Posts Tagged ‘colour’

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

swap pantyhose for tights

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

go neutral …

i was in a store last week and saw a lady pull a piece of material from her bag and show it to the assistant in the hope of finding a shoe to match her dress, which she was to  wear as a guest at a wedding.  How many of you have done this and really got the result you were hoping for?  The assistant did her best and started down the rows of shoes holding the fabric to various shoes for a match.  Successful? hhmmm, not really.  The problem here is that the chances of finding the actual color match is really slim and even getting a color that is in the same tones is quite difficult and in fact if you can get that, well done!  The best option is to look for a shoe/sandle, that will go with everything.  This is a neutral, skin toned shoe that when worn will simply look like an extension of your own leg.  And the real joy is that your leg will look longer and slimmer for it!  So, to be clear if you can find a shoe that is color tonal, fantastic, but looking for and purchasing a neutral shoe/sandle that does wonders for your legs will also complete your outfit with the minimum of stress.  Simply add a nail varnish to your toes (if they are seen, even if they arn’t you will feel better … far more cost effective and much easier to matchor if in doubt a flesh tone with a clear top coat will polish of your look.

love and laughter, karen