Having our wardrobes prepared for the coming season means we have what we need in our wardrobe when we need it and best of all there’s plenty of choice when we hit the shops! Avoiding the shops until we’ve got that tan and the weather warms up usually means shop stock has been picked over already (it’s only about 12 weeks until the summer sales start!). And if you’ve ever tried to put a seasonal wardrobe together mid season you’ll know that more often than not the really great stuff has already gone or there’s only limited sizes left and usually not the size you’re after!
So, take time now, muster up some motivation and start preparing your wardrobe for those beautiful warm days when they finally arrive!
The first step is to figure out what you’re going to need in your wardrobe and a great place to start is by literally making a list of how you spend your time (the types of activities “you” typically do – work, sports, beach, errands, social outings etc) and the types of clothes you like to wear for these. Shopping Tip; when in the fitting room ask yourself, ‘when will I wear this?’ and ‘have I already got something in my existing wardrobe to wear it with?’ Taking home a great garment only to realise you’ve just bought another piece you’ll never wear takes all the fun out of shopping!
Next drag out last season’s clothes assessing them for the coming season making sure you love each garment, it flatters you and it meets your desired image. This is where we do the cull and start the shopping list! Referring back to your list of activities you can see what clothes you’ve already got, what’s missing and what you’ll need to add in. You want to ensure you’ve got the right clothes in the right proportions (so you’ve always got something great at the ready and avoid feeling like you’ve got lots of clothes and nothing to wear!).
By this stage you’ll have the basis of a good shopping list you can prioritise to ensure you purchase those most versatile pieces first (investment pieces that give you maximum mix and match potential).
Then it’s time to hit the shops and my number one tip for trying on those summer pieces pre summer is to slap on a great fake tan a day or so before you go – it makes the shop so much easier!
Colour is the very first thing that is noticed about us and it is one of our most effective styling tools. But knowing where to start and how to choose colours to wear can be tricky. So where do you start?
- YOUR BODY…. Our bodies are our greatest dressing guide when it comes to choosing our best colours. Note the colour of your hair, skin and eyes. Repeating these colours in your clothes and accessories is a very simple place to begin achieving your most harmonious and flattering look. Our hair colour is usually one of our best neutrals. Use this colour for your outside core garments and accessories such as shoes, handbags, belts, coats and pants/skirts. Our eye colour is great for our tops and necklaces. When the colour closest to your face is a repeat of your eye colour it enhances your eyes and draws attention to them. The shade of red in your cheeks and lips is your best shade for enhancing your complexion. Using your natural colouring like this in your wardrobe gives a very approachable look and people will feel drawn to you.
- YOUR PERSONALITY….. Our personalities affect the intensity or the ‘clarity’ of colour we wear. Outgoing, energetic personalities will feel dull in soft, quiet colours. More gentle and quiet personalities will feel overwhelmed by bold bright or loud colours. Use your colours to reflect your personality and you're dressing will be more reflective of 'you'.
- YOUR MOVEMENT….. How we move affects the colours we wear. If your movement is graceful and fluid, your walk smooth and elegant, you may require sophistication in your colours. If you are lively and have a spring in your step colours that give this feel will be more suited.
- YOUR CONTRAST….. The way you combine your upper body colours and the depth of colours you wear is also best determined by your natural colouring. For example, if you have medium coloured hair, skin and eyes, then a combination of medium depth colours in your upper body garments will look great on you. If you have dark hair and light skin you will look great in light and dark colour combinations.
These are just a few tips to help get you started. Take note next time you get dressed and see if you can notice whether the colours you are wearing are enhancing your natural colouring, are reflective of your personality and the way you move.
Allow 30% of your wardrobe budget for accessories. Accessories give a whole new dimension to your wardrobe, giving outfits interest and completing your look. They are a great way to add your personal touch and show your individuality in the way you dress. Accessories change the mood of an outfit, update existing garments making them look current, they can define your proportions, attract attention where you want and draw the eye away from areas you don’t want others to notice!
- Earrings can draw the eye, fill in a simple neckline and flatter your face shape. They can even become a talking point (check out Angelina’s green earrings, these little gems received world wide attention as the clever use of a simple statement earring made headlines around the fashion world. A simple black dress with a magic pop of colour!)
- Necklaces add interest and can make you look slimmer and taller…. There’s a fun diet!
- Cocktail and costume jewellery rings are fun and interesting (what a great incentive to pull that moisturiser out of your handbag and start using it!)
- Beautiful coloured scarves can have your skin looking radiant and add a great punch of colour (especially over winter when colours are dark)
- Belts are fun (just make sure you’re wearing the right one for your body shape) and great buckles add another point of interest to an outfit.
- Handbags can unify an outfit, act as a punch of colour and a statement on their own, and can even balance body proportions.
Start building an “accessory wardrobe” and when buying new outfits take the time to get the accessories there and then. Experiment, because no matter what you’re wearing, you will always look better with the right accessories and taking a few minutes to finish what you started will see you leaving the house fully dressed!
If we don’t attend special evening events very often our wardrobes generally don’t cater for them, so when that special invite arrives we usually feel like we’ve got nothing to wear and the whole dressing process can be stressful and expensive. However by creating an evening wear capsule of special pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a few stunning options you will always having something great at the ready!
So here are some pieces to get you started;
- A fabulous knee length dress in your favorite dark neutral (these colours are more formal and in finer fabrics look elegant and rich). The key to success with this dress is it should be in a style that loves your body, makes you feel amazing and can be easily added to with different accessories and jackets or wraps.
- A pair of flat front, dark flattering dress pants in a soft fabric that can easily be worn with different top styles. A straight leg is the most versatile and classic style that never dates and suits all body shapes. Wide leg pants are lovely in drapey fabrics but they don’t work well for all bodies and they tend to go in and out of fashion.
- Two or three special tops to go with your pants including a simple sheer top in the same colour as the pants as on its own will provide several easy elegant outfit options just by changing the accessories.
- An evening jacket that works with the dress and pants.
- Sometimes a long gown is required so if you’re only going to have one, choose a colour that accentuates your eyes, flatters your shape and is a classic style that won’t date.
