They are everywhere and are a great multifunctional item but …

While they look great photographed in mags and catalogues remembered that these shots are staged to give the best look.  The reality when you get them into the changing room (always try before you buy … always) is that you can end up looking like a patterend paper bag.

The key to a tunic working wonders in your wardrobe is for it to fall to the right length on your leg.  If the garment is too long your legs will look shorter and possibly heavier, if the garment is too short and falls onto your hip you will probably have cut your body in half (visually) and this will take inches of your overall height and also add width to your frame, eeerrh!

So, work out where halfway is on your thigh (between your kneecap and widest part of your hip), then halve that length again … going up.  This is ideally where your tunic hem line should come to and will give you the most flattering look to your leg and body. 

Having a hemline altered is easy and relatively cheap and will transform a  functional garment to one that flatters.

Mix with tights/leggings, jeans, skirts and trou … more to come on tights

Love the colour but be careful with the size of the print …

Spring has sprung and florals are blooming on tunics and tops in a mass of colour, which is fabulously refreshing after the dark of winter, but buyer beware.  Proportion is the key to having you wear the print instead of the print wearing you. 

Look respectfully at your body -

• if you are carrying weight and curvy then do not go for a little flower print (which will make your look like you are wearing a large amount of fabric resembling a table cloth) OR a very large print which will in turn just make you appear larger and heavier.  A good option is a medium print about the size of your palm.
• if you are short and petite, the larger the print, the more you will be lost and overpowered and have the appearance of a child playing dress-up.  A smaller print will give you balance and  enhance your shape.

Enjoy the injection of colour and find a colour that you love in a print that can be found in other pieces of clothing as you start to put your winter wardrobe away and look toward warmer weather and spring purchases.

enjoy the sunshine, Karen

If like The Ugly Sisters if you have to push, squeeze and hope that the fit will get better (because you just love that shoe) it won’t come to fit well no matter how much stretching and softening or insertion of inserts you are encouraged to do by the sales assistant.  The glass slipper had no give (yes, i know its a fairytale) but fitted Cinders well because the shape was the same as the shape of her foot and not that of  the feet of The Ugly Sisters.  The feeling you will feel is of no pressure, anywhere, including the seller. 

You will have to try on many shoes, or you may get lucky!  The fun is in trying on lots of shoes that you love the look of (this is play time) and then you will know when your foot meets the right fit because it will feel good right from the start.  (note – it is still a good idea to wear new shoes for only a couple of hours at a time initially to allow for minimal adjustment.)

The prinicpal is the same for wearing heels – the height of the heel has no bearing on the comfortability if the shape of the shoe ‘mirrors’ the arch of your foot, ie the shapes match.

Tip – if you have ‘fine’ shaped feet then you need to wear shoes and boots with fine details.  likewise if you feet and legs are on the heavier side then you need to wear footwear that tends to be have heavier detail to create balance.

              Put your best foot forward in a fabulous shoe -

 ‘I would much prefer that life would allow for a beautiful shoe all day long’ SJP

is not about acheiving perfection …

Perfect is defined as being flawless or having nothing to improve on. Perfect however, is far from the reality of anything.  When you look at your face and body and feel that you are flawed ie too fat, too skinny, big nose, crooked teeth etc. you are comparing what you are focusing on to another ’image’ that you have in your mind of how you should look.  This image will have been generated in all likeliehood by a digitised picture or by comparing yourself to others and judging yourself  … others in turn are likely to be doing the same thing.  Not necessarily with you but with someone/thing else.

When you look at the whole picture (body or face) it’s about balance.  If the ‘parts’ are symetrical and in proportion or at least appear this way then you will be closer to acheiving ‘the perfect’ look. 

 To acheive this ‘appearance’  is relatively simple when you know  how to mix and match types and colours of clothes and incorporate a good dose of confidence as well.  Its about creating focus/drama where you want the attention to be focused and in turn drawing the eye/vision from the perceived flaw – finding a happy, smiling face will always attract attention!

Simple!  cheerz, karen

Many of us need pockets to pop keys, lippy or coins into … it free’s up our hand’s when we not carrying a bag.  However, while the pocket may be placed conveniently, if that pocket has the wrong detail and shape for your body you will be adding more weight than just that of what you are carrying.

To avoid this you must take note of the horizontal detail of the pocket and where that pocket is placed, especially when the pocket is top stitched in a contrast colour.  When that line of stitching corresponds with the widest part of your body, you have just made yourself look  heavier! - When the bottom of the pocket on your backside falls below your bum cheek you just made your self look shorter!

When in doubt (unless you are trying to add curves) pick garments that have no pockets.  The same applies to pleats, never ever wear pants with a pleated front.  The extra, obvious fabric will always add weight where as a pant that is skillfully cut will have been ‘eased’ to provide comfort to the wearer.

plain and simple

“To spend time thinking about what to wear on a daily basis may sound trivial but what we do wear has a huge effect/influence on our mood, confidence and (rightly or wrongly) how others perceive us. Other people can’t or won’t discover who we are and what we have to offer (our personality, humor, intellect and warmth) if they are not ’attracted’ by our appearance in the first place”  – Karen

When you leave the house in the morning you will generally come into contact with alot of people on a daily basis and while you might not particularly care on any given day what some one else thinks about you, you should always care about how you feel about yourself!   Your self worth and esteem are not measured by what clothes you wear but they are definately measured by how you feel about you.  Confidence is sexy!  A smile is contagious!  Being calm and avoiding stress is a great gift to yourself – investing in a style coach is about investing in yourself and there is no better investment I know.

Keep smiling, Karen

double breasted and with a belt at the waist!

On paper (the written word) these attributes in a garment are not on the top of the list for those women with a full or large bust or those with a minimal waist line.  However, as in all general information,  it is what we do with that information that defines one look from the other.

The trenchcoat is wonderful to use as a ‘layer’ of clothing and although the base design is universal it is the fabric and details in the different brands that make it suitable for most women to have as a base item in their wardrobe. In general, look for a light, shower-proof fabric in a style that is unlined (but make sure the seams are well finished).  This will reduce the look of a bulky front when it is done up.  Step one – the coat must fit squarely on your shoulders.  If the seam starts to ’travel’ off your shoulder and down your arm you will look bulkier.    Make sure the collar and lapel open to just above the bust line, creating an open neck area which will also reduce the look of a bulk to the front.  Wear it undone most of the time – i create shape in mine by tieing the belt loosely behind me so that it gives the appearance of being single breasted and the buttons then create a nice vertical detail.  And when you do need to do it up (and you do not have a well proportioned, defined waistline) do not use the belt and wear a scarf around your neck to create another vertical line.

Variations –  single-breasted versions available and for women that are heavier on the bottom there is also ‘skirted’ versions.  Budgets and lengths are as individual as the woman!

There a also many colors around and these are fun and add ‘pop’ to a grey day – simply roll up and carry in or over the handles of your hand/carry bag and you have another layer for your comfort on a transitional autumn day. Works in spring too!

cheerz, karen

The term ‘pantyhose’ does not inspire – they are : scratchy, baggy and sweaty.   However,  ‘tights’ are stylish, funky and come in a gorgeous array of colors and patterns.  Oohh you can just feel the difference!

Adding a layer of warmth but not wanting to look too covered up when moving from through autumn, the funky, fantastic tight is the bee’s knees!  Start with a lighter colored fishnet – a great transition from bare leg to barely there.  Wear with existing lighter fabriced skirts and dresses and then shift into heavier, darker colored skirts as the days cool off. 

The cooler it becomes the darker the color of the tight – try tights colored to match what you are wearing, creating a tone-on-tone look.  Look for the gorgeous florals and patterns and laces that provide texture and interest if you are wearing mainly black. 

Have fun, play – karen

learning to layer

Cooler mornings that morph into warm afternoons can be the cause of wardrobe woes at this time of year.  Being ‘in-between’ seasons will have many of us dressing too warm for the afternoons’  little rays of sunshine or feeling frigid with cold in the morning while we anticipate the later thaw. 

Layering is the key!  Learning to layer is about mixing textures and color to acheive a comfortable body temperature and not look like ‘the michelin man’ – a large comfy marshmallow!    So, i am going to add layers over the coming blogs to help you transition through autumn and into your winter wardrobe wishlist.

Sign in on the front page and i will take you through the guidelines to layering – adding one item of clothing at a time.  You may have some items already in your wardrobe or you may need to shop occasionally, but once you start learning the principals you will find this skill very valuable both in terms of wearing what you have in your wardrobe more often (cost effective) but also by creating interest and discovering your own personal style.

karen

can you see me?

While walking in town the other afternoon, a woman was walking towards me in a dress that was a vivid red with a large check print – that dress was all i saw, it was so loud that she seemed to disappear.   Obviously i did see her -  She was a petite, curvy, blonde, very feminine.

That dress over-powered her!  Had she been a taller, darker version of herself, then the dress would have been balanced by other strong factors.  Had the dress been ‘smaller’ ie a tunic or a top or a skirt that required more items to finish the look then the balance would have happened there.

Do not shy away from wearing color, far from it.  However, if you are wearing a bold color then make sure it is balanced ie. that the amount of ‘space’ that one color takes up is in proportion/balanced by accents of size and color in other items, including you.

This can, of course apply to black too, particularly if garments are volumous and flowy.

cheerz, karen