Do’s and Do NOTs for shrugs and boleros.

 

Handy little cover-ups, but beware, these wardrobe staples can have you looking like mother of the bride faster than you can say volovant.  Here are my top tips for shrug chicness.

·   Do team a brightly coloured shrug with a neutral dress to add a splash of interest. Take care if you don’t have dark hair to make sure the colours don’t contrast too highly. Blondes and brown haired girls will do better with less contrast.

·  Do choose a snug shrug. Don’t let it hang down like a floppy old cardi.  Slim fitting arms and have it fit nicely around your back.

·  Don’t choose the really square boxy ones, they’re going to stand out over your boobs like a shelf. Nice rounded collars and curved bottoms will be better.

·   Soft wool will be most flattering. Jacket style will need to fit you perfectly, and might look a little too “suity”

·   Do snap up a sparkly one to wear with a vest top and jeans – lovely!

·  Do look for these in the sale. Designers such as Hobbs, Coast, Phase Eight do these every year and last season’s colours are often on sale. Grab them and you will have them for ever.

·   on’t worry about wearing a “short” item. The hem just under your bust will highlight an area that is super slim on most women. Sleeves are great for adding some volume up top for pear shaped girls and those who have no bust.

·  DO look out for shrugs in sheer fabric, such as black or silver organza. Great for over an evening dress if you don’t like your arms.

Not sure what to wear? Having wardrobe malfunctions? Book a personal stylish session with Sharon Connolly - check out www.sharonconnolly.com

 

Just posted details of the next run of my course, 8 weeks to fabulous. It runs from 3rd March for 8 weeks.  You will learn about colour, style, make-up, accessories, and be motivated to become fitter and healthier. If you want to lose weight you could drop 2 dress sizes with our expert help during the course.  Sign up now. http://www.eventbrite.sg/event/5325677244#

 

Dare to be the woman in red

British Heart foundation just released the results of a survey stating that women who wear red dresses to work are perceived as more confident and senior. And I have to agree, a woman wearing red dress is definitely going places. So I've chosen a few stunning red dresses from House of Fraser for you.

It is however, important that you get the right red for you. Do you look better in an orange based red (see dress 1 from Untold).  Is watermelon great or even a russet brick red? O are you better in a bright pillar box red or something more raspberry like the one on the right from Hobbs? How will you know? If you have not had a colour analysis then make sure you hold the red dress up close to your face in natural light to see if it really suits you.

In addition take care of wearing very contrasting colours. If you have dark hair you can most likely pair your red dress with a black jacket or cardigan, if you are blonde, or mousy then black will be too harsh with red so you should go for something softer like stone or grey.

A red dress normally makes a bold statement and doesn’t need accessories. Pair it with neutral shoes and a neutral bag and take on the world!

Be Fabulous

www.sharonconnolly.com

My friend emailed me today as she’s sorting out her wardrobe. She’s on the move again, for the tenth time in 12 years and she said she wanted to make sure she edited it down to the basic capsule plus a few special items. It got me thinking just how much we really need to organise our wardrobe into capsules. So what is a capsule?

It means we have the essential pieces in our wardrobe that fit our lives. Whether you’re at home with the kids or a high flyer it means that you always have something to wear.

It means that your clothes all mix and match and, apart from the odd very special item, it means that everything goes with everything else.

Something very important about a capsule is that it needs to be pretty classic. Take a look at this great capsule I have created from Hobbs. Hobbs now delivers world-wide! www.hobbs.co.uk. If you fancy ordering anything Hobbs is quite generous, and they also stock it at House of Fraser as well.
I based it around the stone suit which you can see would look great with at least three of the tops and the skirt is great as a separate.
The big chunky striped skirt adds a modern touch and looks great with the blue cardi and the stone jacket.

Don’t fret too much about exact colour matching either – if the blues are a little different it’s fine! 

Notice the nude shoes and nude bag too – easy to mix and match and will go with everything. 

If you are going out straight from work the silk red top is quite luxe and will carry you to after work cocktails, as would the yellow blouse and trousers with some great drop earrings.

Every item in this wardrobe would be a great investment as it would be worn loads of times. Concentrate on cost per wear rather than the actual price.

See that I have also based the wardrobe around just a couple of colours, which makes it easier to add the shoes and the bags.

Have a look in your wardrobe and see if you have a great capsule, if not we might need to go for a little shop!

3 jacket ideas for Spring 2013

 

 

What do you think of these 3 Key jacket shapes for the coming season?

 

On the left there is a cute cropped biker jacket. These are absolutely everywhere. I got a great soft fake leather one in New Look and I've actually worn it in Singapore twice since Xmas, and I got quite a few compliments!

 

If leather is going to be too hot for you then look for unlined jackets with zips, particularly asymmetric zips to be on trend. I wore mine to funk up a smart business dress recently, why don't you try that too!

 

Do be careful if you are large busted or fuller figured these jackets will need to be in very soft leather or you will add bulk to your curves.

 

Jacket no 2 is the classic blazer. Tuxedo versions with silk lapels make a great evening option. Wear with skinny jeans and rolled up sleeves to keep it modern and chic. Remember we've seen this trend before and if you wore it the first time round you need to make sure that your hair, make-up and accessories are 2013 or you will look dated instead of sassy.  Curvy girls need to look for these jackets with some waist shaping. Jackets with rounded edges at the bottom will be more flattering than ones with straight edges. Best worn to smarten up some jeans, though Zara have a great black sequin one too! 

 

There is a flavour of Japan in the jacket on the right and there is a lot of this type of influence in the shops. Quite difficult to wear the lines are straight and really don't do much for most body types. Best left to the slightly quirky and stick thin this look is very comfortable and androgynous, works well in black and white. Keep the make-up simple and the hair quirky if you want to pull this look off.

All jackets from Zara.

 

Catwalk inspirations for 2012

It might only be January but the shops are filling up with the spring and summer clothes collections. Yippee for us that live in warm climates!  My last post was about transitional dresses to carry you in between the seasons, also great, if like me you travel internationally to work.

Today let me inspire you with some trends from the catwalk.
Leather!
Many designers were showcasing leather. Sometimes paper thin with laser cut detail there were leather jackets, skirts, shorts and tops. If this in impractical for you in a warmer climate then perhaps chose something with leather edging or just a leather panel.
Black and White
When is it out? Never! But monochrome was really evident on many of the runways.
Black is quite difficult to wear for many complexions due to the high contrast so if you are blonde or mousy then vamp you’ll need a little more make-up. The feel and shapes are distinctively 80’s so if you were around in that era make sure your hair make-up and attitude are not dating you so that you can carry off this look.
Picture T-Shirts
A personal favourite of mine, I used to love doing this about 8 years ago with jeans and a pinstripe jacket. Choose a quirky almost childish T-shirt and pair it with a serious jacket to make the look very grown up. I had an amazing Felix the cat one in green, now I wonder if I still have that anywhere….

As always, be fabulous and if you are not then you know where to come for a consultation.

Mwah

 

 

5 Amazing dresses to see you through season changes.

It’s a pretty tricky time for shopping! The stores are starting to fill with lovely summer clothes but for most of the world the weather is still chilly. (In Singapore it’s still 32 degrees..sorry!). This can make shopping a little challenging! Enter the transitional seasonal dress. These four lovelies from Monsoon are perfect. Wear them now with tights and boots but they’ll also be great when the sun comes out. www.monsoon.co.uk – prices £59 to £95.00. Monsoon delivers internationally :).

Transitional dresses like these are also great for those who do live in warmer climates but travel for work. These will roll up neatly in your case and if you are working somewhere chillier they’ll easily be warmed up with tights and knitwear.

Which dress is right for you?
Dress 1 is best for neat hourglass or lean columns. Wide shoulders and the gentle ruffles will add some shape on a straight up and down figure, but this will be best if you are slim with some curves

Dress 2 is great for a rectangle or apple to hide a tubby tum and show of great legs. Sheer sleeves also hide batwing arms. – BEWARE – you can’t really take this one up so if it’s not short enough on you it might look a bit frumpy. This dress is about showing the gorgeous legs.

Dress 3 is lovely on a full hourglass. It’s below the knee and has a lovely tapered hem. Pear shapes should be OK because of the wide shoulders and great neckline but this will look really amazing on a size 14-16 full hourglass.

Dress 4 – Will suit most shapes but particularly great for pear shapes with all that detail across the shoulders. 

Dress 5 – Luxury satin fabric makes this more of an evening dress.  Best for neat hourglass or rectangles. Pear Shaped and full hourglass, try it on, look out for it in the sale in a few months time and I would cut 3 inches off the bottom and wear it with wide leg trousers as a tunic.  You can make this one more casual with leggings too.

5 Ideas for men to trim their Christmas tummies

I’m sure your tum will be washboard flat in no time, but whilst you are working on those crunches here are 5 tips to help camouflage a less than trim tum.

·  Have a shirt with breast pockets and short sleeves. The eye will be drawn to the chest area away from the tummy.

·   Make sure you opt for tops with collars. Shirts will be great because they have the added benefit of the opening at the front creating a vertical line. If you are dressing smart casual or relaxed casual then opt for polo shirts with a collar. A different colour collar, or motif at the top that stands out will be great.

·   Wear darker colours from head to toe. A bit boring! But will make you look taller and slimmer if you are not feeling your most svelte.

·  Layering is great. If you live somewhere where it is cooler layer T-shirts under shirts, cardigans or wear jackets so that you create vertical lines down the front of your body. Easy way to do this with a T-shirt and a casual shirt worn open, add a jacket as well!

And lastly – hit the deck and do your crunches – well actually the plank is better!

Tubby Tum

If the Xmas festivities have left you with a Jelly Belly then here are some tips to use whilst you get yourself back to your svelte self (mmm!) Cleverly conceal the area no one will know that it is there.  Here are my tips to give the illusion of a svelte waist.

You need to

·  Firstly get yourself some “magic knickers” – they may not be the most comfortable or glamorous of garments but they really can work to suck you in and give you a more streamlined appearance under tighter fitting clothes.  Choose from everyday ones with a tummy panel or for special occasions there are those that go from under your bust right down to your knees (gorgeous!) The best one are Spanx. Don’t buy these too small. Think STREAMLINE not cut off circulation.

·  Layering will help to disguise lumps and bumps.  If you have a T-shirt that clings a bit then wearing a silky close fitting camisole under it will help – your first layer tackles the jelly belly and the second layer then skims over the top. 

·  Don’t wear clothes that are too tight – choose a firmer fabric that skims not clings – lycra that looks like its sprayed on is never a good look.  Tops with gathers and ruches around your middle are great as you can’t tell what is drape and what is fat.

·  Aim for tops with long draped sleeves that draw the attention down to your wrists.  Also look for tops with detail on the collar or bust line to draw attention upwards.

·  The hem of tops should not fall across your tummy – choose something longer

·  Don’t wear a belt around the waist unless just the front buckle is peeking out from behind a jacket or cardigan

·  Curved hemlines on tops and shirts are good to give the illusion of a waist too.

·  Look for tunic tops that skim – not too big and baggy though, make sure they still come in at the waist a little

·  A top with an empire line emphasises your shape under your ribcage, where hopefully the xmas turkey has not yet reached!

·  Your most flattering trousers will be flat fronted, with a side zip in quite a firm fabric.

·  If you carry a shoulder bag make sure it doesn’t sit and highlight your midriff – tuck it right under your arm or hold it lower!

 

Book Sharon Connolly for your own 1-1 session and get customised advise to have you looking fabulous every day.