HOW TO MIX AND MATCH YOUR PATTERNS

Our business dress creates a perception in the mind of others that has the power to:

• make or break relationships
• open or shut doors
• attract or repel opportunities.

Everyday people use stereotypes to decide whether to engage with a person or move on. In business we do not want people moving on to another professional or another firm. We want them to engage with us, to do business with us.

Try this exercise .Conjure the image of a heavy set man wearing leather biker jacket, blue jeans, heavy boots, earring and sporting a beard and a multitude of tattoos. Now, what ‘profession’ comes to mind to match this visual image?

Chances are you did not immediately think of doctor, architect, dentist, teacher, electrician, surveyor or landscape gardener. Why? Because you don’t associate any of these careers with the visual image you conjured up. This is the power of stereotypes.

It is very important to remember that if you dress in the manner of a particular stereotype you will be attributed with the qualities of that stereotype. A bikie is not someone we immediately assume is honest, trustworthy, educated and moral.

A more subtle example may include the young woman who dresses in a frilly skirt and pin-tucked blouse, and accessorises with a floral headband and bows on her shoes. This ultra-feminine look, attractive as it may be, does not send a message of competency and credibility in a professional setting. The look is stereotypically sweet and girly and the message this look sends is not reliability, stability and dependability. In fact women who dress in this way are often perceived as young and lacking experience, dependent on others and not capable of making difficult decisions.

So, the accepted guidelines for business dress include:

• neutral colours
• conservative garments
• closed-in shoes with a medium heel
• minimal jewellery
• and a minimum of bare skin on show.

An effective visual image for business is:

• attractive
• appropriate
• credible
• confident
• balanced

A successful  business outfit needs to:

• be well fitted and comfortable
• be clean and well maintained
• be restrained but not boring
• flatter you figure type
• compliment your colouring

Our visual image matters because rightly or wrongly, we are judged by it. And remember, we only get one chance to create a great first impression.

How to choose the perfect red for you, is the all important question.Red, the colour of passion, excitement and power never goes out of fashion. It attracts our attention, and at times even demands it.  It empowers the wearer and can evoke impressions of strength, sensuality or romanticism. When you want to be noticed red is definitely your colour!

Most women express a love of the colour red, but finding the perfect red is important. Everyone can look absolutely fabulous in a red dress, it’s just a matter of choosing the right shade of red. The wrong red can overpower you, or create a sallow overtone or clash with your natural warmth. However, wear the red that harmonises with your own colouring, and magic can happen!

So, how do you know which is the perfect red for you?  It’s not that difficult. Your perfect red will be a reflection of you. This means if your colouring is light, soft and cool then a red that is light, soft and cool will look fabulous on you. If your colouring is deep and warm, then a deep warm red will be your best.

So, firstly match the temperature of your red with the temperature of your skin. If your skin has a warm undertone you need a red with a warm undertone. If your skin has a cool undertone then always choose a cool red. Then, if you are fair choose a light or medium red, if you have dark hair and/or eyes choose a deeper red.

Finally, if you look great in clear and bright colours make your red a bright one and if you feel and look more comfortable in softer, muted shades choose a soft, toned down red.

Call it a muffin top, spare tyre or whatever you will, many women, especially those of us over 40 carry excess weight on our stomach. I have met very slim women who are fit and trim but still struggle with a flabby tummy. There are a plethora of solutions offered on the internet, most of which involve diet and exercise, but regardless of whether you have tried a few of these, are in the process of trying  them or you have put it all in the too hard basket, knowing how to dress a flabby tummy can really help. So, here are AbFab's ten best dressing tips to help you look absolutely fabulous, even with a little pot belly.

1. Distraction. This involves drawing attention upwards and away from the trouble area. Do this by:

• Wearing eye catching necklaces and/or earrings
• Decorative or interesting necklines
• Interesting shoulder detail

2. 

   Define the waist.

Many of us succumb to hiding a flabby tummy beneath a big boxy jacket. Problem is we only succeed in making ourselves look big all over. Instead wear a jacket or top that nips in at the waist and is at least low-hip to crotch length.   Ponte and unlined stretch fabric jackets work well.

3. Don’t tuck in.

Soft flowing tops with a little wriggle room are a great way to hide what lurks beneath. They also help to elongate the torso. Remember, what looks longer looks thinner.

4. 

   Raise the waistline.

Choose empire line or raised waistline tops and dresses. However, avoid tops that are too loose and baggy. You don’t want to create the impression that you are pregnant. A fit and flare style skims, not clings to the slimmest part of your torso underneath your bust and then flares out over thr tummy.

5. Wear patterns. Patterns can be more slimming than a block colour because patterns confuse the eyes, they don’t know where to settle so they don’t settle anywhere. And as we don’t want eyes settling on our tummy, that’s a good thing. A few pattern tips include choosing:

• Medium sized patterns
• Deep to medium-deep backgrounds
• Angular patterns as opposed to circular.

6. Open Jacket or vest or cardigan.

When you wear an open jacket you are running two long vertical lines down the centre of your body and this is one of the most slimming strategies ever! As well as the vertical lines working their illusory magic, the jacket of course also hides the tummy beneath.  In summer, you can opt for a sheer, light weight fabric in a jacket, cardigan or vest.

7. Ruched, light to medium weight fabric camouflages a soft tummy. Look particularly for styles that have a ruched centre panel. The sides are smooth and only the central area of the garment is ruched. This is a particularly useful strategy for swimwear.

8. A medium to wide belt.

Preferably elasticised, wear a belt that can sit over the tummy area and ‘suck it in’. This works really well if combined with strategy No. 6

9. 

   Shapewear. I’m not talking about the whale bone corsets that our great-grandmothers endured. Today’s shapewear is pretty darn clever and pretty comfortable to boot. Try high waisted undies, slimming camisoles and slips or full body suits. Whatever you decide, make sure it is not too tight because otherwise you will put them on and take them straight off again. I have read that you should buy your shapewear in the same size as your clothes, or even a size smaller. However, I recommend going up a size, this way the garment will definitely fit, feel more comfortable and still smooth out the lumps and bumps. Give it a go and see what works for you.

10. Combine two or more of the above strategies!

Every year the Pantone Colour Institute declares its Colour of the Year. In 2016, for the first time ever Pantone has announced not one colour but a combination of colours; Rose Quartz and Serenity. This is an exquisitely beautiful pairing of two pastels, pink and blue. Together they are magical. They both have an ethereal and dream like prettiness reminiscent of a delicate sunset. However, like all things in fashion these colours will not suit everyone nor everyone's taste. As gorgeous as this combination may be, I know it will do little to flatter my deep, high contrast colouring and I will do better to leave it to others to embrace. So, who will suit this combination of pastels? Women with cool, light and medium contrast colouring will look stunning. If you're hair is silver/ash blonde, grey or brown, your skin is fair and your eyes are green, blue, grey or light brown this combo is a marriage made in heaven for you.

However, colouring is not the only consideration. Your Style Personality is an essential element of looking fabulous. Anyone with a strong dose of romantic femininity in their style will be attracted to these colours. But, even if you are blonde and blue eyed, if you shun most things girly, pretty and delicate then you will probably shun Rose Quartz and Serenity too.

However, there are many 'Classic', 'Creative' and 'Natural' style personalities who underpin their dominant style with some Romantic/Feminine and if this is you, then you should find ways to incorporate this colour story into your 2016 wardrobe. Even if you don't embrace the whole pink and blue catastrophe, a scarf, jewellery, shoes, bag and make-up all provide opportunities to update your look with the most on-trend colour of the year.

Check out the celebrities, past and present who would look absolutely fabulous in Pantone's Rose Quartz and Serenity.

Hats can look so fabulous and add a touch of panache to any outfit, casual or formal. However, some hats look great on us and some don’t so it helps to know what to look for when choosing one. Our face shape is one of the important factors to consider when buying a hat. Not all styles suit all face shapes. The exception here is the oval face; blessed with perfect proportions and balance, just about any hat looks great on this face shape. However, for those mere mortals amongst us who do not possess an oval face, here are some tips that may make life easier when choosing a hat for the races, the beach or just having fun in the hat department of your favourite store.

If your face is:

• Rectangular or oblong, (longer than it is wide) you will be best suited by a small crown and wide brim. Think ‘picture hats! Rounded crowns can be particularly flattering.
• Square/round, (as wide as it is long), try a tall crown and narrow brim. Avoid very wide brims and rounded crowns, in particular.
• Diamond shaped, (narrow forehead and jawline with wonderful high cheekbones) then medium crowns and medium brims will work well. A cloche hat may look fabulous!

  

• Heart or inverted triangle shape, (a jawline narrower than your temples), wide brimmed hats and medium high crowns will create pleasing visual balance.
• Triangular, (strong jawline wider than your temples), small to moderate brims are your best option. Definitely avoid very wide brims.

Other tips:

• An upturned brim helps you appear taller. Floppy brims diminish your visual height.

  

• Slightly rounded features on a hat and soft embellishments such as flowers and feathers can soften a sharp jawline, and/or a long, straight nose.
• Angular brims and/or asymmetrical styles can flatter round or plump faces.

  

• Choose a hat that not only harmonises with your outfit but harmonises with your colouring!

Remember, when your hat creates visual balance and harmony for your face, you can’t help but look…absolutely fabulous!!

Choosing the perfect pair of glasses can be a challenging exercise. There’s usually an overwhelming array of designs to select from, but the trick is knowing which ones to eliminate. When you do, the choices narrow considerably and the decision becomes much easier. The mantra of “harmony and balance” is just as valid for selecting glasses as it is for everything else that we wear.

The factors that affect whether frames looks fabulous on us are many, though they can probably be summed up under the headings of shape and colour.

Here are the important ones:

1. face size
2. face shape
3. internal facial lines (straight, curved or combination)
4. skin tone (warm or cool)
5. hair colour (natural or not)

So, no wonder it can be confusing. Let’s look at these factors a little more closely.

1. The Size of your Face. This is one of the easiest factors to get right. Small faces are usually overwhelmed by glasses with oversized frames and especially those which are much wider than your face. And of course larger and/or broader faces are underwhelmed by little frames.

• The Shape of your Face. Generally, if your face is rectangle or square with your temples, cheekbones and jawline forming a straight line glasses with a straight outside edge will be a good choice. Similarly, if your face shape is rounded or oval, then the outside edge of your glasses can also be curved.

• The Internal Lines of your Face. These lines are seen in your eyebrows, shape of your eyes and mouth as well as your nose. If the lines formed by these features are primarily straight, then frames that are angular and straight will flatter you. If the lines are predominantly curved, very rounded or oval shaped frames will suit you best. And if your face is a combination of curved and straight lines, then frames that are neither very straight nor very rounded will be best.

• Your Skin Tone. If your skin has a warm undertone then warm coloured frames will be your most flattering choices and the ones most likely to harmonise with your face. Very cool or black frames look disconnected and more obvious on those of us with a warm undertone. So consider gold, bronze and tortoise shell as best all-purpose shades. However, if you want more colour in your life and your glasses, then try oranges, purples, brick reds, olives and other yellow greens. Cool skinned people need to choose from silver, pewter, grey or black for versatile frames. Great colour options include blues, blue reds, blue greens, pink and purple.

• Your Hair Colour. If your hair is a deep warm shade such as brown with red highlights or a rich auburn, try darker warm frames; tortoise shell , dark brown, dark green or brick red could be perfect. If your hair is warm but lighter such as strawberry blond, golden blond or light brown consider gold, caramel, aqua or light yellow greens. Those of us with dark ash brown and black hair will look great in black, silver, burgundy or deep blue. Cool blondes and lighter ash browns will be suited to pewter, pink, blue, purple and blue greens.

Lessons to be Learned from a Style Icon

We love Audrey Hepburn, she is one of our favourite style icons. We think she perfectly epitomised stylish dressing and we began to consider that  the rest of us mere mortals could learn how to dress like a style icon by studying how Audrey did it. It's worth mentioning at this point, that Hubert Givenchy was Audrey Hepburn's stylist. Looking fabulous would be a little easier for most of us if we had someone of his inestimable talents directing our clothing choices. But in the absence of a personal Givenchy, the next best option is to learn from what Hepburn and Givenchy did.

 Firstly, her clothes and make-up were timeless, neither fashion forward or fashion passé. Minus the gloves perhaps, today we could replicate this outfit pictured here and look thoroughly contemporary.

 Secondly, she always presented a balanced visual image that showcased her beautiful face and slender body.

 Audrey's accessories and garments are carefully selected to create her stunning look.