Spring Fashion

So many delicious colours and gorgeous fashions coming into the shops now (and the weather is warming up too - yay!)

There's something for everyone this season ... clear bright yellow-based colours for the Springs (coral, yellow, peach, neon green). Lots of pastels - great for Summers and a few Winters (lemon, lilac, spearmint). Some very bright deep colours just for Winters (neon pink, cobalt blue). Perhaps fewer colours for Autumns but there are some of your blues and teals, plus deeper corals and peaches.

Unusually there isn't a dominant style personality; plenty of florals and lace for the Romantic, exotic prints for the Expressive, tailored timeless styles for the Classic, fabulous denims and loose, comfy tops & jumpers for the Natural.

I'm seeing a tidal wave of ocean shades (cobalt blue, blues, turquoises, teals, aquas - a hue for every Season), heaps of black & white, and some classy metallics (silver, gold, even bronze).

Historically, there's a sense of the Baroque period (very rich, ornate materials) and the 1920's (drop waist, long fringing - think Charleston dress). The contrasting lady-like 50's with the colour-blocking and simplicity of the 60's continues.

Peplums (a short flared piece of fabric attached at the waist) are still popular - they don't work for every figure, and not every peplum is the same.

Key items are pretty dresses (lace, pastels, brights & floral prints), short, tailored jackets, and coloured jeans (plain & prints).

Have fun!

Thank You!

In my last newsletter I mentioned the 'Clothing 2 Cash 4 Cambodia' sale (held on 14th June).

We'd hoped the raise $NZ1200 to build a house for the poor in Cambodia. That figure was totally blitzed - over $NZ1800 was raised!

Resulting in: one complete house, a substantial donation to The Princess Project*, and the remainder went into building another home. Fantastic! Great work Breakfree Expeditions!

*The Princess Project rescues precious daughters, along with any siblings or family they might have. Providing food, clothes, shelter, education, school supplies, vocational training, dental aid ... and their lives are being transformed.

Have you heard of Pinterest?

I remember spending hours on rainy days going through magazines and finding pictures I liked, cutting them out and pasting them into a scrapbook. Did you?

Now I can do it online!

I've found pictures of clothes (of course!) hair styles, lovely decor and beautiful places. Not only can I 'pin' them onto a 'board' but I can also trace it back to the original website (very useful).

You're welcome to look at my boards and there are many others to explore ... Enjoy!

http://pinterest.com

Shopping

I don't shop on line - I prefer doing it in person; looking, feeling and trying on are just too important (and fun). Here are some of my favourite local shops and their web-sites:

Glassons you may not be their target market (I'm certainly not) but they have a great range of useful items, as do Temt and Shanton.

Max has a new Creative Director and they're relaunching their tailored styles with longevity and co-ordinating items in mind (sounds like I'll be buying from there more often).  Portmans have some great work pieces and Jackie E (nb these last two are Australian sites - prices are $A).

I always enjoy browsing at Repertoire; I like their 'classic yet current' style and their staff are very helpful.  Another one I make a point of going into is Kilt (I fell in love with one of their blouses ... sorry, can't link to show it here). And Wendy's - they have such wonderful displays, I always go home feeling inspired!

It doesn't pay to ignore any shop ... some favourite items have been found in K&K (despite their advertising they are plus-sized clothing) and Caroline Eve.

It's quite a mixture and definitely reflects where I live (downtown Mount and Bayfair are handy, Papamoa's Fashion Island and Tauranga are further away) and my tastes.  Of course, when I'm shopping with a client it all depends on what THEY want to achieve, plus their budget and personal style.

Be quick to save $$

Katikati Resource Centre is hosting two more 'Affordable Wardrobe Planning' this year (these consist of Personal Style's Workshop 1 in the morning and Workshop 2 in the afternoon).

Saturday 15th September is already booked out, Saturday 27th October is nearly filled.  You can book in via their website or telephone them on 07 549 0399 to reserve your place.  Please note these workshops are heavily subsidised and limited to 10 per group.

PS

The joys of Spring! I think my favourite season is Summer (because it's so lovely and hot) yet Spring is my next choice; the temperature is warming up (finally!) and the new fashions are coming into stores.

Not everyone enjoys shopping but while I get frustrated when the budget won't stretch any further, I do love looking around the stores and getting a feel for the new styles and colours.

Although I'm not a fashionista - I think style is more important than fashion - there are some excellent fashion magazines I read to keep me up to date. Yes, most of the clothes and accessories they showcase are expensive, but I think of it as a way of educating myself - like looking at old masterpieces to appreciate art.

Here's another application for the 80/20 rule:  80% of your clothes are timeless essentials and 20% fashion.  Within that 20% are current colours, shapes and accessories - which you may already own.  For instance the cobalt blues, teals and turquoises that are so popular just now - I've been gathering items for years because they're my colours.  Ditto the bright pinks, blacks and whites, lace and florals - they're all part of my personal style.

So now's the time to go through your wardrobe, review your capsules and consider what's missing ... you probably only need to buy a couple of items to refresh and update your look.

Please feel free to contact me with your queries - phone 07 575 7415 or 021 234 8561, email margaret@personal-style.co.nz or FaceBook message me www.facebook.com/personalstylenz
M
wish there was more (pictures, tips etc)? then "Like" my FaceBook business page