Posts tagged “Style”

Back to all posts

How Not to Give Style Advice

Posted on 18th June 2019 at 13:49

I was asked recently if I'd thought of chatting with people in a networking meeting situation, being a bit more pro-active in my approach, and asking if they'd be open to a bit of feedback regarding their image/style/personal brand. I recoiled in horror! This is just not my way at all...I'm more about getting to know my client first, their likes, dislikes etc so that any advice I give is more likely to be taken. it reminded me of this story...

I met a lady one time called Kate who was presenting at a conference I was at. She’s a very successful businesswoman in her field and is an inspirational author and speaker. She refers to herself as a fat lass with a laptop and a pack of tarot cards – it’s tongue in cheek, I don’t sense any confidence issues. (But who knows?)

Anyway, she told me that one time when she was presenting somewhere an image consultant had approached her at the end of her talk and said something like ‘You know what would suit you better? A wrap dress.’ I would call this uninvited ‘style advice’ downright rude! She knows how to ingratiate herself with people – not. This is the type of person that gives colour and image consultants a bad reputation as being judgemental fashion police types.

Being kind, I would like to think that this woman thought she was being helpful by sharing some of her styling knowledge and passing on free advice. She was giving away something that she would normally charge for and I expect she was keen to demonstrate and share her expertise with a view to gaining a new client. In truth I think this was quite presumptuous.

Why personal branding is about more than wearing yellow socks

Posted on 13th March 2019 at 19:06

Personal branding means different things to different people.

To some people in business that I’ve met it’s about being known for wearing a particular colour, always wearing yellow socks or dressing to match their logo. This is all well and good, it might help you be remembered and gets you known within your network. It will say something about you and affect how you are perceived.

To marketers personal branding means something completely different; to a graphic designer it may be more about choosing one font and colour over another because of the psychology and what that particular sans serif says compared to that one.

What we would all agree on is that personal branding is about keeping your message cohesive.

To me, in my profession as a colour and image consultant it’s about looking the part – whatever the part means to you.

I deliver a talk about it. My talk is called “If it looks like a duck…”

FREE 21 Day Style Challenge Jan 2019

Posted on 4th January 2019 at 12:17

It's free, fun, empowering, confidence boosting and best of all beats the January blues, come and join in.

A Little Poem - Is this you?

Posted on 19th December 2018 at 14:01

Case Study : Sue McFarlane

Posted on 30th October 2018 at 15:36

I first met Sue in 2014, she was out of love with her wardrobe and was often stressed about what to wear. Not any more! Read about Sue's journey as she's defined and refined her personal style, colours and image over the past few years. Definitely a sucess story. Here she is answering questions posed by my Style Sisterhood Community (free FB Group).

1. What type of thing have you done with Lisa?

(A) Colour analysis (in person)

(B) 5 steps workshop (twice)

3 x 21 day online style challenges

2. What actually happens?

(A) Lisa chatted to me about what I do, my social/leisure as well as work, why I felt I wanted my colours done, what I felt I might get out of the process, what wardrobe challenges I had or issues with clothes, how I felt about my clothes & whether I liked shopping for clothes, where I shopped etc.

3. How did you feel before?

(A) A bit nervous. I had met Lisa before through networking but I was really keen to know more about what she did & how she could help me.

4. How did you feel during the process?

(A) Relaxed & we had a few laughs too

5. How did you feel afterwards?

(A) Amazed & enlightened. Much more confident that the clothes we had edited for my wardrobe were suited to my colour palette. NB Further work in

(B) helped me understand my Own Style & why some of these 'me colour' clothes still didn't feel right on me! This has been a gradual education process & I am still learning all the time.

How to Suss Your Style

Posted on 20th July 2018 at 18:08

How do you know what your style is? Why is it important? What if I don't have a style? Where do I even start? I have so many different styles in my wardrobe, I'm confused...

It is said we wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time. I have no idea who said it or even who made the statistic up but I reckon it’s pretty accurate amongst the women I come across as an Image and Colour Consultant.

Quite often my clients have got a wardrobe stuffed full of clothes but only ever wear the same few items. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s very easy to get stuck in a rut and to wear the same old clothes week in, week out.

The other thing that happens is that you’ll maybe buy something while you’re out shopping just because it catches your eye. You get it home but then don’t know what to wear it with. It’s quite easy to end up with a wardrobe full of clothes this way but still feel like you have nothing to wear.

How to Dress for the Office in Hot Weather

Posted on 29th May 2018 at 16:44

When it's hot we just aren’t used to it here in Blighty. The heat and sun is all well and good if you are lazing around in the garden or on holiday. Then a vest top and shorts or a sundress are fine.

But what do you wear to work?

What is acceptable to wear to the office or to meet clients?

Here are my tips for dressing professionally even when it is scorchio…

1) wear lighter neutrals – white, tan, taupe, grey or a crisp white and navy combo

2) wear nude underwear if you are wearing light colours – it does not show through clothes as much as white

3) keep your fabrics light weight but not too lightweight or floaty

4) cotton, linen and silk are good, linen blended with something will crease less

5) the more skin you show, the more casual you will look

6) think light layers if you are going from heat outside to cool air con (nippy is not good)

7) only go without hosiery if it’s appropriate

How to Choose Swimwear

Posted on 29th May 2018 at 16:29

As with clothing styles some shapes and styles of swimwear will help you feel more confident if there are parts of your body that you would prefer to disguise. Certain cuts and styles are going to enhance your assets too.This content will be shown in the summary on the main blog page.

If you are looking for swimwear, the shops are starting to get stock in for the summer, buy early as they tend to sell out quickly especially online, in my experience. Here are a few tips for you…

• Invest in bra sized swimwear if you are well endowed

• Solid colour side panels give the illusion of a smaller middle

• Mix and match tops and bottoms to suit your body shape

• Shorts styles can make your legs look shorter/wider

• Strapless and bandeau styles are best for smaller boobs and shoulders

• Wide straps will make your shoulders look smaller

• Heavily patterned tankini tops disguise spare tyres

• Swim dresses are good for creating balance if your shoulders are wide

• Triangle bikini tops and halter necks are good for column shapes

• Brief skirts (all in one) are good if you are conscious of your hips/thighs

How to Wear Accessories

Posted on 29th May 2018 at 16:18

Accessories are to punctuate an outfit they should finish off your look making you look well put togther. One of the greatest challenges when selecting accessories is to know how many to apply. When you apply too many, your overall look can appear tacky.

When you fail to apply enough, your outfit can look a little boring and Ordinary Olive - let's have a look at how to create the perfect combination.

When it comes to choosing accessories, it isn’t simply about numbers; it has a lot to do with creating an overall look that is well balanced. To achieve this, it is a good idea to take a leaf out of the interior design book.

In the world of interior design, designers are advised to choose one focal point in the room. Other aspects of the room are supposed to support the focal point, rather than compete for attention. These rules also apply to any outfit.

If your outfit already has a focal point, for example a dress with a sequined bodice, the rest of your accessories should tie in with your bodice in a low key way.

For example, a pair of diamond studs and simple nude court shoes would most likely be complimentary. In contrast, a chunky necklace, three bangles up the arm, and contrasting coloured shoes, would most likely be overpowering.

How To Choose Glasses That Suit You

Posted on 27th February 2018 at 16:09

I love my specs, I think of them as an accessory. If you're a long term face furniture wearer or it's just that your arms aren't quite long enough any more you might want to read my tips for making sure that your chosen spectacles are making an impcat for all the right reasons

It’s important, as a glasses wearer, that you are happy with your choice. Especially if you need to wear them all the time. They need to suit you, your colouring, face shape, features and personality all need to be taken into consideration. There are so many styles to choose from its difficult to know where to start.

I often get asked about how to choose glasses so I thought I’d share a few tips to help you next time you need a new pair. It does really can make a massive difference to your image and say a lot about your personality.

Here are a few things to consider…

1) Colour – choose to suit your colouring. A good tip is to pick out the colour of your eyes. Choose silver frames or cool colours if your skin has cool undertones (pinkish hue). Gold, tortoiseshell or warm colours if you have warm undertones to your skin. Think about the type of clothes you like to wear, do you prefer bright or muted colours in your wardrobe? Your specs will look better if they are harmonious.

Denis, Frida or Donna - what your eyebrows say about you.

Posted on 3rd August 2017 at 16:31

How different do I look without the finishing touch of eyebrows that frame my face? I think without them I look a bit odd and unfinished.

I also think my eyebrows are an indicator of my age if they are left au naturel. Why is this? You may also be in the same boat – many of us are....

Eyebrows have their own styles and follow trends in fashion -I have over plucked them in the past and they have just simply stopped growing. I get the odd stragglers that need plucking out but they are distinctly lacking in length. The outer third of my eyebrows just don’t grow any more. (Apparently, this can also be an indicator of thyroid issues – not in my case though.)

Therefore, my pale insignificant eyebrows hark back to days when it was fashionable to have them relatively thin, this in turn gives away my age. Have a look around, there will be women with sparse over plucked eyebrows and they will probably be in their late 40’s and early 50’s.

Tips for Wardrobe Weeding Like a Pro

Posted on 11th July 2017 at 22:07

Do you ever look in your wardrobe, that is stuffed full of clothes, and think that you have nothing to wear? Why is that?

Blog