Boys

Q. Despite several attempts at 'rebranding' by fashionista friends I apparently regularly go out looking like a dogs dinner and am told that next time I go out shopping I should take someone with me. However I'm often given contradictory advice by my well meaning mates (to the extent that one week I come and visit and it's 'what were you thinking when you bought those jeans' and yet the next I'm complimented on them) so I just end up even more bewildered than I was in the first place.

A. Oh dear it does sound like you are confused! When we get advice from friends it’s often when we are out shopping with them, trying different clothes on, or when they see us in something that works/ doesn’t work. You might try something on with a friend and it looks great but perhaps you are not actually sure why it looks good. So then when you go shopping on your own you might try to buy something similar to what you brought with your friends, or they complimented you on, but then it doesn’t work. Again you are not sure why. The key is to learn the facts about what suits you so when you go shopping you can look out for the correct elements like colour, fabric and cut, rather than it being a case of trial and error. The simplest way of learning what suits you is to book an image consultation!


In an image consultation your colouring, hair, skin and eyes, will be analysed and you will be shown the whole range of colours that suit you. You will also be given ideas of different colour combinations within that colour range. You will be left with a swatch book of all the colours you are shown, with highlights on the best colours to look out for. The swatch book can be taken when you go shopping to you can check you are buying the right colours. When you know what colours suit you it takes so much guess work out of shopping, it also speeds it up as you can cast your eyes round the stores and just pick up the right colours, not bothering with the rest. Wearing the right colour for you makes a huge difference on your appearance, it can make you look radiant, younger and it evens out your skin tone.

Also in the consultation your body lines and proportions will be analysed, you will learn what cuts, fabrics and finishes are best for you. You’ll learn about hair styles, glasses frames, necklines and what patterns are best. It’s broken down very simply and you are left with a note book with all the information, again something you can take shopping with you as a reminder.

Once you know, and understand why, the straight facts about what suits you it really will help you with your shopping. Like I said above there will be no more guess work. You can still involve your friends by explaining everything you have learnt and then going off on a shopping mission with your new knowledge!

Q.What should I wear to detract from my 30-something muffin top and love handles....i tend to rely on black everything!

A. Arr the curse of 30 something love handles! Do not despair, you don’t have to wear black for the rest of your life!!! A few key things:

• Buy trousers that fit well around the waist, you should be able easily fit your hand under your belt/waistband.
• Avoid really low jeans, it’s better to get ones that are slightly higher that hold in the squidge! Don’t worry I don’t mean Simon Cowell high waisted ones, just regular waisted styles.
• Avoid wearing really tight T Shirts, don’t go the other way and buy baggy as that will make you look bigger but just make sure the material skims your waist and doesn’t tightly hug it. The thinner the material the more it will cling.
• Avoid thick stripes, this will make you look wider
• Details around the top of the T Shirt/ top with draw eye up away from your waist
• The fashion of cardigans or very low neck V’s helps to visually slim the body. You could wear a darker coloured cardigan with a light colour underneath, this would be slimming.
• Avoid lighter colours on your top half. Light colours reflect light making the area looking bigger, you don’t have to wear black but just wear stronger colours rather than white and light pastels.
• Shirts worn out work well to hide love handles. Still make sure they are fitted to avoid looking bigger.

Q. Before a guy decides to completely shave his head in a quest for looking fashionable and holding back the years...what should he think about face shape wise to make sure he doesn't end up looking like an egg head?

A. Firstly, a shaved head isn’t the most fashionable hair style. Shorter styles are becoming more fashionable again but not necessarily shaved heads. It’s not that they are not fashionable but I wouldn’t say it will make you look more up to date by having one. They don’t necessarily make you look younger either, but are good if you are loosing your hair. If you are worried about hair loss then a shaved head or a cut as short as possible is a good idea. 100% better than having longer hair and brushing it over to cover any balding areas, this should be avoided!!

Face shapes with strong features and lines look best with shaved hair. For example defined cheek bones, jaw lines, big eyes and full lips. It’s not the best look for some one with a very round face and small features or someone very slim. A shaved head is a strong look so you need to consider if it suits your whole image and lifestyle. For example will your job mind you having a shaved head, some professional jobs might not like you visiting clients with a shaved head as it can have negative connotations.

Q. How do I make an impression at work through dressing well?

A. Great question. How you dress reflects the qualities you want the world to understand about you. You want to accurately reflect in the work place your skills, qualifications, dedication to the job, confidence and ambition. Being well dressed will make you stand out and it will look like you are taking the job seriously.

There are 7 key steps to a successful appearance:

• The clothes should compliment you. As I discussed in the answers above when you buy clothes you need to consider the best colours for you, styles, textures, pattern and get the right fit. They should harmonize with your body shape, face shape, hair, skin and eye colouring and reflect your personality.
• The clothes must fit well. Jackets should fit perfectly across the back, chest and back of neck. Shoulder seams should be well placed, shirt collars correct size, sleeves right length and trousers fit well. Ties should be well knotted and the correct length, just touching the waistband.
• The clothes should be appropriate for the situation you are in. The type of business (eg media or conservative), your role, if it’s formal or informal, who you are meeting and the time of day and year.
• Your clothes should look up to date. Not necessarily high fashion but look out for current trends and details on clothes that make you look up to date.
• Your clothes should look good they are good quality. Look for a good cut, better fabrics and finishing details.
• Be well accessorized. Make sure your shoes are polished and in good condition. Carry a nice pen rather than a chewed biro! Wear a good quality leather belt.
• Be well groomed. Make sure your hair is well kept, your breath does not smell and your nails are well kept.

Girls

Q. I need a spring/summer coat. It needs to be light, it needs to be waterproof and I need to be able to wear it on the tube. In an ideal world I would love it to work for the office and the weekend but I will take just an office coat for now as that is when I am wearing it the most.

A. The short swingy styles are brilliant but they just hang off my boobs making me look pregnant, everything else seems to be double breasted and therefore makes me look doubly wide. Any suggestions?

Yes if you are big busted avoid the short swingy styles they will act like a tent! You need to try and find a single breasted mac that is well fitted. (Gap are often good for single breasted macs). Either with a belt to accentuate your waist or one that is just tailored in to the waist. The cropped jacket styles that are in at the moment will make your bust look bigger so go for the other option of the mid length. Remember a coat that ends across the bottom will make you look bigger from behind so make sure it is no shorter than just below your bum!

As well as tailoring go for a jacket with a open v neck to keep the chest area open. If you have a large bust and are a bit worried about your tummy (for anyone reading this who is) then you might find it is hard to get a jacket that fits your shoulders and your waist well. So look for a jacket that fits your shoulders well and if you need to keep it open then use a scarf to fill in the gap which also creates a lengthening effect.

Q. What can you wear to make yourself feel better on a night out when you're feeling a little dumpy after eating too much or time of the month!?! I don't always want to go for the usual black :(

A. The key here is just to avoid anything that clings to your tummy and to use details near your neckline to draw the eye up. People often think black is the only slimming colour but any stronger colour will do the trick. It’s because, light colours reflect the light thus making anything look bigger and dark colours absorb it which makes it look smaller. It’s the same with shiny and matt, so avoid wearing shimmery metallic’s when you are feeling bloated, stick to matt materials. There are a lot of styles at the moment that are fitting around your shoulders and bust then flow outwards so these are perfect. Halter necks are also good as they draw the eye upwards accentuate your shoulders and then flow over your middle.

Dresses are also perfect, for example if you go for a sixties inspired shift dress this will cover your tummy. If you wear tights with a dress you can also buy some which will hold in your tummy too, or wear pants of steel! There is a lot of embellishment around this season so go for a top with some details around the neckline, again drawing the eye away from the problem area. Avoid any belted styles, material that is thin and clingy and jeans that are too low that will emphasise a tummy hanging over!

Q. I would like to ask you what colours suit me. You can see my profile pic for my face. I have worked out that light blue suits me the best, other colours that suit me are dark blue, black and green. Red doesn't suit me. This is just guess work though, it would be great to get the opinion of you the expert!!

A. I would really need to do a colour consultation with you to be able to show you the correct colours to wear. It isn’t until you see the colours up against you that you can really tell what impact they have, whether they are right or wrong. To give you a few basic pointers though, you need wear colours that share the same characteristics as your own colouring, by that I mean your hair, skin and eyes. The thing to consider are:

• The depth of your colouring, are you might light or dark? If you have a light colouring lighter colours will be more flattering and visa versa with darker colouring.
• The clarity to your colouring. Do you have overall have a soft or bright look? Muted colours will be more complimentary on softer colouring, bright colours on brighter colouring.
• The undertone, do you have a golden warm undertone or more of a pinky cool undertone to your complexion? Yellow based colours suit warm skin tones where as blue based tones compliment cool colourings better.

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