One Ladies Shirt - 5 Fabulous Ways

Take one shirt.....

Many of my clients come to me because they feel they simply live in jeans and a T-shirt. Or always wear simple jersey tops and black trousers to work. A beautiful fitted shirt might be a great option for you instead.

Girls with curves often dismiss shirts because they find that if they fit on the bust they are too big around the waist. Have a look at these ideas for wearing shirts.



a) wear a shirt under a fine knit V neck sweater, or better still pop it underneath a jersey wrap top

b) Buy the shirt to fit your waist and wear a cami underneath leaving the top unbuttoned. It's a great way to mix and match with the colours that suit you

c) Hide any gaping buttons under a waistcoat. Next always have a really good selection of waistcoats.

d) If you don't like a waistcoat then a tank top. Beautiful Cashmere tank tops at Thomas Pink or a cheaper, but still excellent quality version at Austin Reed

e) Be a bit more daring. Pop a shirt under a corset top for a sexy, yet "covered" up look. BEST corsets from vollers

Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly

HURRY : Book for the House of Fraser Fashion Event on 10 September

PS. Am back in the UK and available for shopping and Wardrobe Weeding 3-23 September so email me if you would like one of the last appointments.


Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly

Make-up Tips for a great online profile picture

Following on from some of the comments I've been making regarding profile pictures with John Cassidy on Ecademy I thought I'd write a rough guide to photographic make-up.Most importantly : The camera flash removes 50% of your make-up, that means that if you don't wear any you will look 50% washed out and if you do wear make-up you need at least 50% more.

Here are my tips for women.

Avoid all shimmery products. The flash will reflect the light. Let the photographer use lights angles and reflectors to light your face.

Concealer is essential, particularly in the inner aspect and under the eyes. I'd put concealer on men in these areas too to deflect shadows.

Foundation is a must. Choose a matt foundation that is identical to your skin tone. Don't use too much or it will look very obvious. Foundation evens skin tone, concealer reflects light and covers, they are different products, you need them both.

You HAVE to set your foundation with powder to give you a finished look. Also you will probably be under lights whilst being photographed so the powder absorbs the shine and will need touching up.

The eyes will be the focus of any picture. Put a a little more product on that you normally would. Choose lighter colours to open up the eyes. Avoid pink, brown or wine coloured shadow as they can make your eyes look tired and sore.

Use a darker liner than normal and a slightly heavier line to define the lash line, dot powder over it to set it and stop it running under the lights.

Curl your lashes and apply plenty of mascara, false lashes, or just a few individual ones can really open your eyes and make you look more fresh faced.

If you are going for a heavier smoldering eye make-up then perfect the eyes first and apply foundation/base afterwards to maintain a clean fresh look on the skin.

Eyebrows are so important for framing your face. Ensure they are plucked, waxed and neat. They tend to disappear in photographs so make sure to fill in and define them with a matte shadow ( shadow application creates a more natural look than pencil).

Pink peachy blush colours are fresh no matter you age and essential to give your cheeks a glow. Apply colour on the apple of the cheeks.

Lipstick easily wears off during your shoot so use a liner and lipstick as well as a gloss, Choose liner and lipstick in the same tone. Unless it's a high fashion shoot you want to choose something fairly close to the natural colour of your lips to keep the attention on your eyes, or your smile rather than your lips.

For black and white portraits you will need more definition so apply more make-up in darker colours still. Black and white is all about shadow so you can use more tricks to contour, diminish and emphasize.

The truth about men wearing button down shirts

I'm often asked about my statement. "A tie should not be worn with a button down shirt."
Button down shirt collars were fashioned by Brooks Bros to stop the collars flapping around when men were playing polo. Ralph Lauren, who was worked at Brooks Bros also adopted the idea when he later started his own shirt company. Herein lies the evidence that a button down collar is a casual not formal shirt.

If you should want to wear a tie with a button down collar shirt then it should still be on the casual side, by perhaps substituting the tie for a slim knitted tie? Wearing a fine knit jumper rather than a jacket? Or if a jacket is still required make it a sports jacket rather than a suit.

Questioning my comment about short sleeved shirts with a tie? Don't even think about it! A very stylish Italian associate of mine summed it it when he told me that in Milan only the bus drivers wear short sleeved shirts.

Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly

The truth about men wearing button down shirts (http://ping.fm/RvzWn)

Super slimming dress http://ping.fm/SbxUG You will look as slim as the middle panel

Bikini Bottoms to make your butt look smaller

Your Dilemma. You want a bikini bottom with a good coverage. Something that comes up far enough over your tum so you don't get a bulge and something that gives you good coverage at the back - Yes? Problem is that if you cover your bottom half with a HUGE pair of pants then your tush does not look tiny.

Answer : Choose a bottom with a coloured band, belt or tie sash at the top. The perception is that your bottom is only as big as the plain fabric under the band. I would also really recommend investing in good swimwear. Quality lycra is much more figure friendly. My favourite is Seafolly. See the range at www.cocobay.co.uk



Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly

How to look great in photographs

I just sent out the invite to my House of Fraser Fashion Event and see that so many of you are on your hols. Well for those of you have haven't headed off yet I thought I'd just give you some tips for how to look great in your holiday snaps.

If you've been following my advice then you'll have the wardrobe, hair and make-up sorted but there is nothing more demoralizing than seeing yourself look terrible in pictures when you thought you looked nice. The camera can most definitely lie so follow this advice to make it your friend and your fabulousness is justly recorded.

• Try to avoid having your picture taken with your body facing directly at the camera. A 45 degree angle is much more flattering. Move one leg backwards slightly, shift your weight onto that leg and bend your front knee very slightly whilst angling your front shoulder towards the camera slightly.
  
  Create space to show off your waist by bending your elbow.
  
  Jut your chin out slightly, like you are resting it on a wall in front of you. Pictures are 2 dimensional so this won't show and will diminish a double chin.
  
  For a close up, close your eyes for a few seconds before the picture is taken, when you open them your pupils will be larger, which makes you look more attractive and smile only just before the picture is taken, it's more natural.
  
  If you have any say in the matter - ALWAYS try and get someone to take a picture from above - get them to stand up, stand on a chair, just be higher than you. Natural light is normally kinder than a flash, except in the hands of an expert.
  
  Finally top tip. If you feel fat in your pictures then hide a quarter of your body behind a wall, statue, restaurant menu, other person, anything..and you are instantly 25% slimmer (just don't tell your friends about that one as you sneak your back shoulder behind them in every picture)