Are you tired with your wardrobe, and has Christmas spending put paid to any plans to revamp it? Image consultant Sue Carter has some tips to make the most of every wardrobe...
Work that wardrobe!
The first thing to do if you want to look absolutely stunning in the new year is get rid of absolutely everything that does not fit you!
I don’t care how much it cost, if it doesn’t fit, it has to go. If it has sentimental value – pop it into a special keepsake box, to be looked at as an object not as part of your wardrobe. Whether it’s too small or too big, get it out of there. When you open your wardrobe you should only see fab clothes that fit you.
Boost your assets
The next thing you need to do is make sure that you dress to focus on your assets. If you know you have lovely legs show them off, or flaunt a bountiful cleavage. Everybody’s best asset is a sparkling face. So you want the focus to be on your face at all times, emphasise your eyes and encourage anyone else’s gaze up to your face and away from your body.
Colour it up
Monochromatic dressing works well, dressing in the same colour head to foot. This leads the eye up and down quickly. It doesn’t have to be the exact same shade and you can vary the texture to add interest.
Don’t take this to mean dressing head to foot in black - unless you look fantastic in black of course, or the occasion demands it! A lot of English women have beautiful pale skin that doesn’t carry an expanse of black, so if that’s you, you could consider purple, navy chocolate brown , or add a bit of fun with matching shoes, a scarf or necklace.
One trick is to match your eye colour to your top. This means peering into your eyes and checking the colour. I always thought my eyes were blue until I did this. I have dark grey rims with a green centre. The colour match between eye colour and top invites people to focus on your eyes...which you can dazzle with! You can also try matching your lipstick to your top, but this is trickier. I usually stick with eyes...
What works best for you will depend on your ‘clothing personality’. I am very creative and wear bright colours and huge necklaces. A classic person probably wouldn’t be seen dead in some of the clothes that I wear!
Tight –v-Baggy
My expertise is with plus size women, but lots of women like to wear baggy clothes because they think it hides their bodies and there is a difference between baggy and flowing.
If you feel in any way uncomfortable about your body, no matter what your shape and size, then flowing layers will work well. They mask what is underneath and suggest at hidden delights.
Tight clothes on any body size look wrong, and baggy clothes don’t hide anything, you know – they just make it look as though you have something to hide. Buy clothes that fit you well.
So, my top tips are:
• Clear out the wardrobe
• Monochromatic dressing
• Only wear clothes that fit you
• Match your eyes with your top
• Fewer clothes
• Capsule wardrobe
And look in the mirror before you leave. A full length mirror. I know this is hard but you need to see the overall look. I always tell my clients that they should get dressed in the morning not put on clothes. The difference is amazing.
Universal colours
These colours suit just about everyone.
• Off white
• Ivory
• Mid grey
• Stone
• Taupe
• Pewter
• Teal
• Purple
• Emerald turquoise
• Lavender
They are great colours to use for bridesmaids or for a wedding party. Everyone will look good and the photos will not come back to haunt you in years to come.
Capsule wardrobe:
• Three jackets (includes cardigans, wraps etc)
• Four bottoms (skirts or trousers)
• Four tops (blouses, t-shirts, sweaters)
using a maximum of two neutrals and two colours will give you 47 different outfits.
One for every day of the month and then some. Worth considering isn’t it?
Weed Out Your Wardrobe
You need far fewer clothes than you think. Careful planning and 15 garments can make over 50 outfits.
The clothes that don’t fit right now don’t have to be given away just yet if you don’t want to. You can hide them away in black bin liners somewhere out of sight.
• Remove any clothes that no longer fit you
• Remove any clothes that are past their sell by date (loon pants anyone?)
• Remove and deal with any clothes that need repairing or cleaning
With what’s left...
• Sort the clothes into type; all jackets, all tops, all trousers and hang them up. A coat hanger for each so that you can see each garment when you open the door.
• Check which garments you have that are already in your colours and try to wear these whenever possible.
• Play around trying on different combinations, see how the correct colours look on you.
• Decide what you would like to buy in a new, exciting colour.
Do you think you might be too attached to your wardrobe? Well, I’m not and I can come and weed your wardrobe for you. If not, why not enlist a friend to help, an honest friend is best. It isn’t a sin to chuck stuff in the bin, send it to a charity shop, or give it to your sister. Swap, trade but do away with clothes that do not do you justice.
My Background
I used to be a school teacher and that took me to Hong Kong. All those markets, all that jewellery. That's when my interest in image began. I came back to the UK and tried to teach but decided that my talents lay elsewhere. I trained in colour and then style, added colour therapy to help me make suggestions to clients and Alchemy took off. I also trained in Reiki to help me provide a relaxing, informal feel to my sessions with clients. All this is a long way from Bunsen Burners and test tubes but I am making a real difference now to ladies lives and that is very satisfying.
My business? Empowering women to be the best that they can be by helping them to look good on the outside and feel good about them themselves on the inside.
To Contact Sue:
E-mail: susy@purplealchemy.co.uk
Visit her web site:
www.purplealchemy.co.uk