Blog
Khaki – THE on trend colour for Autumn 2019
Khaki is an interesting colour…. I had always assumed that it was a dull olive green colour used in army uniforms around the World. However, in doing my research for this blog I discovered that the actual origins of the word comes from the Urdu word khāk, meaning dust...
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Jeans Shopping
Jeans are the ubiquitous, easy, go anywhere garment to own and wear, with the ability to link both formal and casual items in our wardrobe. You can wear the right pair with a jacket and heels, just as easily as with a sweatshirt and trainers. However finding the right...
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How to Pack a Suitcase with Ease
It is August and summer holiday time and although you are looking forward to your well-earned break you may be dreading the fact that you still have to pack a suitcase!! Some people tackle this chore with military precision - with Excel spreadsheets containing packing...
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Dressing for Business in the Heat
With the temperatures rising in the UK and in anticipation of some warmer weather over the next couple of months- we come to the tricky problem of what to wear to work. With the relaxing of corporate dress codes you may feel that you can wear your "summer" clothes....
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Investing in Style and Image Coaching
I am conscious that my style and image coaching could be leaving a style legacy. I have worked with many amazing clients over the years. So it is fantastic when someone I used to know, suddenly contacts me out of the blue. Catherine and I recently connected on social...
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Menopausal Style
Menopausal Style might seem like an oxymoron, but how we get dressed can have a phenomenal impact on how we feel and how others perceive us. Admittedly it’s not always easy to find your style or feel remotely sexy when contending with hot flushes, no sleep and a...
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The History Behind Men’s Jackets
If you have ever wondered why men's suit and sports jackets have buttonholes and buttons in strange places, watch this short, fun video to find out more!...
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What to Wear to a Conference
In less than a week’s time I will be flying to Chicago for 9 days for the biannual AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) Conference. BUT that then brings up the question of what to wear to a conference (especially one full of image consultants!!) Apart...
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Beach Wear
So you might think I’m crazy writing about beach wear in March, but bear with me…..! If you are lucky enough to be going away to somewhere hot and sunny for Easter or in the next couple of months, it is always a challenge to find beachwear in the shops. At the end of...
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Fashion Colours for Spring Summer 2019
Hopefully with the last couple of posts I have whet your appetite for wearing more colour. Therefore I thought I'd share the fashion colours that you should be able to find in the shops this Spring/Summer! This is to inspire you to add some new colours into your...
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The Power of a Neutral Colour
If we wore bright, bold and different shades of colour all the time, it would actually be very hard work!! You could end up looking eccentric, wearing clashing colours and it would make creating outfits very difficult. To create a cohesive wardrobe you also need a...
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The Wear More Colour Challenge
We need to wear more colour. Today is “Blue Monday”- so called because it is meant to be the most depressing day of the year…with the fun of Christmas a distant memory but with the bills still to be paid. Plus in the northern hemisphere, we have the prospect of a few...
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Five Festive Fashion Mistakes
Have you got a Christmas party or New Year's Eve event coming up? Wondering what to wear? Here are my top five tips to avoid making a festive fashion mistake...... 1 Wearing a "Little Black Dress" – I am being a little controversial here, as a LBD is supposed to be...
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What to Wear on Christmas Day
Oooh that’s a bit of a conundrum isn’t it, wondering what to wear on Christmas Day?? To a certain extent it obviously depends on what you are doing. If you are staying home all day with your nearest and dearest then you may be able to get away with pyjamas, onesies or...
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How to Choose Tights
Although tights (or stockings) are a staple in most women’s wardrobes it isn't always easy to know which are the right ones. Tights offer us support, coverage and warmth. We can buy them with integral underwear, they can make you look taller &/or slimmer, change...
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Personal Branding
What is Personal Branding and how can it help you to get ahead?
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Autumn Fashion Trends 2018
Now, whilst I don’t pretend to be a slave to fashion it is always interesting to see what new Autumn Fashion Trends are going to be available on our high streets this season. I have been wandering around the shops, looking online and reading what the magazines and...
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Top Style Tips for Petite Women
Many women struggle to find the right clothes, but for petite women (5’3” and under*) it can seem particularly hard and with extra obstacles to navigate. Jennifer Ison the founder of Jennifer Anne, started her petite brand just over a year ago to solve this very...
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Jumpsuits and How to Wear Them
I love a jumpsuit - they are the ultimate easy to wear, one stop outfit option! There is a fascinating history behind the jumpsuit that dates back to 1919 when it was literally designed as a functional "suit for jumping" designed for parachutists! I was asked to write...
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Let go of clothes that don’t serve you any more
Have you ever opened your wardrobe doors and just sighed….. there are plenty of garments lurking in there, but something just isn’t right. It could be that you need to let go of some of these items so that you can discover how you really want to dress and be seen by...
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How to choose the right bra for you
Unfortunately, the vast majority of women are not wearing the right bra size or shape for their boobs. Over the years our bust changes shape, size and bounce! But many of us are still wearing the same size bra we bought 20 years ago. It is vitally important to get...
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Items that we SHOULD have in our Wardrobe
I am not a great advocate of those lists that you see in magazines from time to time stating the “The ten must have items that we should have in our wardrobe." For example, purely from a colour analysis point of view, having to have a white shirt, a little black...
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What to Wear on Christmas Day…..
Oooh that’s a bit of a conundrum isn’t it, wondering what to wear on Christmas Day?? To a certain extent it obviously depends on what you are doing – if you are staying home all day with your nearest and dearest then you may be able to get away with pyjamas, onesies...
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Menopause Style
Today is World Menopause Day, so in "celebration" of this I thought I would write about menopause style. As a "woman of a certain age" and an Image Consultant I feel that I am well qualified to comment on menopause style. So many things happen to our bodies and minds...
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Home Staging and your Wardrobe
Could home staging help sell our house? We are currently in the process of trying to sell our house. But with the current stagnant housing market in southern England, this has proved to be extremely difficult. The house has been on the market for a few months. So last...
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What is Image Consultancy?
"What is Image Consultancy?" - a client asked me this question recently and it made me step back and think… The simple answer would be to say that I help my clients to look and feel better by teaching them how to find the clothes that suit them. But there is so much...
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To wear a tie or not? That is the question….
There has been great controversy over the past couple of weeks over whether male MPs should be allowed to ditch the necessity to wear a tie and jacket when the temperature rises. This is because the air conditioning within the House of Commons struggles when it is so...
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Dressing for Work in the Heat – for Women
Although we’re not expecting a heatwave soon, the temperatures are rising and as Brits we do need to think about what to wear when dressing for work in the heat! This is probably the trickiest time of the year to dress smartly and professionally because we either...
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Transitioning Your Wardrobe from Winter to Summer
I have been busy this week running a Wardrobe Challenge – looking at the different elements that make up an interesting and effective wardrobe. If you would like to find out more, join the supportive Facebook group here. We are promised a warm and sunny weekend in the...
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Nothing to Wear?
Have you ever said “I have nothing to wear” BUT you have clothes falling out of cupboards and drawers? Surprisingly this is not the way to have choice in your wardrobe! More and more stuff doesn’t actually give you more functionality or the ability to create a variety...
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The Power of Colour Analysis
I just love the power of colour analysis and what it can do for people. I was browsing through the Sunday Times today and came across an article extolling the virtues of Colour Analysis - Hurrah!! The journalist claims that the service is coming back into fashion from...
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The Little Black Dress
The Little Black Dress (or LBD) is synonymous with party dressing and the default choice for most women when those party invites appear. The essence of the Little Black Dress is that it is a simple style that you can wear with ease (almost forgetting that you are...
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The Garments Every Woman “Should” Own!!
Have you ever read one of those magazine articles about the key pieces every woman “should” own? It all seems very simple doesn’t it? The usual suggestions are usually something along the lines of: A crisp white shirt A little black dress The perfect pair of jeans A...
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A Simple Wardrobe
Are you longing for a simple wardrobe? As a busy, professional you need a clothing formula that will work for you. Many successful businessmen have taken the step to simplifying their wardrobes so that it is one less thing for them to worry about in the morning. For...
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