Baby it's cold outside! - Winter trends 2011

Nippy, isn't it?

Got a scarf or two and not sure what to do with it? Check out these ideas:

What about the rest of you?  

On trend this winter:

1920s and 1930s – tea dresses, flapper dresses and maxis

Skewed minimalism - simple dresses and coats cleverly tweaked with slashed, asymmetric neck-lines and collars with several layers. Structured, sophisticated, edgy.

Matte black, liquid sheens and subdued metallics - purple, sapphire, claret, maroon, deep golds and rusts, chocolate brown... yum

The waist has returned! Whether on a belted swing coat, a curvy dress or pencil skirt, the emphasis is on the waist. Classy, classic, sexy.

The hat is back! And the Fedora is the biggest trend for this fall/winter.

High-waisted jeans. Straight legs, closer fit. Blame Madonna, apparently.

December Designer Sales UK

If you fancy a treat, visit me at Designer Sales UK at Chelsea Old Town Hall, 2^nd and 3^rd Dec, where I’m guest Personal Stylist!

I’ll be on hand at London’s premier Designer Sample Sale to help you find incredible bargains that will perfectly suit you.

Contemporary, classic and vintage clothes and stacks of accessories to die for. Labels include Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf, Chloe, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Martin Margiela, … Perfect Christmas presents for friends, family - and you.

“DSUK is the No 1 Designer Sample Sale” Time out magazine

Christmas Offer

*Christmas offer*

This Christmas, for someone special (or for yourself!), purchase a gift of a:

*Colour & Style Analysis & 1 hour Personal Shopping:

£150 (normal price £205)

A home visit where we spend 2 hours discovering your natural colouring characteristics and what complements your proportions & body shape. Followed by a written style guide & an hour’s shop to find the perfect clothes for your style, body shape and colouring.

 Service details

Offer open until December 19^th 2011.

Upon receipt of fee, a gift card will be sent out to you for you to put into your own Christmas card/birthday card.

The receiver of the gift can then call at their convenience and book the appointment within the year.

 All gift cards must be redeemed by Christmas 2012

Contact Alex now to arrange delivery of your gift card:

Smile!

“Who cares what you’re wearing, on Main Street or Saville Row,

It’s what you wear from ear to ear,

And not from head to toe

That matters…”

Ah the truth of the matter as sung by the orphans in the musical Annie …

Come on let’s face it, there’s no point looking a million dollars if you are a sourpuss inside - the best dressers are the ones with the best attitude – posture power rules ok! The secret is to love yourself and your fellow human beings such that you are wearing an inner glow, and were not talking ready brek. We’re talking doing whatever it takes to relate to yourself positively with love and good humour. Check out modern day positivity princess Gala Darling for inspiration:

http://galadarling.com/article/100-ways-you-can-start-loving-yourself-right-now

Practically speaking, in the morning when you choose what to wear, have your outfit make you smile – if it doesn’t then there’s some work to do - just not in the morning. You need to put some time in to working with the wardrobe you have (a good 2/3 hours) to create some outfits that will do the trick such that you have them on tap. Happiness is then a bi-product of getting dressed in the morning, and will set you up as good as a full English. In a wardrobe weeding session, a Style Consultant can extract the best your wardrobe has to offer and mix with items you haven’t put together before…a whole new wardrobe emerges & a whole new you to smile at!

www.alexmoorestyle.co.uk

To tie or not to tie?

Having bemoaned at a recent dinner party modern etiquette when meeting someone for the first time – does one shake hands, kiss, and if so how many times or does one simply grin and keep hands off?  We were left still none the wiser. I feel it follows a trend for a general relaxing of the status quo – dress down Fridays an example, which is seeping into the working week, with one’s glasses making more of an impression than one’s tie and rejecting the latter for a more entrepreneurial look.

But what does one do if one is having an interview – one wants to show that you can tow the line (aka wear a tie) at the same time you want to show you are original, untapped raw genius ready to bring a dynamic new edge to a company - so either no tie or a fancy John Snow-esque bright number. So much can be said for a tie – it says who you are and frames you and what you are saying in a moment, so make sure you love it and it says what you want to say – but no monkey motifs please! 

Alternately, I favour a strong pair of glasses, perhaps with an interesting colour on the undersidet that reflects gravitas, creativity and authority all at the same time. What more do you want? That coupled with a decent pen (modern day sword) and briefcase (shield) and suit (amour) and you are a knight for the noughties. Your glasses (viser) are a function and a flourish at the same time leaving you well guarded yet dandy.

www.alexmoorestyle.co.uk

Wedding dress fever

“Every wedding (dress) is a royal wedding (dress) – we are all kings & queens of Creation”

From the Bishop of London’s sermon at the Marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, April 29^th 2011 (with blogger’s bracketed additions!)

And what a creation it was, That Dress, from the house of McQueen, no less. Sarah Burton’s beautiful masterpiece of ivory & white satin gazar with 9 ft train emulating an opening flower & laced bodice impressed all and left us sartorially sated.

But having watched the Royal Wedding on TV & listened to the commentary of the reporters, it strikes me that THE most important aspect of the whole day was, IS in fact, The Dress. But why is this so? Surely the wedding vows – the promises that the couple make to each other are of most import? Well clearly not.

But perhaps there is good reason for this. The promises are spoken word, but the presentation of oneself is word in action: the physical embodiment of one’s promises. You are what you wear – your attire speaks volumes. A woman’s wedding dress is like a modern day dowry displaying wealth (hence often voluminous skirts) and a symbol of fecundity: a physical promise of childbearing to continue the line of the Groom. But a Royal wedding dress gives weight to the promise of the nation to the world.

What then was Kate’s wedding dress as a statement? A promise of a marriage between tradition & modernity, sex appeal & reverence, and careful deployment of resources (as, by contrast, Diana’s train was 25 ft). 

Yes clothing is the ultimate promise, and it is why people make up their minds about you in the first 10 seconds of your meeting. So what statement then are you making to the world about yourself? Spend some time in front of the mirror to honestly assess yourself, & get some honest opinion from trusted friends and ask what they see your image as. An image consultant can also unbiased opinion, and aid you in creating the image you would like to convey, underpinned by analysis of your colouring and body shape. We all have an image – is yours serving you and the people around you the best? If not then it’s time to refresh.

www.alexmoorestyle.co.uk

A Matter of Size

 “I won’t buy anything until I lose some weight”

Here is a conundrum I often hear from clients: they want to look and feel great and buy new clothes BUT they are not happy with their weight. In the meantime the person wears those clothes which don’t make them feel good about themselves and perpetuates a negative image they have of themselves and they turn to old habits (like favourite but unhelpful food) for feeling better and don’t loose the weight. They continue to wear the clothes that don’t make them feel great and the vicious circle continues.

Here’s the thing: Dress for now. dress your best to feel good about yourself  NOW and TAKE ACTIONS  consistent with your commitment such that you DO loose weight if that’s your goal. Think how pleasing it’ll be to pass on your old size clothes to a charity shop at some point!

The other thing is that when you have a Colour & Style consultation, the style consultant will be able to show you how to dress such that your weight is not an issue. For example, when you wear accessories that are large scale, they will have the effect of making you look smaller. Conversely when you wear small scale items they’ll have you looking bigger. I often find that when clients simply change the size of a necklace piece is has a dramatic effect on how they appear. ‘Go Large’ and look smaller than you really are!

Finally, in terms of slimmimg oneself for a photoshoot, use colour:  the most minimising colour in photos (and in real life!) are darker colours and absolutely NO horizontal stripes which will widen you beyond measure. For more info on this see the following:

http://beauty.about.com/od/hairstylephotogalleries/qt/photopose.htm

In Love this Spring – Body Shape Heaven!

I sartorially fell in love this week with online fair trade clothing company Bochica. Beautiful pieces, good for the conscience and purse-strings all in one. There’s something for everyone…

http://www.bochica.co.uk/index.php

In terms of dresses, all the body shapes are catered for. Here’s why:

Boyish:

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=310

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=38

The structured panels act to compliment the more angular lines of this body shape.

Boyish shouldn’t mean childish – the second dress is a mature look with peaked shoulders for dressing up or down with different jackets.

Hourglass:

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=218

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=213

These dresses draw attention to the waist which flatters the hourglass body shape. The drapey fabric perfectly compliments as it gently drapes over curves.

Pearshape:

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=144

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=316

http://www.bochica.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22_24&products_id=311

What’s important for this body shape is drawing attention to the shoulders through diverging lines to shoulders, lighter colours, capped sleeves and detail eg . All these dresses serve that purpose plus have the added advantage of minimising attention to hips though no detail at hips and darker colours.

Enjoy!

Layer up for Spring

Ok, ok, let’s not get too excited about the recent sunny spell – There has still been frost in the morning 3 days running after all here in Brighton. However, it does all point to one thing….Spring! It’s nearly here and comes with it the perennial problem of dressing oneself for different temperatures throughout the day. But take heart, there is help on hand with this season’s guide to layering…

Take a look at these links for ideas on successful layering:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=49907587273

Fabulous article on layering: http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/lifestyle/rebecca-willis/applied-fashion-layering

Of course what’s most important is knowing your body shape and proportions so that you know which parts to emphasise through layering and which to balance.  If you are pear-shaped, for example then it’s important to add attention and bulk to the shoulder line through lighter shoulders & sleeves underneath a darker tunic, or a scarf that sits comfortably on the shoulders. If your legs are proportionally longer than your upper body, create a layered look with a long-line cardigan/jumper underneath a shorter jacket or gilet with a scarf to add another colour & layer that will break up the lower half of the body. Also, have your boots match your hair colour and be contrasting to your skinny jeans to break up the leg length and unify your overall look.

To find out your proportions and body shape, have a style consultation whith a style consultant who is trained to professionally assess these aspects and offer qualified advice. So many clients have been delighted to find out that their proportions are balanced when they’ve thought for years otherwise, and if not, are delighted to know how to balance their out of proportion legs/upper body with the right lengths of clothing.

Brighton Fashion event coming up this weekend: http://ragtradepopup.co.uk/

Fairtrade fortnight - Beautiful AND ethical

It's fair trade fortnight - a chance to celebrate and shout about why buying fair trade goods is good for everyone involved, and I'm not just talking bananas. Where style is involved,  we all want what is fair, so instead of being proud of a bargain from primark when someone says they like your top - why not buy fairtrade and be proud that the person who's fashioned it is getting a decent wage? Yes it's more expensive but it's better quality, so it'll last you twice as long. Things have moved on from hemp and linen sacks - you can now buy the most fabulously fashionable attire from the likes of People Tree and from Brighton's very own 'fAIR' on Queens Road and 'Kolkata' in fiveways (see links below):

http://www.kolkatafairtrade.co.uk/
http://thefairshop.co.uk/#1
http://www.peopletree.co.uk/
http://www.asos.com/Women/A-To-Z-Of-Brands/People-Tree/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=3719&r=2

So next time you recieve a compliment, be proud to say "Thanks! it's Fair trade." Check out what's happening this fortnight:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/fairtrade_fortnight/fairtrade_fortnight_2011/default.aspx

New Year, New You

Well, here we are: 2011 -  a new year, a new you…and if you don’t feel new and you would like to, then here’s what to do…I advise this to all clients to help redefine their style and focus new clothes purchases: Spend some time checking out what you like by flicking through some magazines or online and collecting images that appeal to you in some way. It could be that you love the styling of a whole advert or just a hint of a colour in it. Once you have around a dozen images you will start to see a clear direction for your style – maybe you are going for a neutral toned style with relaxed lines, or perhaps something quite sharp and tailored. Once you have your images, file them to leaf through now and again to gain inspiration before you shop or dress. Update your ‘inspiration file’ every season as you’ll find your personal style direction will change with the weather and trends. Stay true to yourself first and foremost -  2011, the year to be you!