FASHION ADVICE FOR THE FILLIES

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Randwick horse racing in Sydney recently and I’ve been shocked that so many women were wearing EXACTLY the same dress (I spied 6 ladies wearing 1 particular fashion style!!?!) Why not think outside the box and try a skirt + top combination or a pantsuit which looks more contemporary and a little more unexpected?

You might not be dressing with the aim of entering the ‘fashion in the field’ competition but attending an event like the races is the ideal excuse to have fun with your image so experiment with your clothes, accessories and hair. Why not go for it and give yourself a mini makeover for the event?

Style Tips

As an image consultant, I advise clients to purchase a skirt + top as they’re fantastic investments as you can mix & match the separate pieces with other items from your wardrobe to create many different looks to ensure you get maximum value from your purchases. Separates are also handy when you are a different size on top to bottom, which so many women are!

Pantsuits, or jumpsuits as some people call them, can look more sophisticated and are perfect if you don’t love your legs. Choose silk or a quality viscose to keep your look elevated and go for a bright color if you want to get noticed or a more subtle shade if you plan to wear the pantsuit to work.

 

Races fashion Style

 

Find Your Style

Whatever look you’re going for, girly, sexy or edgy, don’t be conditioned in to thinking a dress is the only option, find your own style. There’s lots of fashion trends to be inspired by that can be interpreted through many different styles.

As a personal stylist I encourage my clients to buy an occasion outfit when they see one, even if an event seems a long way away, because as like most things, the event will be here before you know it, but the outfit will be gone, so try it on and snap it up if you love it!

Alternatively, re-style an old favourite using fab new accessories or borrow something from a friend to avoid rocking up to an event looking like you’re competing in a pageant.

CAPSULE WARDROBE

Almost every client I have worked with asks me to put together a versatile, flattering capsule wardrobe. Every person’s capsule is different depending on their lifestyle, taste level and budget.

If you want to find out what your capsule wardrobe could look like, click here to find out more and book in a session!

When I relocated back to Sydney from Dubai, I have a very limited luggage allowance which meant I had to pack thoughtfully as what I carried with me needed to satisfy 2 months worth of varied activities & climates.

As a wardrobe planner I packed 9 carefully chosen fashion styles that mixed and matched together to create 24 different outfits. I kept my colour palette tight but threw in a couple of more interesting patterned accessories to avoid boredom. Easy!

Personal Taste

It’s amazing when you find your personal style as your purchases naturally start to co-ordinate better and in turn, you can create more outfits from your wardrobe. This is true here as pieces work together that you wouldn’t obviously put together, who knew a blue check blazer looks good with a floral patterned bag!

DETOX YOUR WARDROBE

As a wardrobe stylist I’ve seen complete extremes in peoples wardrobes, one client with only 15 items, yet another housing over 20 years worth of clothes and accessories across four huge rooms.

It’s amazing how over the years we can accumulate so many ‘things’, scarves, jackets, shoes etc. and it’s essential that every now and again, you review what is taking up your valuable wardrobe space and question whether it’s still relevant to your lifestyle.

Click here to read more about my WARDROBE MAKEOVER consultant service.

Wardrobe Makeover

Every week I make-over clients, but I also make-over their wardrobes and let’s face it, Sydney wardrobes tend to be small and therefore need more regular edits! I cleanse and re-organise making sure all the items we put back in your closet serve you. Often we have to be more creative about how we utilize smaller areas and there is some fantastic space saving devices nowadays so it pays to shop around. Have a look at my PINTEREST board for some space saving hacks.

And after all, January is the perfect month to cleanse…

(click to enlarge & read)

 

personal styling servicespersonal styling services personal styling services  personal styling services

#INSTA-MUMS @EMIRATES WOMAN

Chuffed to have my instagram account featured in Emirates Woman luxury mini-magazine this October.

There was only 3 of us included and it’s fantastic to get recognition for my personal style, especially when that also includes my other obsession – my daughter!

I love discovering new people through social media and if I could, I’d spend hours down the rabbit hole that is instagram. I’m a huge fan of the other 2 mum’s featured here too.

My instagram account makes me accountable for my personal branding, which in turn encourages me to wear a lot more of my wardrobe, it’s a win-win!

Follow me for styling tips and insider fashion advice.

 

InstaMums

GET THE INTERVIEW LOOK

So now you’ve seen the interview outfit inspiration (if you missed it, click here), the next question I get asked is ‘where can I get these clothes from?’

My first answer is always to SHOP IN YOUR OWN WARDROBE as nowadays, you don’t have to rush out to buy a conventional black suit as an interview uniform, as there are numerous other options to wear and often you may already have some suitable hiding in your wardrobe, such as textured jackets or culottes? If not, I encourage you to borrow something from a similar sized friend!

If you need the help of a professional to give you style advice and feel you just don’t have the appropriate clothes at your disposal, then we could conduct a PERSONAL SHOPPER session where I would introduce you to the relevant fashion brands and clothes styles:

Remember that you may need to create more than 1 interview outfit depending on how many meetings they request with you!

Click on images to enlarge

WHAT TO WEAR TO AN INTERVIEW

I’m proud to announce that I have been partnering with Mums@Work recruitment agency, one of the first in the UAE to encourage desperately needed flexible & part-time work for skilled mum’s who want to return to the workforce.

The first question candidates often ask is “what should I wear to the interview?” and the answer depends on what industry sector you are interviewing for, as it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Business attire for women can vary massively, it also depends on how far in to the process you are, the location of the meeting and who will be interviewing you.

An EXPRESS MAKEOVER could be the ideal service to help find your perfect outfit for your interview/s and planning your outfits for your first few months of employment.

Personal Branding:

Creating and protecting your personal brand is vital within the business world, regardless of sector and we are summed up within 6 seconds* because of how we present ourselves which is proof that everything we choose to wear is scrutinized!

Learn more about the importance of a PERSONAL IMAGE CONSULTANT.

In the meantime, here’s some outfit inspiration I put together with vital do’s & don’ts to help you make the right first impression (click to enlarge):

Get The Interview Look

Click to see where on the high street to buy these looks from

*source – How To Make Anyone Like You by Leil Lowndes

PEOPLE RENT CARS – WHY NOT JEANS?

More and more fashion companies are setting up a new type of business model for consumers who want to ‘rent’ fashion, rather than commit to a purchase.

This allows the person to have a constantly revolving wardrobe which keeps them looking up-to-date, but avoids the problem of what to do with garments once you have got bored of them. Particularly helpful if you regularly need statement items for special occasions, if your size fluctuates, or if you want to experiment with your style.

Rent the Runway is a USA based company who have been selling this new concept of recycling fashion, as are denim brand Mud who actually recycle returned jeans.

BRUNETTES v BLONDES HAIR COLOR

As a Sydney colour consultant, my business is based on helping people understand why certain shades look better on them than others. It depends on your natural colourings – and one of those is the colour of your hair.

These 2 articles are re-pinned from WHO WHAT WEAR and shows what type of colours look better on 1. brunettes and 2. blondes. Although it’s quite generic as it doesn’t take in to account eye/skin tone, it’s an effective quick-guide.

 

 

Brunette hair colours

Blonde hair colours

Colour is the quickest way to give yourself a wardrobe makeover as it transforms us instantly!!

Most hairdressers give style advice telling us we shouldn’t change our hair more than 2 tones from our natural shade, unless it’s a fashion colour such as the pink and purple we have seen recently, so why not enhance what you have?

TOP FASHION TIP : CROP IT!

My personal styling services are all about offering practical and cost saving advice so I love a quick fashion tip – a piece of style advice that’s easy to follow & results in wearing more of your wardrobe in a more stylish way.

Enter ‘separates

The dress trend has been recently taken over by the top & skirt combo which looks more edgy, particularly if the skirt sits on hi-waist and the top is slightly cropped.

However, there’s no need to rush out and spend money on the new fashion trend, just tweak a longer top you have already with a simple knot!

It gives your garment an instant makeover!!

This way, you can crop it as short as you like, depending on where your skirt waistband sits and how adventurous you feel.

Tip : It works better if the top is stretchy.

Eva Longoria

This is a great example of when a woman wears the wrong shape and colour for her particular features (click on image to enlarge). Eva Longoria is a beautiful, slender woman.

However, the outfit on the left:-
– swamps her petite figure
– makes her athletic figure look more rectangular
– does not flatter her winter colourings

Yet the outfit on the right :-
– has less fabric and doesn’t over take her-even if it was a maxi
– defines her waist and makes her appear curvier
– is a more vibrant shade to suit her skin tone