P.S.

My daughter Cherie and her family went to Cambodia at the end of October (when baby Jakin was 4 months old) to establish a new base in Sihanoukville. They’re visiting us for a few weeks in early 2011.

Not sure what we’re doing for Christmas Day but we’ll be celebrating with family and friends. It’s a great time of year for enjoying some good food, good company, resting and relaxing. Hope you do too!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year—all the best for 2011.

Swimwear

Is choosing new swimwear a nightmare? Knowing your unique Personal Style will make it a little easier to find the right one for you.

Know the Colours that compliment you; the right ones will enhance while the wrong ones can age you/make you look ill.

Know your Style Personality mix; it’s pointless buying a pretty floral with ruffles if it’s not you.

Know your Body Shape so you can highlight your assets and camouflage your figure challenges (see tips on Selecting Swimwear)

Know the Design Lines which will flatter you.

Know the Occasion: the type of swimsuit you select for training/serious exercise will be different from the type you choose for relaxing by the pool or at the beach.

One piece or two piece? There are modest or revealing styles in both types, so keep looking and find the one that makes you SMILE in the mirror!

The Must Have List (and my comments)

According to Nina Garcia

(TV’s Project Runway, & Fashion Editor at Marie Claire magazine)

Trench Coat—a wool version for cold climates, cotton with removable lining for temperate climates. Just below the knee seems to be the most versatile.

Double-breasted styles can make you look boxy and wider in the torso. If you opt for a colour people remember it but one of your Season’s Neutrals is forgettable and will go with everything in your wardrobe, just brighten it with colour near your face eg a scarf.

White Shirt—perfectly tailored. There are many different styles, avoid ultra-trendy designs.

Not everyone suits white (ivory flatters warm skin tones) and for many women even the right one can be too draining. Wearing a white shirt with very dark skirt/trousers cuts you in half so you won’t look as slim (add another layer eg waistcoat/cardigan/jacket to minimise this effect). Nor does every Style Personality like tailored shirts. By opting for a Neutral top you will tend to wear all neutrals or need a coloured ‘jacket’ (which won’t go with all of your colours).

Trousers—light wool trousers can be worn almost throughout the year. A solid, neutral colour with a simple cut (avoid extremes eg flares, very tapered).

Most Kiwi women will opt for black but charcoal or chocolate may work better with your skin tones and wardrobe colours.

to be continued in next newsletter

Selecting Swimwear

Here are some tips to make it a bit easier to find the right one for your body shape. Basically, highlight assets with lighter/brighter colours or prints or detailing and camouflage figure challenges with darker/plainer colours

Small Bust: Choose lighter /brighter colours for top half, a little padding, or detailing eg frills, ruching at the bust.

Big Bust: Make sure you get the support you need. Opt for wide shoulder straps (not thin, string or strapless). The right halter-neck style can work well. Avoid detailing at bust area, keep it simple. Plain, darker fabrics will visually minimise.

Thick Waist: create curves with draped surplice (cross-over) style, darker/plainer colour at waist. Add emphasis to bust & hips as visually widening them makes your waist look smaller.

Round Tummy: Distract away from area by high­lighting a figure asset eg bust. Draping & ruching flatter by preventing fabric from clinging (which emphasises).

Big Hips/Thighs: draw the eye up with print top, use plainer/darker colour for lower half.

Short: a one piece with plunging neckline or vertical stripes will elongate you. Or plain bottom with printed top (draws eye upward). Simple & unfussy styles.

Tall: opt for patterns, blocks of colour, details, or cut outs (to break up your length). Avoid high necklines, vertical stripes, dark solid colours.

Small Group Workshops - subsidised

Want someone else to organise a Small Group workshop for you?

The Katikati Resource Centre has decided to continue hosting Personal Style Small Group Workshops (called Affordable Wardrobe Planning) AND they’re heavily subsidised (only $30 in 2010!).

Next one is Saturday 19th March 2011.

Phone them early to book your place 07 549 0399

Want More?

Like to know more? Visit my web site www.personal-style.co.nz

Personal Style is also on FaceBook, comments and handy tips (approximately weekly) if you’re a member please ‘like’ the page and get the updates automatically. www.facebook.com/personalstyle.nz

P.S.

I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering why Christmas is coming so early this year!

I think we were distracted by my brother-in-law Peter celebrating his 60th birthday in his back yard on Waiheke Island. BIG back yard! Argentine style barbecue, live music, and 200 guests with a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party theme.

On Line Advice

Do you want more info. and pictures regarding what to wear for your body shape? Maybe this will help; there's now a link on my website to The Personal Stylist (an Australian site).

Usually $A89, if you go via my website then it's just $NZ85 The program will ask you various questions and provide advice regarding your best shapes eg collars, necklines, tops, jackets, dresses etc (even hairstyles) which you can print out. Books are also available ($NZ30-38)

Yes, you can check it out first. View the video and look at the sample recommendations for "Ellen Sims".

Spring Fashion

This little top is from Farmers. It uses narrow stripes above the bust which visually widens the shoulders. Great for Triangles.

Spring Fashion

I love viewing all the gorgeous
clothes now in (and still coming to) the shops.

Ideally your wardrobe is 70-80% core essentials and 30-20% fashion. Now that's not to say you have to buy everything that's trendy (there'll be lots that won't suit you). But you can have an up-to-date looking wardrobe by having a few items which are current eg shape, colour or style (not all three, it'd be too much). Pick and choose the look that works for you.

There are lots of pastels and neutrals this season; Pastels won't suit everyone but it's a great time to stock up on your Neutrals (white, ivory, cream, beige, brown, grey, black). Autumns will be relieved to see khaki is popular - a great alternative Neutral for you.

The very bright Poppy Red is still popular - ideal for Springs but too bright for Autumns and too warm for Winters.

Lace and ruffles or frills are everywhere; so if your style personality includes the Feminine-Romantic, you'll enjoy this trend.

Also lots of stripes and polka-dots. Broad horizontal stripes are not your friends (unless you're tall and thin) but skinny ones can be RELATIVELY slimming.

Look for clever draping, asymmetrical and/or diagonal stripes to create the illusion of curves and optical illusions. Be careful where you wear stripes; try layering (see illustration) to wear them in the right place for you.

Looking Slim Rule 10

Finishing a series based around Leah Feldon's 10 Rules for Dressing Slim. Her Top Ten are all covered in the Personal Style Workshops. This item is Rule 10 Direct Attention to Your Face. Divert attention away from figures challenge(s) and towards your face (the centre of communication) and figure asset(s). Negative Space is created when bare skin is surrounded by material eg cut out sections, necklines. The more attractive the shape of the neckline, the better its negative space and the more effective it is at directing attention to to your face. Scarves they're unbeatable when it comes to redirecting attention plus they can help elongate the body and turn an ordinary outfit into something extraordinary. There are two main shapes: square and oblong. Square are great as shawls but oblongs are more elongating when tied or draped. Scarf Advice:

• Go for top quality; definitely a worthwhile investment as it never goes out of style and will always fit!
• Match clothing weight with scarf weight eg a lightweight chiffon scarf may look unbalanced with a heavy wool jacket.
• Wear scarves in colours that warm your skin and make it glow.
• A print scarf should always include one or more of the colours in your outfit.

Subsidised Workshops

The Katikati Resource Centre is hosting Personal Style small group workshops AND they're heavily subsidised (only $30!!) Just two more this year Saturday 30 October and 20 November. Phone them early to book your place on 07 549 0399

FaceBook

Do check out the Personal Style business page on FaceBook - you don't have to be a FaceBook member to view it. But if you are, please 'like' my page and boost its popularity, plus you'll receive the updates automatically.

PS

The day after we arrived to visit my daughter, her husband Ben and their 3 year old son Malakai, Cherie had their son Jakin. A lovely straight-forward birth, he was a whopping 4945g (10lb 14oz)!

We had wonderful family time for an all-too-short ten days. They plan to return to Cambodia at the end of October (new silk scarves should be available in November!).

I needed new biz photos; thanks to Logan Davey photographer, Lillybeth of A Beautiful Education for a great natural make-up, and Beks at B Hair for styling my hair (ph 07 571 4603)

PS

2010 started fairly quietly however thanks to many wonderful client referrals, there have now been more workshops than this time last year. Recently a brief mention in the Herald on Sunday followed by a photo and item in the BOP Times led to even more enquiries and bookings.

Meanwhile, we're waiting to hear of the arrival of grand-child number 3 (Cherie & Ben's second). We're going to visit them on the Gold Coast; really looking forward to some family time together and giving the new mum a hand (they'll be heading back to Cambodia towards the end of the year).

M

now on FaceBook

Personal Style now has a FaceBook page: www.facebook.com/personalstylenz

If you're a FaceBook member, please 'like' my page (it helps build my internet profile) and you can get the brief updates automatically.

Subsidised Workshops

The Katikati Resource Centre is hosting Personal Style Small Group Workshops AND they're heavily subsidised (only $20!!). Only two more are planned for 2010 - Saturday 14th August and 20th November. Phone them early to book your place on 07 549 0399

Looking Slim

continuing a series based around Leah Feldon's 10 Rules for Dressing Slim. Her Top Ten are all covered in the Personal Style Workshops.
Rule 9 Don't Let Your Accessories Bring You Down (part 3)

Hair can be your shining glory or a horror story; it's always there for everyone to see (no wonder bad hair days are so depressing)

While hair can't make you look fat it can change your face shape, influence how tall/short you look, and affect your overall proportion and balance.

The ideal style is compatible with your body type, face shape, hair texture, facial features, lifestyle and personality.

Be persistent and find a good stylist, it may cost more but it's worth it (you could settle on the perfect style then alternate between the maestro and someone less expensive).

If you see someone with a great cut and similar hair texture, ask her who cuts her hair - she'll probably be flattered and happy to tell you.

my stylist is Beks at B.Hair ph 07 571 4603

• Do take into account your head size (you can't change it)
• Your hairstyle needs to be consistent with your style personality
• Don't get stuck in the past; your face changes as you age so your style needs to too
• Think proportions: if you're small be wary of big-volume hair whereas big women need volume.

An asymmetrical style can make you look taller as the angle brings the eye up.

Hair-styles which show the neck create an elongating line (especially important if you have a short neck). Keep knots and chignons relatively high rather than low (as that creates a horizontal line in profile).

Long straight centre-parted hair pulls the face down, side parts are more flattering.

Identical Twins

from a UK fashion stylist

I had known the twins for around ten years ... they were utterly beautiful girls. Their father was Italian and they had inherited his Mediterranean dark eyes and curly darkest-brown hair. And for ten years no-one I knew, apart from their mother, had ever been able to tell them apart on a consistent basis.

I dressed them both in custard yellow and then got a real shock. One of them looked absolutely ghastly while the other sister look perfectly wonderful. I got out my drapes and discovered, to my total amazement, that the one who looked fantastic was an Autumn and the one who didn't was a Winter.

I had assumed they would be exactly the same season ... big mistake! One I have never repeated.

Leggings

Leggings - fashionable and useful but are they for you? If you're tall with lovely long, slim legs then Yes, wear leggings in bright colours eg neon tints, and enjoy patterns and textures.

For the remaining 96% of the population, wear with care. Plain, dark, matte colours are the most slimming.

Think of leggings as casual pantyhose. Just as you wouldn't wear pantyhose alone with a short top, leggings are best under short (above the knee) dresses and long (covering crotch and buttocks) tunics and tops.

They're great for casual occasions; adding informality to a pretty dress. Can you wear them to work? It depends upon your job - they're not for formal offices eg lawyers, accountants.

How long should your leggings be? Definitely below the knee. Ladies shorter than 5'6" (167cm) need to be cautious as leggings will visually reduce your leg length (you want to maximise this to appear taller and/or slimmer).

Shorter leggings can be worn just below the knee - if you have shapely, slim lower legs. Finishing just below the calf muscle is another good spot. As long as possible is my personal favourite - I need all the leg length I can get at 5'2" (157cm).

Just remember; leggings aren't magic. They won't make your thunder thighs disappear (the right length top can camouflage them) but they're fashionable, you can wear short dresses modestly and they're a handy extra layer for added warmth.

Leggings don't suit everyone - you may find that slim-leg pants are more flattering under tunics. You can still look up-to-date yet stylish.

Wearing Layers

Layering is wonderful and a continuing trend - plus it's so practical for our changeable climate and current season (or maybe you're having 'mini holidays on a tropical island' ... aka hot flushes!).

Select light-weight pieces eg fine knits (and limit the numbers) or you'll look bulky. Merino, cotton and silk are really versatile (some synthetics are excellent too).

It's really important to get the Proportions right. Beware of visually cutting your body in half (a ratio of 1:2 or 3:5 is more appealing).

Also, avoid layers which reduce your leg length (unless you are 1.7m/5'7" plus) as long legs make you look taller and slimmer.

Here's a helpful guide: measure from your shoulder to the floor (when barefoot). Take note of the half-way point - it's the longest length to wear your tunics and jackets (you can use a ruler to check this out on the photo nb the model is 1.58/5'2" Her multi-coloured print layer is too long for her and she loses leg length, plus 3/4 length leggings further emphasise it)

Opting for mono-chromatic colours will also help you look longer and leaner (please, NOT all black!) Choose one of your most skin-flattering colours to create combinations from lightest at the top to darkest at the bottom. Add an accent colour with your accessories: Fabulous!

But I want to wear Black ...

Then you can! Just because it isn't your best colour doesn't mean NEVER wear it again. It means wear it so it works for YOU (even some Winters struggle to wear it close to their face eg polo necks).

Choose to wear Black:

• by keeping it away from your face (low necklines or wear on the lower half)
• with your most flattering colours (jewellery, tops)
• by wearing (more) make-up to counteract the way Black drains colour from your face

WINTERS: any of your vibrant jewel hues eg purple, bright turquoise, cobalt blue

SUMMERS: choose your strongest tones eg raspberry, deep smoky blue, teal

AUTUMNS: opt for your richest shades eg terracotta, deep tomato red, jade green

SPRINGS: your lightest and brightest tints eg peach, lime, emerald-turquoise

Subsidised Workshops

Katikati Resource Centre is hosting Personal Style Small Group Workshops AND they're heavily subsidised (only $20!!) Phone them for dates and to book your place on 07 549 0399

Looking Slim - Rule 9

Continuing a series based around Leah Feldon's 10 Rules for Dressing Slim. It's good to know her Top Ten are all covered in the Personal Style Workshops, so this is just a refresher for you.

Rule 9 - Don't Let Your Accessories Bring You Down (part two)

Jewellery: maybe not for camouflaging but great at distracting from trouble spots & attracting attention to more advantageous positions.

Long necklaces - create flattering vertical lengths (but not a great idea for big busted women; choose necklaces which end above the bust).

Bulky chokers are iffy for most as they visually shorten necks; if you must, then opt for narrow chokers (nb they're especially made for short-waisted busty women).

Keep jewellery scales to your size ie not too large for small women, not too small for big women.

If a piece eg pin, brooch, bracelet, or ring is too insignificant to wear alone, try wearing 2 or 3 together.

Earrings needs to suit you (face / style / shape). Big bold earrings will overpower most small faces. Strong faces call for substantial earrings. Big round earrings make a round face look rounder.

Drop earrings can help elongate and make you look taller, but they must be in proportion to your face & hair length (if too long / big they can drag you down).

Hats: There should be genuine harmony between your hat and your personality. If you're not 100% comfortable wearing hats then don't.

Make sure hats are complementary to your body and face shape. NB it's important to be able to see the neck from behind.

Bags: proportion & balance appropriate (plus stylish, fit your lifestyle, blend with your neutrals, compatible with your clothes, personality & body type).

Size contrasts are problematic eg an over-sized bag makes a short woman look shorter, an under-sized one makes a large woman look larger.

Ensure shoulder straps aren't too long. A bag that hangs too low will make you look shorter.

Shapes that are a big longer than they are wide, are generally better (unless they're quite small).

Softer bags with slightly rounded edges are usually more flattering than stiff ones with sharp angles. However bags which are too soft / floppy / rounded aren't recommended for heavy women.

CAUTION: carrying a heavy bg on your shoulder over the years can make one shoulder lower than the other, forcing your body to counterbalance it ie potential back & hip problems.

PS

Wow, it's hard to believe it's March already! What a fantastic summer we've had in the sunny Bay of Plenty. Although it's still lovely & warm (and I'm in no rush for cooler temperatures), I'm really enjoying checking out all the new season's styles in the shops - so tempting!

We have another grandchild on the way; due in June (to Cherie & Ben, a sibling for Malakai).

M