Being stylish is not about how much you spend
There seems to be no end to the demands on our hard-earned money; in the meantime the online and print press are bombarding us with tantalising images of the latest fashions and ‘must-haves’. What is a girl to do?
In recent years, mixing lower-end price tags with quality pieces has pretty much become a trend in itself. Fashion can dictate styles but it also responds to universal moods. Economic belt-tightening (pardon the pun) means that we have to become more resourceful. This can actually be more fun, and more importantly, it forces us to take a step back and think more carefully about the clothing we buy: do we really need it, does it really suit us and will we get much wear out of it?
This has always been the colour me beautiful approach: creating a successful wardrobe for your personality, your lifestyle and your budget. Your wardrobe ‘portfolio’ should have styles and fabrics that work with your body shape, colours that flatter you and the overall looks should reflect your personality. You should be able to combine pieces easily and enjoy wearing each garment you own.
Of course, you might have one or two quirky items or unique pieces that won’t go with everything (especially if you are Creative or Dramatic type) but you shouldn’t have lots of pieces that only go with one other thing. What a wardrobe shouldn’t be is bursting at the seams with all the latest styles and great labels which you find yourself gazing at wondering how to wear them.
You should allow time every six months or so, to ‘shop your wardrobe’. That means that before you hit the stores with ‘I need’ in mind, you simply take the time to put your wardrobe in order and revisit some pieces you have not worn for a while (why ???). You might well be surprised at the gems you’ll find hidden in there. Maybe you should bring in a colour me beautiful image consultant or stylist to do it with you, as one can be a little emotional at times with some clothes which remind you of events/people, but really do they need to take that space if you have not worn them for a while?
Looking good isn’t a luxury, it is something we all deserve and can achieve without having to spend a fortune. For many people, clothes shopping and dressing well and appropriately, for your age and/or the occasion, can be a chore because you simply don’t know what suits you. You will have a few pieces you enjoy wearing and feel good in, but because you don’t necessarily understand why you look good in those pieces, you can’t easily replicate it. You have to understand what styles work for your figure and for your personality (as well as your budget and lifestyle of course) and do some research to find out the best places to shop for them.
The great thing about the current mood in fashion is that it is all about your personal style, and even if the universal mood changes when economies bounce back, it should still be about your personal style.
You will never go wrong with some good quality, well-fitting classic pieces such as navy, pewter, grey and do we dare say – black – pants/skirts; some plain top too will see you through many years: a good white (your white!) shirt; a few plain well-fitting tops in your colours; a couple of dresses – in the right shape for you, will see you through for months on end, with just a few accessories to create newness.
Christian Louboutin exhibition
For those of you, shoe-lovers, who will be in London in the next few weeks, go and see shoes which are made for dreaming…
At the Design Museum, London SE1 2YD, until Sunday 1 July 2012.
You shop, you shwop
Good old Marks & Spencer have done it again, and have make it easy for us to give away the clothes we do not want to keep (remember, you are going to do that wardrobe weeding).
M&S: We’re starting a fashion revolution, It’s called shwopping.
Next time you pop in M&S to buy something new, put an old item of clothing (even if it’s not from M&S) into a Swop Drop and we’ll pass on to Oxfam to resell, reuse or recycle
You’ve all heard it before… but it might be worth being reminded
- Women who wear a little make-up earn more than women who wear none.
- In difficult economical times, women buy more make-up than at any other times in their lives.
So, treat yourself to a colour me beautiful make-up lesson to update your look and learn a few tricks of the trade.