HOW TO STYLE YOUR BLAZER - FORMAL TO CASUAL LOOKS!

I love blazers, I think they can upgrade any outfit, yet many of my clients feel wary of using them in their wardrobe as they feel they are only to be worn in a more formal situation. Now, what if I told you, you could use your blazer in a host of different ways? Would this perhaps change your mind on whether or not to invest in this (in my opinion) staple item for any woman’s wardrobe?

Challenge accepted!

Let’s take these beautiful blazers from MIA GIACCA , who specialise in designing unique and usable jackets, bringing a more contemporary feel to the traditional tweed material.  

Starting with formal-wear, you can bring a jacket to any meeting or work office environment, and bring a little colour to your outfit, whilst maintaining a formal and classic look. A blazer or jacket is a great piece to show-off your fashion personality, and can come in a host of different styles, including coloured or patterned lining, or even this beautiful blue-tone. With the example above, you can see how the accessories pull together the black from the jacket, keeping a more demure and elegant style.

By simply changing into jeans and a tee, your outfit can be cool and casual, yet chic thanks to the blazer, and is an excellent outfit option for going to brunch with friends, or even lunch with the in-laws. As you will see with the outfit above, the accessories pull on the more playful blue accents in the jacket, keeping the outfit styling more trendy and fresh. If you are looking for a casual blazer with a more delicate material, try a colourful linen jacket, which is an excellent addition for a spring wardrobe, and using the colour idea for accessories when making the outfit more casual.

You can also opt for the co-ord trend, which is incredibly fashionable right now, by matching blazer to skirt (or trousers) and make a truly pulled together piece. Adding a silk blouse is a truly elegant and classic option, or you could opt for a block of colour with a cooler shirt which could work for the warmer days. Top your outfit off with a beautiful heel and you are ready for work!

You can then add a little (or bold!) splash of colour and choose a stunning midi-skirt, like the one below, which is in PVC – I love this bold look, paired with a colour co-ordination of skirt to suede boot, which is incredibly fashionable and ready for a more casual evening or afternoon look. Now, I would even say this could work in a more casual office environment too, but that is down to you to make the final decision.

As you may be able to see, a blazer is a staple for your work and play wardrobe, and with a few accessories changes you can truly transform your look! If you are unsure on how to dip your toe into the blazer world, or any other outfit item, I’d love to hear from you!

WEDDING SUIT INSPIRATION – CELEBRITY GROOMS OF 2018

It may often feel like, as the groom, you have minimal options for your wedding outfit, whilst the dress can take centre stage, with hundreds of styles to choose from to suit the personality of the bride. However, as you will see below, there are plenty of ways to show off your personal style with your suit!

I wanted to share a few key suits to get inspiration from for your wedding this year.

Kit Harrington’s wedding suit with added flair

At first this ensemble can feel a little like two suits in one, but as you look a little closer you can see how Kit has showcased his personal style through the use of a cream waistcoat, tails, and pinstripe trousers. Just because a suit often has the same colour and style for jacket and trousers, doesn’t mean you have to match the two! I love how the use of the grey trousers work so well with the black jacket. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted, as it truly is a fashion statement, so if you are one to be confident with your style, I’d suggest taking this as inspiration for your upcoming wedding. It will also look excellent as the day turns into night, and the jacket can come off, as the black tie goes perfectly with the black stripes in the pinstripe trousers, and cream waistcoat!

Matthew Lewis in a traditional black suit for his Italian wedding

Harry Potter star, Matthew Lewis, married his long-term partner Angela Jones, with an outdoor ceremony in Italy, whilst wearing a traditional black suit and bow tie. This is the perfect option for grooms looking for a simple and elegant look, as it can suit all body types. Where you can add a little flair is with your bow tie or tie, as well as with your boutonniere that can tie-in to the colour scheme of the wedding. I suggest, for grooms who are tall and lean, to opt for a slim fit suit, whereas grooms who have slightly thicker legs, should try a more traditional fit, as these styles will work more to your body type. You will also notice that he matched his watch to his silver ring, to tie in the style together as one, which I thought was a simple and elegant touch!

Fedez’s Versace Suit with high neck shirt and no tie

Fedez is known for having a unique style and truly showcased that with his Versace wedding suit, by going against the norm of wearing a tie and choosing a high neck shirt with a pearl top button. It was an elegant look, with gold accents throughout the ensemble, including his gold watch and cufflinks. I love the use of gold against the black which is a classic colour combination. His tattoos were just viewable when he moved, whilst maintaining a smart overall feel. This look is perfect for grooms who are looking to have a more toned-down style, without having to follow a traditional tie and waistcoat outfit.

 Something to take from this style is that you don’t have to follow traditional rules for your wedding outfit, you can truly stand out by picking an outfit that you feel comfortable, smart, and yourself in, that is the most important part of dressing for your big day.

Prince Harry’s reception suit

I featured Megan Markle’s wedding dress and reception dress in a previous blog, and I wanted to share Prince Harry’s reception tuxedo as it felt like an excellent example of a way to change your style through the day. Harry started the day wearing his traditional military attire, and then dressed down into a tuxedo and bowtie for the reception. It isn’t just brides who can take the idea of changing throughout the day, and a suit can be changed up completely, or have simple edits made to create a whole new look – such as changing your tie, or adding a waistcoat for the reception. You can let loose a little when it comes to your reception, so don’t think you have to stay stuck in the same suit all day! 

David Beckham’s style takes the stage at the Royal Wedding

Although it isn’t a groom, I had to share David Beckham’s suit which he wore to the royal wedding last year, as it got so much exposure and showcased a hark back to traditional styling for suits, which is so beautiful! He showed up in style, being the first man to show-off designs by Kim Jones for Dior Homme, and set it off with a traditional pocket watch. The suit was wool twill in charcoal grey, with a light grey twill double-breasted waist-coat. You can’t see as well in the image, but the use of the dark grey, offset with a grey silk satin tie and light grey waistcoat looks perfect for the attire expected at such an event. This is a perfect look for grooms (or guests) looking for a much more formal look, and the wool twill is a great choice for a spring-time English wedding.

I hope you can see that, even though suits may feel like a pretty simple choice for a wedding, you have a host of options to help you showcase your style on your wedding day. If you are unsure on how to showcase your style, whilst still feeling comfortable for your big day, I’d love to help I can help you find the perfect piece to wear for your wedding, and even find the right accessories to truly make the outfit stand out.   

BRIDAL STYLING: CELEBRITY BRIDES' STYLES OF 2018 PART 2

I love taking inspiration from weddings for my brides to use and form their own favourites in our consultations, and no-one knows the fashion-forward trends coming our way than those in the news. I recently shared two wonderful brides’ dresses in my last post, and today I wanted to share a few more with totally different styles! Of course, these were designer created pieces, but thanks to their popularity, wedding dress designers of all budgets will take inspiration from these dresses and create their very own – so you don’t have to go to Versace or Dior if you don’t want to!

Gwyneth Paltrow’s floral Valentino gown

Boho brides delight! This dress is flowy, floral, wonderfulness! It truly showcased her joy and fabulous figure without being over the top. The lace appliques over the nude lining made for a stunning piece, it had a fuller skirt allowing her body to almost float down the aisle, and she showed a little skin with the keyhole cut-out back. She collaborated with the designer Pierpaolo Poccioli on the full look, with a simple tulle veil to complete the classic bride style. With cap sleeves, this is a perfect look for women who have a want to have a style with sleeves – perfect for bigger busts to have support, or for those of us who need a little balancing at the top. At her previous wedding to Brad Pitt she took the dress to a new level by changing into a Stella McCartney 80’s inspired reception dress, having specifically requested a dress she could easily dance in. I love the use of different fabrics and fun neckline, which I am sure, will have made a fantastic look whilst dancing the night away! This time she went all out for fun and showing off her amazing legs with a white romper, which was also designed by Stella McCartney. I love the idea of a romper for the party, it’s a comfortable, fun twist on a wedding dress, which can truly make you feel ready to take on the evening affair. The way it was designed with a cape, high neck and shorts to the mid-thigh, made for a fun yet still elegant look. If you have legs you deserve to flaunt, then a romper can be an excellent choice for a fun 2nd outfit at a wedding. You can still take inspiration from this piece if you feel less confident about showing off your legs at your wedding by investing in a beautiful wedding suit, which are all the rage at the moment – a classy, demure look, which is fashionable and comfortable!

Rose Leslie’s floral long-sleeved vintage inspired dress

Florals are all the rage, and Rose Leslie’s dress continued the trend with her Eli Saab vintage-inspired creation! I loved her fun, yet elegant dress which was perfect for the windy Scottish weather, where she and her husband, Kit Harrington, chose a castle for the celebrations. She added to the floral effect with a floral crown, which is perfect for shorter haired brides who are looking for an ethereal look. She had long sleeves on this classic fit and flare cut, sweetheart necklined dress, with a small white belt to cinch her in at her natural waist line to give her more of an hourglass figure, this is a great way for women who have a want to pull in their waist, particularly if they have a straight up and down figure.

Vintage inspired dresses can be, as in their name, a classic – it will continue to look great throughout the years, so it’s a wonderful choice for your pictures, and if you love vintage pieces, then a dress like Rose’s can be perfect. The shape can suit all body types, as the sweetheart shape is excellent for fuller and smaller busts alike, with the elegant long sleeves being truly appropriate for religious ceremonies or colder climbs – as well as helping if you feel less than confident about your upper arms being on show.

Something truly different was Felicity Jones’ high neck buttoned dress

I love it when a dress comes out of the blue and truly showcases a bride’s personal style! Nothing quite shows this off as much as Felicity Jones’ custom-made Erdem couture dress for her marriage to Charles Guard. The dress was a beautiful, high neck piece with, as with Rose’s dress, long lace sleeves, but done in such a different way! She had buttons as a main element to this gown, with them going the full length of the dress down the back and tied these in with buttons on the sleeves and bust area to pull the high neck together. A great detail was a bone corset with a grosgrain bow to bring her waist in, which added more structure to the almost floaty dress. The ruffled neck line is a great way to create a more vintage look to any dress and is a beautiful touch without feeling too heavy due to the lace fabric.

I love that buttons are coming back into fashion, as these can be a truly beautiful detail to any dress, and creates some added texture to the back of a gown. The boned corset is an excellent option for those of us looking for a little structure in our dresses, especially if we want some support for the bust! If you love this dress, I suggest, as Felicity has done, to keep the make-up and hair simple, as it’s all about the simplicity in this dress, and matching that with your styling will go to truly make the look work together.

As with all dresses, your style needs to shine through, and you can see how three women have chosen to keep to their style ethos with these gowns, and I truly recommend you do the same! It doesn’t matter what’s “in trend right now” – it matters that you feel wonderful, beautiful, and truly you in the dress or suit (or romper!) you wear on your wedding day. If you’d like some support or styling advice for your big day, I’d love to help you, do get in touch to see how I can help brides and grooms to find the perfect outfits for their wedding day.

BRIDAL STYLING: CELEBRITY BRIDES STYLES OF 2018

Last year was a year of large weddings, with a wonderful array of wedding dresses to sink our teeth into, and if you’re planning to have your wedding in 2019/2020 then I wanted to share some of my personal favourite styles and how to work them to help you feel your best on your big day!

Meghan Markle – Natural Styling

I loved how Meghan looked in this demure wedding dress, it was, of course, in need of sticking to some rules as a new member of the royal family, such as covering her arms, but this didn’t stop her from looking truly wonderful. Designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director at Givenchy, it was a simple piece, showing off her collar bone and shoulders to add a little sex-appeal, without going anywhere near raunchy. Another touch that we now know about is that, Meghan chose to include embroidered flowers from all the Commonwealth countries in her veil, which was a beautiful addition to her personal and demure nod to the family she was joining.

How to take inspiration for your own wedding – this look is perfect for brides looking for a demure and natural look. If you love your shoulders and collar bone, whilst potentially feeling either less confidence about your arms, or simply want a dress more suited to a religious ceremony, then this style is excellent. Due to its a-line skirt, it is also well suited for those of us with larger hips, as it will skim past the widest point of our body, and flow to the ground. It may not be suitable for a summer’s day, however, as it’s long sleeves and heavier fabric could cause you to want to have a sit down before the speeches even get started!

One way to help with this is to take a page from Meghan’s book, and have a reception dress which is much more suited to the dancing in the evening. Meghan came out in a beautiful Stella McCartney halterneck dress which she chose to wear for the evening, a much better suited piece for a party, or evening reception. She looked stunning, and although her arms were on show, it was still an elegant design, suited to the royal family’s expectations.

Chiara Ferragni’s Classic Ceremony Dress to Creative Reception Styling!

I love making the most of one item of clothing, and this amazing Dior two-in-one piece is something that truly went the whole way with its usability – not only was it a stunning classically styled crochet long-sleeved bodice with a tulle ball-gown skirt, but, after the ceremony, she whipped off the skirt to showcase an all-over crochet playsuit! This is a piece that she could use after the wedding day, making it a more than one use piece, which, in this age of environmentally friendly options available to us, I am on board! Ferragni then went onto the dinner dress, a pale pink tulle and silk organza evening gown, which was embroidered with motifs that showcased Chiara and Fedez’s history together. These included lyrics from Fedez’s song to Chiara; emblems of the cities in which the pair had lived; a lion to symbolise their son; their wedding date on the straps; and other additions which were beautifully added to make this dress not only beautiful, but meaningful too.

After the dinner, Ferragni removed the long skirt to reveal a shorter, ballet-inspired style with matching ballet pumps – perfect for dancing the night away!

How to get inspiration from these pieces - I love how Ferragni used design aspects to create dresses and other outfits from her wedding dresses – going from classic, to fun and quirky, it truly was a great way to show off her personality. It was a very smart and fun way to change up the designs and be suitable to the changing needs of a wedding day. Ballgowns are a perfect option for most body shapes, and it is a classic princess style. Having a shorter dress for the reception is a fun option for those of us that love our legs, and if you are slightly more self-conscious of showing your legs during a wedding, no matter the time, then you could have a dress with a ball gown skirt for the ceremony, and then a more a-line style to change to for the reception. Pink is a fun option, with dusty-rose being hugely popular for brides looking for a colour that isn’t a classic white.

The crochet bodice is a rather daring move, I must say, but I love it! It’s a beautiful way to show-off your shape with such a overwhelming skirt, and if you wish to have such details, you can have a lace bodice with a skin-tone fabric underneath, for a softer option.

Mandy Moor’s Boho Pink Dress

I love a little creativity, and Mandy Moore showcased her boho style with this pink custom version of a Rodarte Haute Couture gown, which was made from Swiss-dot tulle and have beautiful floral appliques around the waist line. She finished this comfortable, and boho feel, with pink flat embellished pumps and a veil which had floral embellishments through it. As boho styles go, this was perfect for her shape – with layering of the fabric to create volume and movement across the bottom of the dress, with a high neck and simple details across the top. She looked truly comfortable and beautiful throughout the day, without any boning to restrict her whilst moving.

How to get inspired by this look – you can use this wonderful pink creation to showcase that white is not a necessity! Pink is a very popular colour, and if you wish to show off your personal style with a colourful dress, finding the right pink (or any colour for that matter) will truly help you shine. White can be a tricky colour to choose, so I’m delighted to see some colourful gowns coming to the forefront of the fashion world. If you are a more boho/relaxed bride, then this look is great for you, consider the sleeves, however, as this isn’t a perfect fit for everyone, as the added volume could bring attention to an area that many of my brides feel conscious of – I say don’t feel conscious of them but, we all have areas we love and don’t love as much!

I hope you find these wedding dresses inspiring, and I wish you luck finding your perfect wedding dress for your big day! I will share some more of my favourites in future posts to keep you inspired, and if you have any favourites you’ve been inspired by, I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

If you are looking for someone to help you find a dress or wedding pantsuit you’ll never want to take off, that will keep you feeling confident all day, I’d love to help, I have a special wedding service I can provide to brides and grooms to take the stress of shopping away from the process. Contact me to find out more.

PERSONAL STYLIST ADVICE: CONFIDENCE, STYLE & MOTHERHOOD

Motherhood is a life changing experience, but also a physical changing experience.

During pregnancy our belly grows, our bust and hips enlarge, we put on weight and often our body doesn’t return back to its original shape. For many months we have to give up on decent, clean, fashionable clothes; we have to give up on our style, whether it’s because we don’t have time to take care of anyone other than the new baby; or our clothes simply don’t fit any more, and we haven’t the time to spend shopping for new favourites to suit our new body shape. Whilst caring for a new baby, we need to wear practical clothes and feel comfortable more than everything and this is totally normal and natural, but still can bring to a lack of self-confidence and depression.

Now, if we don’t like ourselves, how can the others do it?

We must always be our number one fan!

So, if when you look at the mirror you don’t recognise or feel like yourself and if you don’t know what to wear anymore, what can you do to change the cycle?

The first thing is, absolutely, to get to know your new you and embrace it, understand it and learn how to enhance it, and I wanted to share with you some tips to do it that I have found truly helpful after giving birth to my new baby.

I am sure that when you look in the mirror, the first thing you do is to focus on that area of your body that you dislike. I ask you now, instead, to start thinking about the area of your body that you most like and, from now on, try to do this exercise: look at yourself in the mirror and focus only on that area. This is about changing the perception of yourself and learning to love yourself a bit more. If you learn how to highlight your points of strength, they will be the first thing people will notice and will remember about you, and more importantly, it will be what you notice about yourself, and your perception will start to shift.  

People aren’t thinking about you in the same way you do, and confidence will come over time. When you find an area (or areas!) that you love, highlight them in your styling, and trust me, as your confidence grows, your attitude towards yourself and your body will shift and your days will get easier. Also, trust me, hiding your body just isn’t the answer!

Now, once you’ll have determined what your point of strength is (or points of strengths are, if more than one), how can you enhance them?

There are several tools, in my opinion, that you can utilise to highlight your favourite features in the best way possible:

·       Colours

·       Fabrics/volumes

·       Patterns

·       Details

·       Accessories

Let’s start with colours:

Rule number one: light and bright colours tend to highlight; dark and soft colours tend to attenuate.

So if, for example, your critical point is your tummy, while your point of strength are your legs, you should wear dark/soft colours on the top while light/bright colours on your legs.

Or you can wear light colours on top, underneath a dark jacket/jumper that is creating the illusion of a slimmer tummy.

Some people, like me, are so called “triangles”, with a top slimmer than the bottom (despite the pregnancy, I still am 2 sizes smaller on top, and strangely enough my bottom is the part of my body that hasn’t changed!) So, I always wear dark trousers and try to wear lighter tops to boost my confidence.

Then, of course, if you want to know what your best colours are and how to make the most of them, I invite you to have a colour analysis. This will help you to find the best colours to boost your skintone, and boost your confidence not only whilst wearing your clothes, but also when going out shopping.

Now let’s talk fabrics:

Different fabrics create different volumes. And rule number two is: don’t add volume to volume, and stay soft on curves.

For example, velvet or corduroy are quite thick fabrics and tend to create stiff pieces of clothes. While silk is soft and slips on the body. If we have a point that is more voluptuous and we don’t want to highlight it, then steer clear of a stiff fabric on that area. On the contrary, something soft and light can work perfectly! Or again, a tweed woollen jacket is quite thick and stiff and I wouldn’t suggest people with a big bust or tummy to wear anything like that, but maybe a deconstructed leather jacket or a cardigan can work well!

Patterns: there are a few rules to know about patterns:

1.   Big bold patterns enlarge.

2.   Horizontal stripes enlarge

3.   Vertical stripes elongate.

So, think about your point of strength and see if you can highlight it with the use of pattern. While, on the contrary, you might want to avoid patterns on your critical point.

I, for example, always try to wear patterns on top, and stay plain on bottom. This way, I can make people focus the attention on my top part, which is an area I love the most on my body.

Details attract attention.

If you want people to focus on a particular area, you can play with details as much as you like (pockets, buttons, zip, stitches, embroideries, etc…). On the contrary, try to avoid too many details on those parts that you don’t want to highlight. On me, I can wear shirt with pockets on the chest, or double breast blazers, while I try to wear trousers without pockets and with no details as stitches/studs/stones.

Accessories: another very smart tool to play with!

Belts can, for instance, help us focus the attention on our waist, or hips, if that is what we want to highlight.

Scarves can help us brighten up our eyes and bring people’s focus up towards the face. Shoes - there are so many shapes and kinds...we could talk about shoes for hours, but you can simply know that once again you can play with colours - dark boots on dark trousers elongate the legs, whereas dark boots on light trousers, or the other way round, create a strong contrast and make the legs look shorter.

Jewellery also can help us attract the eye on our top and face, if that’s what we want to highlight, as well as adding a little touch of personality to your outfit without the need to feel overwhelmed by shopping for clothes in, potentially, different sizes than before your pregnancy. Long earrings can elongate the neck, whereas a choker can round the face.

Obviously, there are so many things you can do, and surely during a one to one session I could help you in more detail. But I truly hope that sharing these personal experiences and tools will help you create your new style and begin to make you feel more confident with this amazing body you have. Try to have fun with your wardrobe now, go home, have a look at it and try to understand if what you have is working for you, not just for you as a Mum, but for you as your own self – you still deserve to have outfits that you can wear to special occasions with your friends, on date nights with your partner, and, if you are planning to go back to work after maternity leave, then you truly deserve to have outfits which make you feel professional and ready to work. Try to create new combinations with the knowledge you have now, and try to look at yourself in your new outfits and start loving your new you again!

Everybody will notice the difference…everybody will start noticing you in a good way, everybody will like you because you will like yourself. 

If you are interested in a personal styling session with me, I’d be glad to help!

EVENTS: PINK RULED THE RED CARPET AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS

As a lover of fashion myself, I often find myself scrolling through the looks on red carpet events, and none inspire me more than the Academy Awards. It gives us access to see styles which are future trends, as well as designers we may not have heard of, shine and show their creative flair.

If you are reading this thinking “how can the clothes actors wear inspire me?” then you’re in the perfect place! You may not be attending a red carpet event in the near future, but you may be attending a formal event, or an event in which dressing up is a part of the pleasure of attending. You may also simply love seeing what fashion trends may be taking storm in the year ahead, and how you can put these trends into your day to day wardrobe.

The biggest trend I spotted was the use of pink.

Here are some perfect ways I spotted the use of pink being used at the Academy Awards, to help inspire you.

Pink and pink all over – a fashion faux par no more.

The stunning one shoulder dress, by Ellie Saab on Julia Roberts, was stunning in this one shoulder dress with high split, and it truly made her shine. She paired the pink dress with pink shoes, showcasing a trend of using one colour throughout an outfit. As a colour analyst, I can say that this isn’t the perfect pink for her Autumn skintone, however, it does showcase her femininity and she is obviously having great fun in it! With colour analysis, it is merely a guide, however, if you find a dress that makes you this happy, then go for it and wear it!

If you’re considering going for a head to toe look in one colour, take a page from Julia’s book and start simple, with the dress and the shoes. If you’re feeling bold, then perhaps consider a bright suit and shoes in the same colour for a truly strong look.

You can offset the all over pink look, by adding a splash of red, to coincide with the ongoing trend of red and pink together – which can look outstanding. I even thought Julia was doing this with the envelope in her hand, as it went so well with the pink!

Find different layers of pink

Helen Mirren was having so much fun in this ethereal dress, which was a custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture, and you can see how elegant the piece is when you look at all the different pinks used in the garment. The dress was perfect for her figure, and with the ¾ length arms, it’s great for a late evening event, or if you are conscious of having bare arms. With this sort of dress, mind you, make sure you have skin tone lingerie, as it was a little see-through!

I also recommend looking at her make-up in this outfit, the pinks in her dress and highlighted in her cheeks and her lipstick – a perfect way to utilise the pink shade. 

Nearly nude

With the use of the right pink shade on some of us, we can have a garment that is almost nude in colour. This looked beautiful on Marie Kondo, who’s Jenny Packham dress was almost exactly the same shade as her skin. The shape and delicate flowers on the dress are perfect for her shape, as she is given an illusion of a more dramatic waistline – great for those of us with a slightly straight frame.

True pink ruffles

This dress by Valentino, worn by Gemma Chan, may take some serious fashionistas to make it work, however, I had to share it as it’s such a fun and “true” pink colour, and any dress with pockets is a serious win for me. It does showcase the ruffles and high neck trends in fashion, and if you were to choose perhaps a more toned-down option, ruffles can help to boost confidence in areas you may feel a little self-conscious about, or to add another dimension to your outfit.

This colour is best for those of us with a cooler undertone, and perhaps go for even stronger if you really want to pop!  

Wedding dress chique!

This baby pink number by Giambattista Valli on Kacey Musgrave is all about the shapes! I love how the use of the fabric helps to create a floaty, almost wedding-dress style. The addition of the diamond bow helps to create an empire line on the body, drawing in the waist amongst the layers of fabric on her shoulders and the bottom of the dress. This may feel a difficult style to pull off, but it can be a truly beautiful hit. If you are looking to “rock” it up, then add a leather accessory, or boots. If you’re heading to a more formal event and this style is making you swoon, then perhaps considering minimal accessories, so the dress really can take the show. Baby pinks are a tricky colour to pull off, and can have certain style connotations for some of my clients – such as too young, or too girly – but for those of you with the right tone, you can truly shine in this colour. Consider using an accessory to dip your toe in the baby pink shade.

Whether you’re going all out and thinking of investing in a beautiful pink gown for an upcoming formal event, or considering adding a pop of pink with an accessory or two, you may want to look into the beautiful range of shades of pink that are out there, and treat yourself to this year’s trend-setting colour! I’d love to hear which of the looks you most liked at the Academy Awards, or if you have any questions about choosing the right pink, in the comments below.

PERSONAL STYLIST ADVICE – HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT RED DRESS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

It’s the month of love, and with that, the colour that most springs to my mind is of course red. Which scarlet colour most suits our beautiful skintones? What a question, and one I’d love to help you with! Colours can work beautifully on one person and drain another, and it’s all down to our tones of our skin. When you pick a red to suit you, if you want it to compliment you the most, then you can look into your own skin complexion.

If you are a lover of the emerging fashion trends, then you will have seen that SS19 will be bringing deep reds with more brown undertones, nearing auburn. This is excellent news for those of you falling into the Autumn colouring on the colour wheel (those of us with a warm skin tone, with red, auburn, dark brown, or black hair, and freckles if you are pale). However, which reds can suit those of us with different skin tones?

If you are cool-skin toned and naturally ash-blonde, you will probably be in the Summer category, and you are most likely to suit a softer red shade, opting for pastels with a blue undertone, you may suit a more demure look using a navy blue item and dashing red with your accessories. A perfect hit of colour blocking!

For those of you with cool skin tones and darker hair, you will most likely be a Winter. You can go all out with scarlet! Deep colours suit your skin tone beautifully, and will help your colouring to pop. Consider scarlet red or fuscia pink, and steer clear of the more brick-red colours.

Warmer skin tones with golden blonde hair are what we call “spring” and you can utilise this year’s colour of the year “coral”, as well as brick red and salmon pinks. Keep away from icy pastels and deeper tones as these could drain your colouring.

This can feel somewhat overwhelming when considering which of the seasons we can fall into, does it change seasonally, or if we change our hair colour? The real truth here is, although there are certain colours which will ultimately make your skin tone pop, and truly make the perfect impact to your confidence and how brightly you shine, these are just guidelines to helping you find the perfect match. I believe that with this help, you can find the key items that you will fall in love with, but you can go out there and find an item that you adore that may not fall into this “perfect” colour range, if you love it, go for it and rock it.

If you would like a little help in finding the colours which are the go-to colours for your skintone, I’d love to speak with you. I’m offering a very special Valentine’s month offer – if you buy a gift voucher for your loved one (whether it’s a personal shopping trip or a wardrobe edit) by 28th February, they will have a complementary colour analysis – so they can go out there and easily select the perfect pieces from the high street with confidence that they will glow. PS – if you’re reading this and want it all for yourself, why not leave a gentle hint with your partner by sharing the link to this blog 😉.

PERSONAL STYLIST ADVICE - NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION - TIME TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT

We all deserve to feel confident within ourselves. Having a wardrobe that helps increase that confidence, so you can simply walk in, choose an outfit you know you’ll feel fantastic in, and go out is something that can not only be time-saving, but also truly life changing. As the new year sets in, I propose you have a resolution that you can stick to – make your wardrobe and clothes work for you, rather than against you. So often we spend our valuable time and energy going through wardrobes which don’t serve us or make us happy. I propose 2019 is the year you make a difference! Spend some time going through your own collection of clothes, and take the pieces that you don’t wear, or feel confident in, and giving them to a charity shop (or selling them, but I love handing pieces that will bring joy to others and help a charity close to my heart!). These pieces don’t serve you by being there, causing you to question yourself each time you get dressed, and are taking up valuable storage space for items that you do love!

You can start your 2019 with a fresh new start, a wardrobe that works for you, and helps you to feel ready to take on the year with confidence! Here are my tips to helping you get started on that all-important wardrobe edit.

1. Give yourself time – don’t rush through your wardrobe clean-up. Get yourself a cup of your favourite drink and make it an enjoyable, freeing experience.

2. Listen to your gut instinct – if an item of clothing makes you feel anything but positive, then it’s time to remove it from your wardrobe. If you are unsure, then place it in your wardrobe, with the hanger facing the opposite way to your other clothes, if in a month you haven’t worn it, that means it’s time to get rid of it.

3. Make it seasonal – unless you feel confident enough to match a summer dress with a lovely woollen jumper, you will probably have seasonal items taking up your wardrobe space. Take out any items that won’t suit the current climate, and place them neatly into a storage container, and put them away. A clean and seasonal wardrobe is a happy wardrobe! You can then go through these items before the new season comes in and take the same clear out process with these items before placing them into your wardrobe.

One of the toughest things my clients have when we go through the wardrobe edit is knowing what style most truly reflects them. This can often change throughout our lives, as we age, get new jobs, become parents, or simply feel a new personal style is more appropriate. Once we get to grips with the styles that not only suit our body, but more importantly suit what we want to project to the world, then our confidence can shine brightly. It makes it easy to shop and find new clothing that we will want to wear every day!

If this feels overwhelming to you, or you’d like some support and professional assistance in choosing the items in your closet which will look the best on you (as well as removing those which do not serve your personal style), then I’d love to chat. Please feel free to comment below if you’re hitting a roadblock, or have any questions, or call me to see how we can work together to make your confidence shine brightly.

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERFECT WARDROBE

NO MORE WARDROBE MELTDOWNS is the title of the workshop I have handled on the 11th of May, in cooperation with Savio Los PT/Nutritionist and the Italian Fashion brand Liu Jo, at their flagship store in Marylebone, London.

The idea of this workshop came up from observing some of my clients. I have realized that more and more people, especially women, tend to buy lots of clothes and accessories every season, tempted by the millions of brands available in the high streets, by special offers, by the fashion trends of the moment and, sometimes, also by fashion bloggers.  As a result they usually end up with a wardrobe full of clothes and accessories, yet they feel they’ve got nothing to wear.

sounds familiar?! 

Well, Statistics show that the majority of people use a very little percentage of the items they own, and most of those items remain in their closet, sometimes still with the tags on.

I can tell you that most of the time having a minimal wardrobe can help us with our daily outfit choices and can turn out to be more functional than a full wardrobe! And the first step to get a functional wardrobe starts with our shopping choices. We need in fact to understand what to buy, to limit our purchases to what is really working for us: from the best cuts, shapes and combination to the best colours. It might seem difficult at the beginning but I can assure you that once you find your answers you will start shopping in a totally different way, more consciously and selectively and in the end you will find that this will also help you save money.

Another point that made me come up with the idea of this workshop is that most of my clients don’t just want to give a twist to their style, they actually want a dramatic change to their look and their image.  But, as I always say, while I can teach people how to enhance their features, I cannot change them.  So I thought to combine, in one single event, styling tips with fitness tips, thanks to the cooperation of Savio Los, an expert personal trainer and nutritionist.

Why have I chosen this particular store to host the event?! Liu Jo is an Italian fashion brand which is very popular in Italy and I’ve always been a fan. My opinion, as a stylist and a customer is that, apart from being original and different from other high street brands, their products have an incredible value for money, great quality and attention to details and great fit, especially for the denim, that is also their topic product, known above all for their exclusive BOTTOM UP formula. Yes...Bottom up! And it works!:-)

Anyway, fit and quality are, for me, essential elements for a good valuable shopping and a functional wardrobe.

Throughout the event we showed 5 models, each with a specific body shape and different proportions and colours. For every one of them I have created a personalized outfit, picking the best items to highlight their features; I called them one at a time, explained my choices to the audience. Savio could then give specific fitness and workout tips for every body shape we saw.

The first of the models was Benedetta

photo by Julia Andrzejewska

Benedetta is a typical inverted triangle, which means she has quite broad shoulders that are wider than hips; her point of strength, the one to be highlighted, is surely her bottom part (hips + legs) while she needs to be careful not to highlight even more her shoulders. This is why I created this outfit for her : the details are concentrated on the jeans, focusing the eye attention on what is her point of strength, while I chooses plain simple clothes in soft fabrics for the top. Benedetta has also very soft colours and contrasts, that is why I choose soft colours as well for her outfit, trying to respect her natural colouring; this way the colours can highlight and complement her features without prevailing or dragging her down.

Being her quite tall I dared a bottom fold at her jeans (not suggested for petit or for who has fuller or short legs instead); as for the accessories I went for a medium to big size handbag, good for her proportions, and high heels, but she can even decide to go for flat or small heels, as she doesn't really need to elongate the figure.

the second model was Maeva  another inverted triangle but this time with bright crispy colours and high natural contrasts 

photo by Julia Andrzejewska

To create her outfit I followed the same general rules as Benedetta, but I choose totally different colours and combinations, to highlight her features. For her, moreover, I choose a small sized handbag because she is a petit, and I also suggested (at least for her nights out) to wear always medium to high heels. 

To make targeted and right shopping choices, anyway, it is essential to know not only what works for us, but also what does not. For inverted triangles, like Maeva and Benedetta, here some clues of what to avoid: off the shoulders cuts, puffiness and volume on shoulders, stiff fabrics and horizontal stripes on top, specially if combined with plain darker trousers or skirts.

The third model was Crystel, this time a triangle, with deep colours and high contrasts.

photo by Julia Andrzejewska

Triangles have, typically, hips wider then shoulders and, generally, the bottom part of the body is curvy and full while the top is smaller, also shoulders are usually a bit slope. The rules for creating a perfect outfit for a triangle are exactly the opposite of the inverted triangle :-) So what it is working? ..Details and volume on top, puffed and padded shoulders, plain items and soft fabrics instead for the bottom; usually triangles are characterized also by a narrow waist, in that case it is also good to highlight the waist point with cuts and belts. 

What to avoid instead? Sheath and bottom clinging dresses, details on legs and hips, trousers with pleats and darts, stiff fabrics on bottom, patterns (especially bold) on legs and hips. For Crystel, besides, pastels or too bright colours are to avoid.

Then we saw Anna, a full hourglass with soft colours and light contrasts

photo by Julia Andrzejewska

We can say that someone is a hourglass when their shoulders and hips are even and they also have a narrow waist point; and when I talk about a "full hourglass" I mean someone with a quite curvy body. Basically hourglasses can wear any kind of clothes style, but generally speaking they need to pay attention to maintain their natural body balance with their outfits and full hourglasses in particular must take care to complement their natural curves with soft and fluid fabrics. They should also always try to highlight their waist through cuts and belts, being it a real point of strength. This is why I choose this dress for her, that gets all the elements to enhance her features. The outfit was then completed by a powder pink leather jacket (I am holing it in the picture) to create a nice soft contrast with the dress, high heels - good to elongate her legs - and a medium sized bag. 

What to avoid: stiff fabrics, sheath dresses, too much voluminous fabrics/shapes, horizontal stripes, stilettos (as their legs are usually quite full and needs to be elongated). For Anna, moreover, better to avoid bright or too dark colours and strong contrasts.

The 5th and last model was Giada, this time a neat hourglass with deep colours and soft contrasts.

Giada, with everyone's great envy (in the good sense of course), is the luckiest of the models and in general she represents the luckiest of the body shapes: naturally balanced and proportioned and, in her case, also tall! As I said before, anyway, hourglasses must always take care to maintain their natural body balance; so for Giada I tried to focus the attention on the whole figure, by choosing a quite detailed top, enriched by the belt that is highlighting her waistline, in soft deep colours and soft contrasts to complement her natural colouring, contrasted by a white slim fit jeans. For her I choose flat sandals, as she doesn't really need high heels to elongate her legs, and a big sized handbags. 

What to avoid: I suggested Giada to avoid small sized handbags and pastel or bright colours, specially if worn close to her face.

For all of the models and the body shapes they represented, our PT Savio Los gave then his workout tips 

There are, obviously, many other kind of body shapes and features, everyone is different and have their own characteristics; would have been impossible to speak about and show all of them in one single event. But people looked impressed by all the tips they were able to get all at once, and the hour after the demonstration they could practice, with my help for a shopping consultation in real time.

We are willing to do soon another event, seeing the great success of this first edition! 

Now enjoy the photo gallery, with shots also from the backstage :-) and don't miss the video too 

Gallery 

All photos by Julia Andrzejewska

Video

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING SUIT

After last blog post I realize I was addressing my 3 tips to women only, so I decided to release a new one giving this time 3 tips useful to men.  For who doesn't know yet I am, in fact, a personal stylist/shopper who works both with men and women; I've had male clients, indeed,  who were asking my help because their were struggling to find something appropriate (whether it was for budget, or quality, or simply in line with the event coming) , so why not to give them the some hints? 

I also realized that in my last blog post I was referring to Western weddings; always better to specify, as in the Eastern culture most of the habits and traditions (and the colour meanings) can be very different. 

Said that, here are my 3 tips for men, who are attending one or more weddings soon and need to find an appropriate suit, and the accessories of course, for the occasion/s: 

tip #1 is about the style of the wedding, where the location can be a big clue (villa or country house?! Castle or restaurant?!); this is a detail that can make the difference in the choice of the outfit's style!

tip #2 is about the accessories features, so bear in mind that shoes and belt must be always in the same colour, and knot tie/bow tie, handkerchief and cufflinks represent the accent to every men outfit, so it is high recommended to choose them carefully, coloured (not matching with the suit's colour) and, above all tie and handkerchief, must be coordinated. An outstanding outfit is not just done by the dress but by the whole set of elements and embellishment. So one of the key word to get an outstanding outfit (and so presence) is : coordination!

tip #3 is more than everything the answer to a question many clients asked her : can we wear white or black at a wedding? The answer is slightly different from the one I gave to my female public, but again If you wish to know the answer have a look to the video :-) We don't want to spoil you everything, do we?! 

So, enjoy the video, and for every question, or if you need a private consultation or personal shopping session with me, just contact me at stefania@onefoastyle.com.

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR OUTFIT FOR A WEDDING?

Summer 2017 is approaching and so the Wedding Season (as most of the weddings are celebrated in summer indeed!).

Stefania, image consultant - founder of One of a Style - wants with this video share 3 tips for guests (women) who are attending one or more weddings in the coming season, to help them with their selection of dressed and outfits. 

This idea came after as she dealt with lots of clients in the past who asked her consultation to find dresses and accessories to attend weddings. It is clear that this is not an easy subject and that most people (especially women) get lost, and sometimes crazy, in their seeks of an appropriate outfit for the occasion.

1st tip Stefania gives is about the location and venue, and so the style, of the wedding (villa or country house?! Castle or restaurant?!) that can make the difference in the choice of the dress'style!

2nd tip is about the accessories features! An outstanding outfit is not just done by the dress but by the whole set of elements and embellishment. She suggests to find metallic accessories (gold / silver/ rose gold...) that can be easily matching between them and with all the colours of the spectrum for a dress! A smart choice above all if you have more than one wedding/even in a single season, so that you can change the dress but leave the same accessories (shoes, clutch, jewellery).

3rd tip is more than everything the answer to a question many clients asked her : can we wear white or black at a wedding? If you wish to know the answer have a look to the video :-) We don't want to spoil you everything, do we?! 

PERSONAL STYLIST ADVICE: WHAT TO WEAR FOR A JOB INTERVIEW / BUSINESS MEETING?

Probably you have asked yourself the same question many times! Image consultant Stefania wants to share 3 top tips with you through this brief video, to help you leading a successful performance also thanks to your image. 

If you need some specific styling tips for yourself contact Stefania at stefania@oneofastyle.com and ask her help to impress.

LIFE OF A LONDON STYLIST: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

For Mother's Day, Stefania is going to do a colour analysis for a mother and her two daughters! What a nice gift they have chosen to celebrate! It is nice to see daughters willing to make their mother feel special.. how did you celebrate your mother's day?

LIFE OF A LONDON STYLIST: BRIDAL PERSONAL STYLING SESSION

Stefania is ready to go to the second appointment with a bride to be for the research of her wedding dress, through her exclusive bridal personal styling service, and wishes her public a splendid Good Morning!

LIFE OF A LONDON STYLIST: MY INTERVIEW BY AN ITALIAN TV CHANNEL

Here a skype interview released by an Italian TV Channel (RTV 38). 

Pity it is in Italian, but I hope someone of you will be able to understand it. It explains a bit of me, my job, how and why I decided to start my business. Enjoy!

EVENTS: THE POWER OF COLOUR

"the best colour in the world is the colour that looks good on you" C.Chanel

Yesterday, Thursday the 12th, there have been a workshop organized by Stefania Bartolomei, about the colour as powerful styling tool!

Of all the styling tools, colour is maybe the most underestimated, yet it has the great power to affect not only our look but also our mood.

As the right colour can, in fact, confer us a healthy look, enhancing our features, making our eyes shine bright and our skin looks like porcelain, so the wrong colour can wash us out, highlighting the eye circles and the skin flaws. We perceive the effects that colours have on us, but most of the time we are not aware of it and we think that the causes of our look, whether it is good or not, are entirely of physical and mental status nature.

Being conscious of what our best colours are can really have an effect on our attitude. as I always say : when you look good, you feel good! And when you feel good, you have more self confidence, so you can be successful and get what you are aiming to, that in the social life as well as in business.

Let's go deeper now into the technical side of the workshop and its subject.

As you probably know, one of the services that Stefania offers to her clients is the colour analysis; the seasonal color analysis (to be precise) is a scientific way to determine's people best colours. 

As in nature, the seasonal colour analysis is based on the 4 seasons : spring, summer, autumn and winter.

These seasons recall the colours that we can find in nature, from spring, with its bright, powerful and warm colours , that become softer and lighter in summer, to autumn, with everything getting warmer and deeper, to the winter, with its crispy and sharp colours and its high contrasts. 

spring

summer

autumn

winter

The colour drapes, used for the colour analysis, recall the properties of the seasons in nature, reproducing the same general characteristics. 

spring

summer

autumn

winter

The same characteristics can then be found in our own features. So, generally speaking, people with light soft coloring would most likely belong to summer, while people with dark colours and high contrasts in their features would most likely belong to winter.

But it is not easy to recognize all this values in ourselves and there can be also exceptions. So it must be clear that this are general rules and that the only way to build up our palette of best colours, in the end, is to have a professional colour analysis.

During the workshop Stefania shown the effect of the colours on our features, whether they are good or wrong, explaining how to recognize our features through 3 values:

• temperature (warm vs cold)

• brightness (soft vs bright)

• light (light vs dark)

giving eventually practical examples on how to make the most of our colours through the use not only of clothes but also of accessories, make-up and hair colour choices. 

At the end of She also did a funny "celebrity game", where people were called to guess the properties, and so the season, of some star, among which Lucy-Liu, Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts and so on... this was lot of fun! 

The workshop has been a great success! The atmosphere was cozy and nice and seen the great enthusiasm shown by the public Stefania will surely plan another one very soon! 

In the meantime, if you want to find out more about the subject and discover what is your season and what are your best colours book your session with Stefania writing at stefania@oneofastyle.com 

Special thanks go to : Veronika Damiani for the make-up of the models; Laura & Kim for being my models.

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: SALE TIME..HOW TO MAKE IT A REAL BARGAIN!

Christmas is yet to come but shops all around London have opened the sale season already!

Sales are tempting, aren’t they?! Everyone is waiting for the sales to get the chance to renew their wardrobe with new fashionable pieces; sales are the great opportunity we have, twice a year, to catch great “occasions”! Yet, it is so easy to make the bargain become a bad investment (not to say a waste of money)..

We are tempted by those tags reporting a 30%, a 40%, 50% discount on and even more, and most of the time we buy certain pieces just because of those numbers, thinking “I can’t let them go, that’s a real occasion”!! Yet, most of the time, once at home we realize we have nothing to wear with what we bought on sale, or that they do not fit us that well, and eventually we let them “age” in our wardrobe.

If we would count all the money we spent in one year on wrong purchases on sale, I bet it is quite a big amount! With the same money we could have bought something more valuable, really good for us, something truly useful to complement our existing wardrobe, or we could have simply them.tI am an image consultant and personal shopper and among my services there is the wardrobe edit. My words come for a reason.. through this services to my clients' I’ve seen so many of these situations, new items still with the tag on, never worn, bought ages before, and the answer to the question “why did you buy it?” is quite often the same: “it was an occasion!”... was it?!

Do not misunderstand me, sales can really be a bargain, but we need to understand how to shop wisely and avoid compulsive choices that would make them become only a "trick".

So here are some shopping tips, simple advice that can really help you to save your money, time and energy during the sale time: 

Ask yourself “would I pay for the whole price”?

Despite the discount, asking yourself this question will help you to understand the real value of an item and your real need of it. If the answer to this question will be "no, I wouldn't" , then leave it where it is.. it means you don't really love or need it and that you are tempted by the price and the discount = it would become a trick not a bargain.

Write down a list

It's always good to know what your wardrobe gaps are, but especially during sales time! Having your list with you during your shopping tour will help you doing a first important selection.

Go beyond that list just if you really fall in love with something, even if it is not mentioned in the list (but never forget point 1).

Stick to your style

Despite the fashion trends of the moment, despite the percentage of discount and the sales assistant persuasion, before buying something ask yourself if it really reflects your style and if you are really going to use it and wear it the next season! Sometimes we are tempted by celebrities or fashion bloggers, we want to wear what they wear and sales are just the perfect time to buy something extra to emulate our style icons. Very well, but what suits them won’t necessarily suit you, so always think if what you are trying on is really reflecting your personality and matching your lifestyle, otherwise it will last the time of the journey back home to become eventually another “untouched” piece in your closet.

Stick to your size

If it’s not your size leave it where it is. Be honest with yourself..If it’s smaller don’t think you are going to loose weight just to wear it. If it’s bigger you know you are never going to wear it, cause you won’t like yourself in it, as it is not going to enhance you and I don’t think you would rather put on weight, at least not on purpose, to make it fitting you. Save your money for what fits you perfectly.

Go to your favourite shops first

Rather than going randomly from a shop to another in the High Streets, make a list of your favourite brands/shops and start with them in your shopping tours. What usually work for you or what usually makes you satisfied throughout the year rarely will let you down on sale time either. After that, if you still have time, money and energy, or if you won't feel totally satisfied by your purchases, go have a look to other stores/brands..there can always be room for new favourites to add to your list!

Be on your favourite store's mailing list

The problem with the sales is that shops run out of sizes and stocks very quickly, so being late means having less chances to find items that suit us, for size, shape and colours, with an inevitable sense of frustration. Being on the mailing list of your favourite brands will allow you to be there at the very beginning of the sales time , getting more chances of finding the most suitable pieces for you.

Plan your shopping time wisely

Avoiding weekends and afternoons in general will give you a better assistants in store, better services in general, tidier stores and so more chances to find what you are looking for, in a nicer and quieter atmosphere. Too crowded places can make the shopping experience become stressful and unsatisfying, while we want to enjoy it, don't we!?

Dress comfortably

You are supposed to try on lots of things or, anyway, more than usual, so having comfortable clothes and shoes, easy to put on and take off, will help you to do less efforts and waste less energies. Being fresh will make you take good choices.

Stick to your colours

One of the services I do in a personal styling package is the colour analysis. If you have been my client in the past or you ever had a colour analysis in your life you should know what your best colours are. During sale time be carefull not to be tempted by the price, buying something in colours that you know will drag you down or will overpower your features. Once at home you won’t wear it anymore. Not to mention that, if you followed your palette to build up your wardrobe, something completely different in shades would most likely not match all the rest of your wardrobe with a consequent abandon of purchases on sale. 

Well, these tips should be enough to prevent wrong and compulsive purchases from now on.

I hope you did enjoy my article and, more than everything, that you will find it useful for your next shopping tours.

Merry Christmas to you all

BRIDAL STYLING: MY BRIDAL STYLE

I've previously written about how to choose the best shade of white and the best wedding dress style to enhance our features and personality, but recently someone suggested me to write about my own bridal style; I got married just last year, actually.

Well, usually I don't like to talk about myself in my articles, I'm not that kind of blogger who publishes pictures of herself and posts about her lifestyle, but I have to admit that probably the best way to explain the meaning of "personal bridal styling" and its effectiveness is by doing practical examples and that probably the best example I can report is...me!

I am a typical "spring", which in the personal styling world means I have light and warm features. I have actually fair skin,blonde hair with golden shades and blue eyes with some yellow/green hues inside, that make them warm as well (differently from the icy blue eyes, typical of the "cool-summer" featured people).

This on the left is a quite recent photo. Last year, when I got married, I had very long hair, but this does not affect the colours' matter at all.

The first time I went to a boutique to try some wedding dresses I had a clear idea in mind : I wanted a mermaid/trumpet style dress, in ivory or blush colour; my ideal wedding dress style and designer was Pronovias.  

Here below some examples of mermaid wedding dress style from 2016 Pronovias collection..beautiful, aren't they?

I went to the first boutique asking exclusively for this kind of dresses and I tried on some stunning samples indeed; I had to admit I was quite happy.. but not totally convinced. 

First of all because of the colour. Those styles were in fact all in pure white. 

Now, if you didn't read my previous article "50 shades of...white?!" you probably don't know that the pure white belongs to the cool colour category and that it is not really recommended to warm featured women like me.

I was aware of that, but in the meantime, I wanted to try them on because, you know, the pure white is the most classic colour for a wedding dress!

Well, I tried, but I wasn't convinced at all; my face wasn't illuminated, despite the sparkling decorative elements, and every flaw of my face like the eye circles and skin imperfections seemed to be highlighted. That's actually what happens when we put the "wrong" colour close to our face.. yet, apart from the colour I was still convinced about the mermaid shape. So I went to another boutique with exactly the same requests: mermaid cut and ivory/blush shade. They brought me several samples to try on, amazing these too, yet something wasn't really convincing me.. This time the problem wasn't the colour but I understood that it was probably the dress shape itself.

You must know that I am a "triangle" or so-called pear-shaped woman; it means I have narrower shoulder and wider hips. The typical triangle has small and quite slope shoulders while mine are angular and quite wide, yet my hips are wider and curvy! 

Here a typical "triangle" or "pear" body shape

I was attracted by those mermaid shapes because they were the trend of the moment and, being me a fashion lover and professional, I was looking for the most trendy wedding dress, forgetting two very important details: my body shape and my personality.

Despite those dresses weren't that bad on me, actually, they simply weren't enhancing nor evening my body. Certain kinds of dress cuts call the eye attention on all the body areas or, depending on the style, they can even highlight the hips area; so if you don't have perfect proportions between your top and your bottom and, above all, if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of getting the attention on your side B (like some celebrities) those dresses are not for you. So, well, they weren't totally wrong for me but they simply were not my best! And I bet every bride wish to be at her best on her big day...am I wrong? 

In the end I started to think more thoroughly to my body shape and finally I realized that probably my original idea wasn't the best for me and that I had to try something different; and then I spotted a dress in the boutique: it had a strapless sparkling corset and a smooth satin skirt, a dress with the so called "A-line" shape; the colour was a light pinkish ivory, warm , soft and delicate...I loved it at first sight!

I was only afraid that the skirt, a bit voluminous, would have made me shorter (I'm not that tall actually) but then I tried it on and, instead, everything seemed to work well: the colour, the shape, the style!

A picture of my wedding dress (picture by Alessandro Mayer)

I was feeling confident and comfortable in it (and trust me, that day you need to feel as much comfortable as possible in your dress!). I was feeling myself! That's what, most of all, made me go for it.

The shape was also perfect because it was drawing the attention on my bust and shoulders, rather than on my curvy bottom part, balancing this way my body figure; the skirt wasn't too wide, so it didn't make me shorter, and the soft fabric gently slips on my curves.

As for the style..well it was very feminine and romantic and of all the "styles" romantic is the one that represents me most!

Discover Your Bridal Style Now

That wedding dress seemed to have all the elements to make me feel a "perfect bride", enhancing my body, my complexion and my personality; so I bought it, without hesitations.

After that all the other details and choices came along quite naturally: the hairstyle, the accessories, the flowers for the bouquet.. the dress is, in fact, the most difficult and important choice for a bride-to-be; in my opinion is the dress, actually, that determines all the other features of a bride's style!

Well, I bet now you are curious to see the final result of my bridal style, and here I am

- pictures are by Alessandro Mayer www.photomayer.it -

So...what do you think? did I make the right choice?

I hope this article will help you for your wedding dress choice. But if you'll need some professional advice I'll be honoured to be your personal stylist for the big day! Basically I will help you to find your best dress in terms of colour, shape and style, as well as I've done for myself.

Find out more here

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: DO NOT WASH!?

I bet this is something that happened to most of you at least once in your lifetime, buying a nice garment and then finding this "funny" symbol on its care label the minute before putting it into the washing machine:

For those of you don't know it yet, let me introduce you the "do not wash" symbol.

I came up with the idea of this article after I had a personal shopping tour with a client. She was in love with a white coat, determined to buy it, and I was even encouraging her because it suited her very much; but right before going to the till to pay for it I asked her to check the care label and, guess what!? the "funny" symbol was there!  

Now...can you imagine a white coat?

Pure, clear, magnetic.... just for one day probably!

It could become greyish in a snap just by touching something or leaning the elbows somewhere; not to mention the chance of getting it stained by eating or drinking something (and if you wear it for your nights out there is a high chance for it to happen).

So, what options did she have? Apparently two : buy it but leave it hanging in the closet, well preserved in its packaging, waiting for a very special occasion, or leave it in the shop. My clients, following my suggestion, choose option 2. A coat is quite an expensive piece of apparel, even in the high street chain shops, so she wisely thought it wasn't worth spending money on it. 

But, honestly, this is not fair; when it happens that we like a garment and it also really suits and enhances us, we should be free to buy it! 

I really wish to say something to all the apparel companies : probably they don't know it but a garment needs to be washed, If not right after we bought it, at least once we've worn it.

The problem is I've worked for several fashion companies in the past, because I used to be product developer and fashion designer before being an image consultant, and I know how it works. I can't and don't want to generalize, but most of the time companies simply prefer to avoid risks - by putting a "do not wash" symbol on a care label they prevent complains related to the washing/care of a garment. This is an easy and convenient option for them, not as convenient for their customer actually.

Let me tell you something : there is no fabric that cannot be washed! And in case it really exists it shouldn't be used to produce clothes (am I wrong?!). Obviously I'm not telling you to wash everything that has that symbol on its care label, I cannot guarantee that your garments can be really washed, there are many factors to be considered (for example if there are beads, delicate embroideries or any kind of embellishment on it) but I can tell you that as long as it's plain and the fabric is silk, viscose, cotton, linen, rayon, polyester, nylon and even wool, you can hand wash it or do a delicate and proper washing machine program; and if it's leather, a coat or a down jacket you can have it dry cleaned at the laundry. 

I've also got several garments that apparently cannot be washed, most of them are high quality brands and quite expensive, and I noticed this detail too late, but I decided to run the risk : I washed them! And you know what? The outcome was unbelievably perfect.

This is another reason why I'm writing these few words : now as in the past, when I was on the brands' side, I hate that customers are cheated! 

Take my words just as a warning but do what you really think is best for your clothes and act according to your ideas.

I just want to give you a warm advice for next time you go shopping for clothes : before buying a garment don't just look at the price tag, also check the care label and if you see the "do not wash" symbol leave it where it is, possibly explaining your reasons to the sales assistants. Your money is valuable, spend it wisely and avoid surprises!

This is, in fact, something I help my clients with during their personal shopping experiences with me. With my background in fashion I know well fabrics and how to treat them.

BRIDAL STYLING: WHAT IS YOUR (BRIDAL) STYLE?

As I always say, your clothes must suit not only your body and features but also your personality! As for the wedding dress it is probably the most important dress in every woman's life; so, when the time will come for you to choose your own, don't just look for the shape and the colour you'd like to get, but also ask yourself : "does it suit my personality"? If you think it does...that's it!! You've found your wedding dress!

How to recognize your bridal style and, consequently, your wedding dress' style? The only way to discover it is to wear that dress and see your reaction once it'll be up: if you'll feel confident, at ease, at the most of your energy and "girl power", if looking at the mirror you'll feel beautiful and magnetic or even emotional, I think you'll have just found your wedding dress or, at least, one of the best candidates!

Now I am going to talk about the different styles, so that you can already have an idea of which one represents you most, doing  practical examples through some beloved celebrities.

The first one of our style is : CREATIVE. 

You probably are a creative if you love to combine different items of clothing and accessories to get a unique and interesting look, if you rarely throw anything out, if your wardrobe is full of items from many different sources (even vintage mixed with High Street) collected over the years, if shopping for you is an art form and, again, if you like to make interesting purchases while on holiday and study fashion magazines to get new ideas.

Beyonce, as creative as she is, was wearing a creative dress at her wedding.

The second style is : DRAMATIC.

If you love to be noticed and often wear clothes with a "wow" factor you are probably a dramatic; you love parties and wear the last fashion items (even if they don’t particularly suit you) and shopping is one of your favorite pastimes. Probably your wardrobe consists of many different styles of clothes and one-off pieces that you have bought on impulse and you are not concerned with whether your clothes are practical or washable – they must simply make a statement.

Gwen Stefani surely chose a dramatic style for her wedding dress, designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior.

The third of our style category is : ROMANTIC.

If you, just like me, love details like bows, lace, ruffles, flounces, fringes and sparkling elements, if you like floral features (whether they are in patterned fabrics or as accessories and decorative details), pretty and feminine details and if you like to spend time for your self care (and money for skin and body care products) and you never go out without your perfume, you are undoubtedly a romantic.

Molly Sims was absolutely a romantic bride, in her Marchesa wedding dress.

Let's go on with the 4th style category : CLASSIC

You are a "classic" if you have a fairly formal wardrobe and you don't like to mix textures or wear daring colour combinations, if you like to appear well turned out and elegant and your tops are usually tucked in, or again if you don't love changes about your look (so you basically keep the same hairstyles and makeup) and if you are not a shopping nor a fashion victim at all! 

Princess Charlene is a perfect example of a classic bridal style, with her stunning wedding dress by Armani.

Then there are the NATURALs. 

You are a natural if the most important factor for you is to feel comfortable in your clothes and so you usually avoid anything that constricts, digs in or pinches. Also you are favor of a casual wear and in love with simple lines, while cluttered dresses are not done for you.

Megan Fox has been a natural bride, with her flowing chiffon silk dress by Armani prive’.

What do you think is your bridal style?

If you need help finding the best wedding dress for you, let’s have a chat! A special experience is waiting for you..