantly a natural style personality, I’m never happier than when I’m in my comfy’s, so I have to fight the urge on Valentine’s Day to arrive at my candlelit dining room table dressed in my PJ’S and instead invest a little time, energy and thought in to presenting myself in a way that makes me feel special.
We now have a dress code for Valentine’s Day celebrations which is nothing less than smart! The same is true for the menu which is nothing less than 3 courses of our favourite food (if a jobs worth doing)!
Finding the right red is easy when you know what you’re looking for. Personally, when I put “orange reds” near me (the ones that are reminiscent of a tomato) then I look yellow and ill. My cool and pinky skin tones are more suited to the “blue-red” family (reminiscent of a raspberry). If I stick to these rules when selecting my outfits then I never go wrong! Now all I need, is to find that perfect red dress that not only works in terms of colour but fits my style rules too. Fingers crossed I’ll have found it by Valentines Day!
For more information about finding the right colours for you then why not consider a colour analysis session, simply visit my website www.styledincolour.co.uk to find out more.
Jan 30, 2017 | Clothing, Fashion, New Year
Back in October, I wrote a very personal blog surrounding my statistics and set myself a target of loosing 23lbs to achieve a baseline weight of 13 stone. Nearly 4 months in to this personal challenge, I ‘am happy to report an overall weight loss of 15 1/2 lbs.
This has been a very gradual process with the help of Slimming World, to educate myself on how to achieve a healthy relationship with food. 4 months in and I can honestly say that it hasn’t felt like a diet, as I’ve not had to deprive myself of everything that I love. It’s all about choice and compromise (like most things in life), and also knowing the effects of having a blow out, whether it be a take-away, alcohol, meals out, or if you share my weakness, breaking in to the kids treat box! All of these “pick me ups” have a very real effect on weight gain and when you realize the extent of this you can start to make informed decisions about whether you really want that extra glass of wine or whatever your emotional food crutch might be!
No matter where you are on your body image journey, in terms of dressing for a slimmer silhouette, there are things that you can do that will give you the appearance of a thinner you. If Christmas has left you feeling a little rounder than you’d like, then these simple yet effective strategies may help.
- Wearing a darker colour from your palette over your largest point can give the illusion of a thinner silhouette. Not everyone has black in their palette and the other dark neutrals can be just as effective. Navy, Charcoal Grey, Chocolate Brown and Damson are all fabulous when trying to create a slimmer version of you.
- Wearing one colour from head to toe can make you look taller and slimmer (this includes your footwear and hosiery)
- Adding a heel to your outfit can also have the effect of slimming down your silhouette
I have not got to my personal target yet, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will get there and when I do, I promise to share it with you (if I’m brave enough I may even share a picture in my size 22 swimsuit which will no doubt still fit me as I will still need the extra fabric to stretch over my longer than average body)!
For now, I’m simply happy to take control of my eating habits, safe in the knowledge that I’m working towards a very achievable goal, and satisfied that “I’m good enough!”
Dec 16, 2016 | Christmas, Clothing, Fashion, New Year
It gets to this time of year and many of my clients start to panic over outfit choices for those all important Christmas Party’s. Whether it’s meeting your other halves work colleagues or spending time with your own team, we all want to arrive looking and feeling the very best we can.
There are many ways in which we can create optical illusions in the way that we dress or apply our make-up to make us look taller, shorter, slimmer, younger, even more powerful!
Starting form the head down, the way we cut or style our hair can have a big impact on our face shape. By giving my hair some volume at the top here, i’m creating the illusion of an oval faceshape. Because my face narrows out in to a point at the chin, by wearing drop earings i’am creating the appearance of a wider chin as you focus on the base of the earings rather than my narrow jaw line!
I have rather a long neck so i can accomondate the high neck line on this dress.
In choosing a mid tone colour, it’s more flattering on my larger frame than the pastels that feature heavily in my palette.
My top half is wider than my bottom half so i’ve choosen volume at the base of this dress to even out my shoulder width.
The embroidery on the top section of the dress acts to create a colour block, thereby breaking up my silhouette which has the effect of making me look shorter. I do this a second time by teaming the dress with black tights and shoes.
I think any outfit teamed with a glass of fizz is a winning combination for one and all!
Happy Christmas everyone!!!!
Nov 26, 2016 | Clothing, Fashion, Style
Looking back to Primary School and High School, I was always in the middle of the back row for class photograph’s regardless of the fact that many of my female friends were sat amongst the front row.
I was Christened late (age 11), a consequence of being the 3rd child in the family and life simply taking over as it does, but I remember how acutely embarrassing it was to dwarf the Vicar whilst standing at the font.
Reaching 6ft 4″ by age 15 was simply awful for my introverted, shy, teenage self, but not only that, shopping became a bit of a nightmare too. I remember trying so hard to follow the fashion trends that were prominent when I was a teenage girl. Some were very easy, the Doc Martin boot which came in men’s sizes to fit my size 10 feet, but others not so forgiving like the Naff Naff jacket with sleeves that would finish just below my elbow or Sweater Shop jumpers that weren’t long enough in the body.
It felt as though every fashion trend was out to taunt me and this just isolated me even more.
I wish I could go back to that 15 year old girl and teach her the skills that I now have in abundance when attempting to dress a larger scale. I would tell her to concentrate on large accessories and handbags to balance out her bigger frame. I would advise on avoiding smaller delicate prints on fabric and instead go bold which flatters a larger skeleton.
I would also tell her to embrace all of those wonderful qualities that makes her unique and different from everyone else and celebrate them. Unfortunately I can’t go back and give my 15 year old self a good swift kick up the behind but what I can do is teach my “unique” children to celebrate every inch of themselves and not concentrate too much on the numbers, for instance: height, weight, shoe size, boob size, willy size, school grades, etc and instead, work towards becoming the best version of themselves. This I feel will give them what we’re all searching for, a glimmer of contentment in a world where it’s become very easy to be swallowed up with self doubt.
I’m going to enlist the help of my friend and colleague Alison White to demonstrate how much of an affect scale can have whilst dressing to flatter our skeleton. Alison won’t mind me sharing with you that she’s 4ft 10″ tall so if you hadn’t gleamed it in the pics above, we really are polar opposites on height and scale.
As you can see above, Alison is dwarfed by larger patterns and larger accessories, they simply don’t “marry” up and harmonise with her delicate skeleton. I, on the other hand look a little like I’m dressing for church in a re run of Little House On The Prairie. The small flower print dress, petite handbag and tiny necklace are just emphasizing my larger than average frame. It simply doesn’t compliment me.
When we dress to compliment our scale, the results, I’m sure you agree, are much more flattering and easy on the eye!
Should you want to learn more about the rules for dressing your body shape for success then why not consider paying me a visit for a style analysis session and help create the best version of you!
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