Personal Fashion Tips

SYDNEY PERSONAL STYLIST for HAWKINS & CO

Posted March 23rd, 2018 & under Australian high street, Fashion Tips, Online Shopping, Wardrobe Makeover Sydney.

I’ve been lucky enough to be chosen to appear on the fabulous HAWKINS & CO website. They proudly support Australian business with a focus on ‘everyday elegance’ – we couldn’t be more suitably matched!!

They’ve listed my personal styling service under their Sydney stylists as we share similar values in how we dress women in timeless, versatile clothes.

Hawkins & Co showcase many Aussie labels, one of them being PADDO TO PALMY who create beautifully feminine, modern boho styles from natural fibers at affordable prices:

I don’t know if it’s because these pieces bring out my inner Ibiza, or that they’re so effortlessly chic I feel like I could dress in them daily but I just LOVE their range.

Cleverly they create the look of a dress using separates so if like many women, you’re different sizes on top & bottom, then they cater perfectly to your body type needs.

Styling Tips for Trans-Seasonal Dressing

You know me, I want to know that my purchases will go way beyond just this season, so here’s a few wardrobe planner tips to make my Paddo To Palmy edit work in to Autumn and beyond:

TOP & SKIRT:

Create the look of a dress using separates so you can get twice the wear out of them by mix ‘n matching the skirt & top back with the rest of your wardrobe.

This top would look awesome with a slick dark jean & cream blazer.

Pair the skirt with a lightweight knit in navy

UNDERLAYER:

Add a plain fitted white tee with a cute cap sleeve under this pinafore to make it work for chillier temperatures.

To make it work for winter, just add a polo neck & opaques!

GIVE YOURSELF THE BOOT:

This style of dress with a leather knee length boot is a match made in heaven.

Keep the boot elegant and ideally tonal in colour and if you’re cold, pop a cami under & throw round an unexpected knitted scarf or fur gilet.

TOUGHEN UP:

Throw on a leather jacket to give this feminine frock a grittier edge and shield you from the elements

DRESSES WITH SLEEVES:

They’re on trend so they look edgy but they’re also practical, perfect for day and night, just style with different shoes & make-up!

FASHION BLOG AS FEATURED ON MAMA MIA !!

Posted March 13th, 2018 & under Body Shape, Personal Styling Service, Style Makeover Sydney, Stylist Sydney.

Working as a personal stylist in Sydney has made me realise just how much my female clients blame their own bodies when clothes don’t fit well.

However, from my 17 years working as a fashion designer, I know there’s a gazillion reasons (well maybe not that many) but loads of reasons that garments don’t fit our body type as per the size label they claim to be.

…and I know how demoralizing this can be for certain clients.

One of my primary aims as an image consultant is to share my industry insights and to teach clients my stylist tips & fashion advice, hence why I thought a great way to do this is through Mamamia, Australia’s largest independent women’s website, read my article here

I’m SO chuffed they chose to publish my blog post, i’m a huge supporter of women and know that fashion is never just about clothes, it’s about how we feel about what we see in the mirror every day – our personal branding.

Body confidence & clothing are deeply intertwined and I’m on a one-women-mission to make dressing and shopping a more positive experience for Australian women no matter what their shape or size.

Happy reading!!

BODY TYPES : STYLE HACKS

Posted March 8th, 2018 & under Body Shape, Clothes reflecting our personalities, Fashion Tips, Personal Stylist Sydney.

Talking of different female body shapes, i’ve shared a few style hacks linked to body confidence on my instagram so if you’re not following me on ig (where have you been??) then you can see my fashion tips below.

Not only is it our personal style that evolves as we get older, but also what we’re comfortable wearing changes as we question whether it’s still ‘age appropriate’.

Now, working as a personal stylist I would argue that too many people are dictated to about what is ‘age appropriate’ as my mum rocks tight jeans and converse at 67 years old and looks amazing, and I see numerous older women looking chic in outfits that others may feel is a more ‘youthful’ outfit.

Hem Length

However, the subject of hem lengths is one to consider, therefore I have suggested that you can still wear these shorter, lightweight dresses but as tops… and they don’t even need sewing!!!

Many clients still have tunics in their closet from the fashion trend a few years back so these can be re-purposed as tops too which give them a modern day style makeover.

Showing Skin

On the subject of showing skin, recent fashion trends have increased the amount of cut-outs we see in our dresses, jumpsuits & tops. If you feel like you want to show less skin for a daytime look or maybe you’ve just become less body confident, then layer under a fitted white tee to get more wear from it. It suits all different body types and a white tee is an essential that you need in your wardrobe!

Shoulder Robe

I love it when a fashion trend actually works in the real world and shoulder robing is a great one. It’s handy when you want to pop something around your shoulders and you don’t want a scarf, because, let’s face it, they’re a bit dated.

It dresses up the most humble of clothes styles, I feel like I could wear my denim jacket out to somewhere glam if worn over my shoulders.

But the best advantage is that for those of us who are pregnant, fluctuate with their weight or just have a favorite jacket they no longer fit it, then slinging it around your shoulders is the answer! Make sure the shoulder/sleeve seam is anchored on your body so it doesn’t slip off easily and off you go!

Heel Height

I feel like to need to address the topic of stilettos. I’ve had a few female clients that get in to auto pilot and pair everything with a high heel thinking their legs will look longer and slimmer. However, if the heel is chunky, a bad design or finishes at an awkward place on the ankle then they are no more flattering than welly boot!

Fundamentally, the shoe needs to be elegant and suit YOUR LEG SHAPE & PROPORTIONS to add length cue the reason for a professional personal stylist to give you individual advice. You’re better off wearing a lower heel that flatters you more and a style you can walk around in all day long so you look consistently fabulous (the sign of a stylish person), rather than struggle in a stiletto for a few hours – and then change in to your jandles (insert sad face shaking head emoji).

SHOP YOUR BODY SHAPE

Posted February 28th, 2018 & under Body Shape, Online Shopping, Personal Shopper, Personal Styling Service.

For those of you who know me will know I bang on about the importance of altering your clothes to make them fit YOUR body shape, as seen here.

If you’re of average build and height then you may not feel like you should pay extra to tailor a style as generally clothes would tend to fit your body type well.

However for those of us who are petite, tall or curvy then the cost of a quick alteration is something we frequently have to factor in to the price of the garment.

Online Shopping

Yet what ever type of shape you may be, online shopping can be a challenge trying to work out what size to purchase from each brand as they all come up different (cue previous post that explains this in more depth). Well, let me introduce you to the PerfectFit app from Haru.

Welcome to HARU.

Want to know more? Here is a short clip that explains HARU. and our product PerfectFit a little further! Remeber to visit our website www.heyharu.com to find out more and to sign up for the first trial!

Posted by HARU. on Friday, 25 August 2017

Find Your Perfect Fit – The Future Of Shopping

HARU is a forward thinking brand who are tapping in to this problem by taking body shape to a whole new level.

Firstly they map your body measurements using an app and then compare them with various online brands who can offer garments in your perfect fit!

How To Dress For Your Body Shape

So Haru’s approach to dressing for your body shape is to minimise the need for alterations after, by defining the shape of your body first! So of course, there are many different body types – particularly female body types – but this process makes shopping more successful (& therefore enjoyable) so next time you receive your parcel in the post you can be sure your selection will work for you.

There’s no such thing as the perfect body shape, but there can be the perfect fit!

HOW TO DRESS FOR YOUR BODY SHAPE

Posted February 15th, 2018 & under Body Shape, Personal Stylist Sydney, Style Makeover Sydney.

Ok, so you know there are several female body types but what if you can’t work out what shape you are, but still want to look good?

What if you want to hit the shops with a style in mind that you think could flatter you regardless of the shape of your body? To have an idea of what might suit you is better than no idea right?

When I meet women in Sydney and they find out I work as a personal stylist, the first question I get asked is “what dress shapes suit my body type?” although most of the time I can’t make out their figure! Therefore, I decided that rather than asking them to strip down, I thought a more appropriate response would be to tell them about a fantastic style that would probably look good on them.

If you ask the question ‘what is my body type?’ click here to find out.

Dressing For Your Body Shape

During my personal styling service, I aim to simplify dressing for your body shape, now i’m not saying this will suit every single female as I don’t adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach but ‘one style fits most’ is a pretty good start! It might not align with your personal taste which is another key factor when finding what ‘fits’ you, but in my experience as a Sydney stylist this dress is a fantastic, reliable go-to style.

‘One Style Fits Most’

THE most flattering dress shape = The FIT & FLARE

It FITS in all the right places & FLARES out over all the right places

This classic little number tends to flatter pretty much ALL types of body shapes… and not many garments can claim that!

Why This Dress Flatters

Wrap styles flatter the bust and torso
Wraps are adjustable for different body types & bust shapes
The feminine sleeve gives arm coverage and finding stylish dresses WITH sleeves is rare
It gives waist definition, high enough to hide a tummy
The full skirt glides over the hips & thighs which are commonly a more tricky part of a womens body shape
It covers the knee which is another area a lot of females prefer to cover, particularly as they age
This style creates an hourglass figure which is the most desirable
The fabric has stretch which allows better fit
The stretch gives extra comfort for all day wear and if you were to put on or loose some weight
It’s a classic piece that won’t date and suits all ages, just style it up with contemporary accessories
And whats more, the colour of this dress is also flatters a wide variety of skin tones

This style is from Sammy Dress and retails for around $25!! www.sammydress.com

So if you feel a little lost when you’re next out shopping, buying a frock like this would be a worthwhile purchase. A lot of retailers have their own version but go armed with my list above and try to find a version that works best for you.

If you need help then just contact me to be your shopping buddy and read all about the advantages of booking my PERSONAL SHOPPER service.

Good luck!

BODY SHAPE : INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Posted February 9th, 2018 & under Body Shape, Fashion Tips, Personal Stylist Sydney, Stylist Sydney.

As a personal stylist in Sydney BODY TYPES are one of the main areas I cover in my initial analysis of a client to help guide them in to what they should be wearing versus what they should avoid. There are many different body types so click here to read more about my analysis service to help identify the shape of your body:

It can be a tricky area with even the most perfect of physiques having their own hang up’s about their body image. During my personal styling service, I’m all about empowering clients to make the best choices and to magnify people’s ‘best bits’.

I find it fascinating how my clients respond to size labels, or when clothes don’t fit them well so I thought i’d give you all some industry insight to make you feel a little better about your bodies:

6 FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CLOTHES SIZES

1. MEASUREMENTS

There is 5cm between each standard dress size ie. between a size 12 and 14 there’s 5 cm’s difference throughout the main body measurements (bust, waist, hip)

2. SIZE TAGS

Don’t let a size tag change your mind about buying – or not buying – an item. If you consider the above and then imagine that some paneled skirts could have 6 seams, if the seamstress takes off just a few millimeters too much seam allowance whilst sewing the panels together, that means your skirt ends up half a size smaller!!!

I understand that the number on a size tag can create an emotional response, but really we need to asses the actual garment size rather than the number that generally represents your body shape. THAT NUMBER DOES NOT DEFINE YOU!

Most people have a variety of sizes in their wardrobe – up to 3 sizes either way – so don’t buy something too small or too big, because it’s the size you ‘normally’ take. Buy the size that fits you in THAT store.

3. SIZE DIFFERENCES

A plus size 16 is equivalent of a standard size 18, so go down 1 size if you shop plus size brands. Similarly if you shop vintage, go up a few sizes as the measurements that we know today used to be ALOT smaller back in the 60’s as explained in this DAILY MAIL article. www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3198374/Chart-reveals-clothing-sizes-changed-past-60-years-shows-size-12-Marilyn-Monroe-00-8-today.html

4. LEAD TIMES

With lead times decreasing for fashion retailers to get their designs on to the shop floor, often fit sessions would suffer – sessions where we would fit our new designs on to our brands fit model and usually 3 are scheduled per style. Certain brands now boast that they can get a design in to store in 3 weeks (!!) which leaves me questioning how they get time to fit these properly?

I’ve seen female clients upset that a top doesn’t fit their particular body shape well when the bust dart is up by her collar bone! Sometimes it’s just a design flaw and my remark is “it’s not you, it’s them”

5. FIT MODEL

Do you find yourself often shopping at the same stores? Well this might be because the fit model that a particular brand uses probably has a similar body shape to you so most of their clothes fit well, therefore efficient shopping is about aligning yourself to their fit model.

Each brand creates their own customer profile and employs a fit model accordingly which means that a size 10 in Seed could be a size 14 in Cue!

The model I used to use when I was designing for a youth fast fashion brand had a tiny frame and very little curve where as for a more mature luxury retailer, I would fit my clothes to a more realistic curvy model with a few lumps & bumps. As a stylist in Sydney I know how different brands fit different body types.

6. INDUSTRY SIZING STANDARD

Ok, so the main reason that sizes come up so different is because, cue gasp, there is NO INDUSTRY SIZING STANDARD!!

“The Australian Standard Size Coding Scheme for women’s clothing was scrapped in 2008, allowing retailers to develop their own sizing scale based on sales data” Rebecca Sullivan of News.Com.Au reports on September 18, 2016

As I mentioned above, each fashion brand creates it’s own customer profile and generates their sizing specifications based on that and there’s no industry guidelines to align them!

This, mixed with various other issues creates complete havoc for customers. Consider:

Trying to police the multiple suppliers each retailer has to adhere to their sizing
Every style has an allowance of 1cm or 1.5cm bigger/smaller depending on the brand
Allowances in cloth manufacture ie. maybe it’s shrunk slightly in the production dying process compared to the initial sample?
Button placement on a waistband could be slightly out?

So you can see that there’s so many variables…and imagine if all these things happened to one garment!!???!!

These disparities are the reason so many Sydney retailers have size’s that come up different so PLEASE, I go back to my earlier point,

DO NOT LET A SIZE TAG CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT BUYING – OR NOT BUYING – AN ITEM!!

My advice: take 2 different sizes in to the fitting room, try both and buy the one that looks the best, regardless of the size label it SHOULD be.

8 FASHION MUST HAVE’S

Posted January 25th, 2018 & under Caring for clothes, Wardrobe Makeover Services, Wardrobe Makeover Sydney.

And they’re not what you might expect…

A good wardrobe doesn’t start and end with great clothes and when we talk about ‘key pieces’, it’s not limited to garments.

Here’s a short and inexpensive list of things you need to look better IN your clothes and where to purchase them. It gives your garments a makeover!

They might not appear very glamorous or sexy but trust me, all these behind-the-scenes pieces are key if you want to look consistently stylish:

1. LINT ROLLER

This easy-to-use roller cleans up your fabrics instantly, particularly handy if your hair molts a lot or if you have pets. You can also use sellotape wrapped around your hands.

Lint Roller – $3 H&M
Sellotape – free!

2. BI-CARBONATE OF SODA

Also known as baking soda, this is the perfect non-chemical way of treating stains and boosts the quality of your liquid detergent. It’s also a natural deodorant, gets rid of smells in your gym kit and you can also drink it as it neutralizes your pH levels!

In fact there are sooooo many benefits of this cheap, natural product that you’ll probably start to use it weekly! Click here for 51 fantastic uses.

All Good supermarkets – $3

3. SLEEVE IRONING BOARD

This is like a mini ironing board for those tricky areas to press such as sleeves, perfect for details where you need precision such as tucks, folds and pocket openings.

Sleeve ironing board – $15 Catch

4. CORRECT HANGERS

Ditch your wire coat hangers and swap them for either:

Flocked – feels like velvet, non-slip hangers perfect for strappy or slippery garments that easily fall off hangers

Plastic – ideally with a non slip ends

Wooden – wider in size so they take up more space so use more sparingly for jackets / coats, or occasionally lightweight knitwear.

Clip hangers – the one item I tell nearly ALL my clients to buy more of. Clipping your pants, shorts and skirts by the waistband or hem means they’re not crushed when you go to wear them or have that awful horizontal crease formed when folded in half over a standard hanger. Clip hangers can also come in tired format when you have limited space. Genius.

Muji / Ikea / Howards Storage / Pinklily / Ebay

5. SCARF / BELT / JEWELLERY HANGER

These are fantastic storage for accessories that can get forgotten about and therefore unworn. Being able to easily see, and access, these finishing touches are key to creating a stronger fashion look.

The storage is slim hanging so takes up limited space so hang them front and center and you’re sure to wear them more frequently.

There are loads of options so shop around for the style that suits your needs, depending on what you wear most, this one is from ebay.

Muji / Ikea / Howards Storage / Pinklily / Ebay

6. CEDAR WOOD

Protect garments from pesky moths and mildew without chemicals.

The cedar wood comes in many formats, balls, blocks on hooks as shown here, or hangers so they can fit any space!

Cedar wood blocks – $8 Howards Storage

7. MESH BAG

Wash all your delicates without risk of them being thrown around in the drum of your washing machine.

Fasten any bra hooks so they don’t catch on anything else and do up any zips for the same reason.

Mesh bag set of 3 – $8 Howards Storage

8. DE-FUZZER

To remove pilling and make your clothes look like new, use a battery controlled fabric shaver or even a razor. Perfect for those areas of frequent friction like under the arms, shoulder bag straps or between the thighs!!

De-fuzzer – $18 Howards Storage
Razor – free!

THE 1 FASHION TIP WHEN SALE SHOPPING

Posted January 14th, 2018 & under Personal Shopper, Personal Stylist Sydney.

So, as a Sydney stylist where lower end brands have become as popular as the boutiques, I feel the need to redefine the word ‘BARGAIN’

Something’s not a bargain if it costs $20 and u wear it once:

COST PER WEAR = $20

It’s a bargain if u pay $200 for something you LOVE and wear it every fortnight for 2 years:

COST PER WEAR = $3.80

Now that’s a proper bargain.

A more expensive fashion purchase is easier to justify if it’s versatile, fits your lifestyle and you know you’ll wear that clothes style on high rotation.

Be Your Own Personal Shopper

If you can’t bring me with your for a PERSONAL SHOPPER experience then think about this when you shop in the sales, DON’T be seduced by a low price (or a bad fashion trend), your clothing choice still needs to be something you love and brings value to your wardrobe.

I just purchased a $5 sweater which I absolutely would have bought full price as I know I will enjoy wearing it as it’s true to my personal style.

Also consider where you will store it? Some clients have a ‘1-in-1-out’ wardrobe planner policy which is effective when limited for space, which is usually the case in Sydney!

It’s easy to ‘consume’ during sale time, buying impulsively which often means without satisfaction.

Take my advice, sales are the perfect time to buy that item you’ve had your eye on, now it’s become affordable, (and probably been sitting in your virtual on-line basket for weeks!). That’s a smart way to shop.

Buy less, choose well.

MAKE THIS YEAR BETTER THAN LAST – IT’S MAKEOVER TIME!

Posted January 10th, 2018 & under Detox your Wardrobe, Wardrobe Makeover Services, Wardrobe Makeover Sydney.

There’s something incredible about January and seeing our lives tick in to a brand new year, it automatically makes us re-evaluate who we are and how we live our lives.

I don’t know 1 single person who isn’t making at least 1 positive change this January to the way they live their life – i’ve pledged to go alcohol free this month!! (apart from 1 day for my friend’s 40th birthday party so you have to allow me that if you see photos on social media).

I’m not taking about new year resolutions as we’re all old enough to know they don’t last, i’m talking about making this year better than last and that means starting with our self image.

As a personal stylist, I know that what we see every day in the mirror has a profound effect on our well being, do you like what you see?

We evolve as people and our closets need to reflect that, cue your wardrobe makeover Sydney!

Click below to see my YouTube 2018 style makeover video.

Wardrobe Planner

Investing time now will set you up for the busy and often challenging year ahead. My personal styling service will reveal a more stylish version of yourself once we’ve organised, edited and generated your new outfits. Life is easier when you plan your weekly meals isn’t it? Well a WARDROBE PLANNER is another (more fun) version of that!

We use our wardrobes on multiple occasions EVERY SINGLE DAY, so why do we avoid making the time to clean it out as it’s the quickest and easiest way we can start to look & feel better – and isn’t that what we all want?

Because of limited size wardrobes in Sydney, particularly the Eastern Suburbs, we need to edit and rotate our belongings more frequently and be smart about how we use our closet space.

Immediate Results

The results of my personal styling service are instant so you get results IMMEDIATELY!

So if you’ve over indulged this Christmas and new year, or maybe you need help dressing your body type, I can help you look slimmer instantly by teaching you simple design principles.

So stop delaying your self-improvement, what are you scared of, think it won’t work for you, think it will cost you lots of money? Well every single one of my clients is amazed at the results, in fact I conducted a survey and they unanimously fed back that I had over-delivered and if you’re on a budget like many of us are after the festive season, the EXPRESS MAKEOVER is ideal for you.

Trust me, you and your clothes will be pleased you did.

COLOUR CLASH

Posted December 21st, 2017 & under Clothes reflecting our personalities, Colour theory, Personal Stylist Sydney, Style Makeover Sydney.

The month of December is all about summer fun and that = COLOUR!!

Clashing colours is an easy fashion trend to follow so experiment with the shades you wear together to give them a new lease of life this season.

Sydney! Colour play is the quickest way to achieve a style makeover as it makes your wardrobe 10 times as exciting, instantly!

About 4 years ago we saw a movement from strong, bold colour (remember the coloured jean trend?) to wearing neutrals head to toe (think Kim K in her leotard ensembles in khaki, camel or nude)

But now colour – and FUN – is back!

Here’s a few real life ways from H&M of playing with the trend after being inspired by this gorgeous pink & red outfit…

So rather than automatically pairing solid color with black, denim or neutrals, try adding a complimentary hue to really make your outfit pop!!

Think Victoria Beckham for inspo – simple minimalist shapes in maximum impact colours and you can’t go far wrong.

Need some style advice about the types of colours to play with, then below are some links to my PINTEREST boards and remember, you don’t have to take the outfits literally but instead extract the interesting colour block combination and apply to your own wardrobe or influence your next shopping trip:

STYLE TIP:
If you’re feeling bold then use bold colours!

If you’re not quite ready to commit, then try:
> combining paler shades
> safer earthy tones
> mix tonal shades as seen on on my Pinterest board
> add small pops of saturated hues through your accessories such as coloured shoes, as see on my Pinterest board

And remember to have fun!!