Oct 23, 2017 | Clothing, Fashion, Shopping
If like me, shopping is a past time that feels more like a chore than a hobby, finding a way to shop both efficiently and effectively is key to inner calm and happiness. In order to make the most out of your purchases, it’s all about the planning.
Set aside an uninterrupted period of time that you can allow for the trip, factoring in travel time and coffee breaks if required. Keep distractions to a minimum so I would recommend leaving the children, husbands or pets behind if possible and that way you can make the very most out of the time frame you’ve allocated. If you’re not a keen shopper, Id recommend planning 2 trips a year to update your wardrobe with a few essential pieces from that season’s latest fashion trends or must have colour. That way you will still feel current but without a huge investment of time in order to achieve it.
When planning a shopping trip, always set aside some time to do a mini wardrobe audit so that you can establish which key pieces are missing and what you’re looking for. There’s nothing worse than wandering around the shops aimlessly until something jumps out at you. Invariably this wont happen and this will have a knock on effect with regards to motivation levels for future trips. If you’re unsure about how to go about doing a wardrobe audit then why not consider booking a place on one of my very popular Capsule Wardrobe Workshops and learn all there is to know about how to create one for yourself.
Itemise a maximum of 10 pieces for any one shopping trip and then give them a hierarchy of importance so you know how to plan your day, focusing on which bits are essential versus things that are less important.
If you’ve had a style consultation in the past it’s always worth re familiarising yourself with your “rules” to establish the key things to look out for and more importantly what to avoid. Set aside an hour or so to do some internet research and look at the top 5 clothing stores that you’ve historically done well in. Look at new and existing collections and save pictures of anything that catches your eye whilst fitting the brief. You can then form a plan for which shops you will be visiting on the trip and start to think about what you’ll be trying on.
When the day arrives, It’s all about practicalities. Have you got a comfy pair of shoes on that you can walk for miles in if needed? Can you slip off your outfit easily? Can you get away with a lightweight jacket so that you don’t over heat going into warm shops whilst still being able to fit said jacket in your handbag to keep you hands free. All of these things matter because they will allow you to have a stress free trip.
Whilst on the trip it’s important to not go “off piste”, certainly with sales racks, as the adrenaline surge you may get from the feeling of “bagging” a bargain may not last that long, especially if it sits in your wardrobe with the price tag still attached never getting any airtime. I’m not adverse to a bargain, but if you are naturally drawn to the sales rail I always ask myself the question “Would I be willing to pay full price for this item?”. If the answer is “yes” then go ahead and enjoy the pleasure that comes with getting something for less!
Sticking to your plan where possible is hugely beneficial. I have now mastered the art of nailing shopping trips for myself to within 3 hours. That way, I get what I want without getting disillusioned, tired, frustrated or fed up!
Happy shopping everyone.
For anyone who would like to take the headache out of shopping then why not consider a personal shopping trip with myself, It’s fun, efficient and hugely effective!
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.
May 20, 2017 | Fashion, Men, Summer
My blog this month takes the managing director of Colour Me Beautiful itself, Mr Cliff Bashforth and places him and his hair under the microscope for some detailed analysis. For anyone who has not had the pleasure of meeting this colour guru, I thought it would be interesting to track Cliff’s dominants through the ages, from him beginning out as a young Colour Me Beautiful consultant, to the present day, as owner of the company.
Many of my clients ask if a change in hair colour can affect the colours in their palette. The simple answer is, absolutely. If you experience a radical change in hair colour then this can alter your dominant palette quite dramatically and you should seek advice from your colour consultant if your palette no longer feels the right fit for you.
In the first picture, we see Cliff as a newly qualified consultant, he has warm undertones throughout his hair and moustache meaning colours with a warmer characteristic of yellow, gold or orange work splendidly on the basis of a soft (or muted for the men out there) dominant in which tone on tone suited Cliff perfectly.
Fast forward 22 years and here we see Cliff as he looks today. His soft dominant is no longer edgy enough for his “cool” hair and any hint of a warmer undertone has been lost. Cliff now suits a stronger palette with more definition and cool based colours with a hint of blue running through them. The tone on tone look still works beautifully but on the backdrop of a cool dominant that allows for more depth of colour. Warm based colours have the effect of making him look rather jaundice and are therefore avoided at all cost!
If you’re unsure about what to do with your hair and how to maximize your own natural beauty with the help of colour, then why not consider a colour consultation here at Styled In Colour and I can help you to achieve your very own crowning glory!
Apr 27, 2017 | Fashion, Summer, Swimming
Swimwear, as you can see from my less than impressed face above is my least favourite of all outfits! Being a rectangle, I carry the most amount of weight around my tummy which is very difficult to disguise whilst wearing lycra based fabrics! In addition to this, my grand scale means that my body is much longer than average so getting swimwear with enough length in the body is another challenge altogether.
When thinking about placing your body in lycra, you need to ask yourself a few basic questions.
- Where do I carry the most amount of weight?
- Which areas of my body are my most challenging?
- Which areas of my body are my best bits?
Once you’ve taken the time to really contemplate all of the above whilst attempting to be as objective as possible, then you can start to devise a plan to hide or disguise the most challenging areas, whilst you work towards celebrating your best bits.
Here are a few “fixes” for some common problems in the swimwear department.
Big Bust: Needs scaffolding. Think wide straps, under wiring and often separates to allow you to buy a bigger top than bottom. Darker colours from your palette and plainer designs on your top half can often have a minimising effect.
Small Bust: Think details, embellishments, bright colours and texture to add interest and bulk over smaller expanses. Patterns, ruffles, fringing and of course padding can all work to give the optical illusion of a bigger chest.
Big Tummy: Think tankini or swimsuits with side panels to elongate your silhouette. Blouson tankini’s work well to disguise any spare tyres as does ruching. Darker colours from your palette can work to minimise larger expanses.
Big Bottom: Draw attention to your neat little waist. Think details on your top half with a plain and darker bottom section to minimise where possible. Diagonal stripes can emphasize the waist as well as side cut outs. Swim dresses with a skirt can disguise a lager bottom and a sarong can work beautifully with your curves. Aim to lengthen your leg with a wedge sandal for around the pool.
Full Thighs: Again, draw attention to your neat little waist from the advice above for the larger bum. Swim skirts can do wonders to disguise a larger thigh and sarongs are a great way of accessorising whilst disguising all at the same time. A wedge sandal for around the pool will give some length to your legs and will elongate your silhouette.
Broad Shoulders: Give the illusion of a narrower shoulder line by using halter necks or asymmetrical neck lines to break up the larger expanse across the shoulders.
Long Body/Low – Waisted/Long Rise: Find swimwear that does longer length options in the body. M&S is a great place to start. Separates, such as tankini’s can also work well, especially if the top has adjustable straps to allow for more length in the body.
As for those areas which you’re proud of, there’s a clear message………..
Celebrate/Celebrate and then Celebrate some more!
So if you’ve got a defined waist, then blooming well show it off in a bikini or swimsuit with cut outs. If you’ve got legs up to your arm pits then go for a high legged cut to emphasize this even more. If you’ve got a chest to die for, then draw attention to it using bright colours and patterns.
Swimwear is a state of mind, accept your body warts and all and then stand tall, stand proud and own your body shape for all it has to offer.
Happy Swimming!
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.
Recent Comments