​

There seems to be little doubt that women are the greatest hoarders of clothes stashed away that they never wear, some of them have still got the sales tag on them.

The two most common reasons are:

• They’re in denial about their reality and impulse buy.
• The sales assistant tells her she absolutely looks lovely in it when it’s really sabotages them.

According to a recent survey 50% of women admit to owning three or more unwanted pairs of shoes, 44% of women have three or more pairs of unwanted trousers and 80% of women have a suit they no longer can wear or want to wear.

Most people have about 100 or more of these in their wardrobes, with another group of people with 500 or more (yes, there are two distinct groups of people – which one are you?)

Would you agree that most major items ie trousers, jackets, shoes, boots, handbags, jewellery, skirts and blouses would cost you on average $100 per item?

If you multiply this $100 by the 100 you would have at least $10,000 or more in value hanging up in your wardrobe.

If you have a larger wardrobe, you do the Maths!

Have you ever wondered why women all around the world spend millions of dollars on clothes every year that never come out of their wardrobe? 

The average man and woman would wear only 20% of these 80% of the time, yes?   Given that this could well be the case for most families, a whopping 80% of the $10,000, that is $8000, remains unloved and unwanted.

We repeat that habit every 5 years.

What else could you do with that money if you only knew how to avoid it in the first place?

Why we lose our way.

• The high cost of shopping for special outfits for a special occasion, instead of shopping for clothes as part of our annual budgeting.
• We lose and gain weight and lose track of our personal style.
• Our body changes shape four times over our lifetime.
• Our lifestyle and values change.
• We can develop unreasonable expectations with regard to what we could or should look like.
• Our financial position changes.
• Our work life dominates our time.
• As we age, remaining “current” and “age appropriate” are confusing.
• We are confused by fashion trends and shop according to our “wish list”.
• We are influenced by the opinions of our families, friends and the media.
• We are not aware of our body shape, how to use line, colour and design and our individuality, and ultimately, do what our mothers did.

How we find it again

Know that You are beautiful and unique. Fall “in love” with your body and accept your authenticity and individuality.   It’s not your body, it’s your clothes.

• Get style savvy for your body shape and let your body “tell” you what works and what doesn’t.
• Clean out the clutter and the unusable for colour, style or wear and tear reasons.
• Save what works and what can be repeated in a variation of a theme.
• Try it all on and use a mirror behind you so you can also see the view from the rear.
• Find the gaps in your wardrobe and create a plan.
• Get a buying strategy for your shape, lifestyle and work requirements and create a budget.
• Shop in your own wardrobe. A full-length mirror is a girl’s best friend. Ask someone whose opinion you trust to offer a second opinion.
• If you are handy with a sewing machine, alter what can be altered or have it remodelled professionally.
• Have a body shape analysis and learn the skills to dress for YOUR shape.
• Learn how to make your own judgements and trust them.

The Bottom Line:

A small, functional wardrobe beats a large, limited wardrobe anytime.  Whatever the size of the wardrobe, if you make your pieces earn their place in your collection, you’ll soon discover what well-dressed women the world over have known for years: size doesn’t matter, but functionality does.

Create a love affair with your clothes.

Make it fun and make the time to spend a couple of hours without the kids, the phone, the hubby.

I’m here to help.

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

Do you waste time every day trying on multiple outfits until you decide what to wear before you walk out the door?

You’ve completed the sorting, recycling, revamping and analysing process, and you are in love with everything you’ve got.  Right?

In fact, I don’t have any problem with anyone having a house full of clothes, so long as they are ALL ready-to-wear depending on the season and aren’t taking up space because you have several in the same colour and size and adding toxicity to your otherwise healthy wardrobe.

Otherwise, if the colours are all complimenting you and work in capsules with each other, the styles flatter your body type, and everything fits you like a glove, that’s all good.

But are you still overwhelmed when choosing what to wear everyday?  Maybe just out of habit or is it you just don’t have the time to experiment with different looks, you just go for the same thing each day?  Am I right?

Regardless of the size of your wardrobe, large or small, here is a fabulous method of sifting through your clothes each day, wondering what goes with what.

This method will certainly make you aware of the contents you forgot you actually have and it would be a very good idea if you have already audited your wardrobe first before you proceed.

Are you ready? Here it is.

Create a Look Book on your phone.

All you need is your phone and a full-length mirror.  Make a time when you have a couple of hours to fill in, put your make up on and do your hair, have your shoes and accessories all lined up ready to put on.

If you have a large number of clothes, you may want to sort them into summer and winter first, bearing in mind you have some trans-seasonal garments which belong in both.

Put your outfits on with as many Mix’n’Matches as you can, try them with different coloured combinations.  Smile and pose for best results, and then put the best ones into an album on your phone.

No more meltdowns 10 minutes before you have to leave for work or a go on a date.

All you need to do is:

1. Check the weather.
2. What activities are you going to be doing?
3. Who are you going to be seeing?
4. Pick out the essentials first: dress or pants and top.
5. Add layers for change in weather with a light blazer or wrap.
6. What accessories will you need to dress it up for a later event.

You can decide what you are going to wear even before you get out of bed.  Open up your “Look-Book” and see what feels right for the people you are going to meet today or the activities you are going to do or how you want to feel, and you don’t have to struggle with the details.

Each time you take out an item for some reason, or add an extra one to your collection, update your look-book with another photo of how it fits into your wardrobe with other members of your collection.

It’s efficient, and stress free, especially if you are in a hurry.

As you go, make a Wishlist of the items that are missing to complete the look if you have orphans.  Read here for your “what do I do with this” Flow Chart.

If you need help, ask a friend to be your photographer for you, and share the fun.  Or call me.  I love putting outfits together.

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

When is the right time to use a wardrobe clutter buster?

There is never a wrong time to de-clutter.

NOW! is a superb time to use a wardrobe clutter buster because we are at the beginning of a New Year. And especially RIGHT NOW because Chinese New Year comes in 12 February.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions.  It just doesn’t work for me as well as it might for others.  But what does work and is easier to commit to is creating a theme for the year, month, week or even day.

This year in 2021 my theme is CHANGE.  It’s the perfect time to Let it Go. The first step to change is accepting your reality right now. Life is full of unexpected events, and we can get bogged down in holding on to old beliefs that no longer serve us.  Change is inevitable, and when you give yourself the space to grow, magic happens.

When you get rid of clutter in all areas of your life, you create a vacuum, and a vacuum sucks new stuff in.  Clutter could be anything that no longer works to your advantage, is toxic to you in some way, or old and stale energy in the form of belongings or beliefs.

Bless them and release them.

You need to make room in all areas of your home, your time and your activities to allow that new stuff to come in.  Sometimes you have to take a good long look at your life and sometimes even your friends and acquaintances and make some decisions about what you are NOT taking with you into your new year.  What are you finished with that has no place in your present or future?  Now is the time to detox! Bless them and release them.

But today, the focus is on your most intimate environment, your wardrobe.

You may be one of those people I admire so much who are super organised and have the process running like clockwork.  But if you have a wardrobe which is packed in so tight you can’t remember what is stuffed in the back corners?  Here’s a formula for Culling.  Making Room. Detoxing. Eliminating Chaos and Disabling Dysfunction. Here is a simple wardrobe clutter buster system that has worked for me.

New Year Kick off with a Wardrobe Clutter Buster

NOTE:  Anything for Further Analysis, Repair and Orphans will play an integral part in getting the best overall wardrobe revamp results when being assessed beside your Keep and Rehang items.  For best results it is highly recommended you have a personal body signature assessment, personality style, functionality and lifestyle needs assessment by an experienced stylist or image consultant.

Everything you want to be assessed should be clean, sorted and ready for your image consultant’s visit.

Are you ready for change?  If you are the type to “hang on” to stuff and find the process of auditing a bit challenging, an image consultant/stylist will be an objective and practical auditor of your wardrobe contents and complete this process with you.

Further reading: Are you willing to let go?

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

Change Your Mood? Abso-bloomin’-lutely.

When you lift the lid on your essence and bring out your light from under the covers, you will discover how to fill up every cup in every mode you’re in.  You can change your mood just by changing your clothes.

Your clothes and your personal style speak louder than words. What do you want them to say about you? Are they a true representation of your personality, your essence and your purpose?

Our wardrobes are influenced by our experiences and the people around us.

It is well documented that you are more influenced on a daily basis by the people with whom you associate.  That is, I believe, a true and correct statement.

I would even hasten to add, also by your environment and even the colour, shapes and the ever changing expressions of your garden.

Life is full of experiences, events and emotions. Most times we are just not equipped for it, especially when we are ‘surprised’ by a life-changing event. We’ve all had them, haven’t we?

Our workplace, our families of origin, our current families, our circle of friends and acquaintances, all present potential sources of joy, contentment, and unfortunately, toxicity and abuse. Overtime those experiences and emotions have taught us how to dress, and who’s style and the colours they wear have we subliminally copied and are woven into our wardrobes?

Change your mood? How does happen by what we put on our backs?

Various colour combinations, intensities and values create different moods.

Using your personal colour palette, if you wish to appear:

Positive, cheerful or stimulating: wear mainly light to medium colour with a dark contrast (warm colours are the most effective) e.g. a lime suit with a leopard scarf.

Strong, commanding and powerful: wear dark colours with an item or feature of high contrast (dark/bright combinations):

Professional and Friendly: wear medium to medium dark colours with a medium contrast (dark/light combinations).

Dignified and Formal: wear medium dark to very dark colours and a small percentage of a light colour.

Feminine, gentle and quiet: wear medium to light, muted colours with little to no contrast.

Elegant: wear rich velvety colours with little to no contrast.

Formal: wear dark colours.

Fashion cycles often have a definite mood and colour theme.

Mood can also be created by the use of texture eg soft and smooth fabrics are often seen as romantic, where as black leather initiates thoughts of bikie gangs and daredevil behaviour.

Our appearance is just the wrapping. We can be taught about the rules of dressing for our shape, our age, our colouring, our height, our size or for the career we are seeking or what we believe we only deserve.
But do we dress ourselves authentically and with total freedom to be who we really are?

If you would like to explore your inner world and how you express it, you may find it confirming or enlightening.

I’m here to guide you on your discovery tour.

Now you know you can change your mood by the clothes you wear, did you know you can also change your mood and your feelings by the colours and shapes in your intimate environments?

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

Can you have a fabulous wardrobe no matter what size, shape or age you are?

It’s so frustrating for so many big beautiful women with non-standard shaped bodies to shop for affordable clothing that fits well, has shape contouring in the right places – and not where you don’t need it, and not all the same shapelessness and style-challenged garments on offer from one outlet to the next. Show off your shape?  Yes please.  Many big beautiful women just give up and settle for a cup of coffee instead.

PLEASE. Don’t change a thing. You are perfect the way you are.

“Take-me-home-AND-love-me” clothing is as scarce as hen’s teeth.

It seems that designers have only been brought up on being “big” versus being a size 6 and have envisaged all women beyond the standard sizes up to size 16 and body shape of rectangle wore skivvies, kaftans and frumpy clothes and were willing to wear these. Are you kidding?  Women everywhere are answering the cry “Show Off Your Shape.”

Let’s Remove “Plus Size” and “Curvy” From Our Vocabulary.

. . . And Bring in “A Great Sense of Style”.  Ladies, show off your shape.

Let’s change our language.  Let’s remove “PLUS” and “CURVY” from our vocabulary and Change ideas we’ve learned around this terminology.

You don’t have to be a frumpy woman because you are a non-standard shape or “Plus” size.  Most women are non-standard shape or size, but where is your body a plus size anyway?  Tops or bottoms?

Many women have at least area of their body which is the hardest area to fit and which has created anxiety or frustration when shopping.   We are all different and have different shapes, regardless of our age, height and ethnicity.

The majority of designers do NOT know how to cater for you.    Nature has evolved you and it’s perfectly natural but the least understood unless you are a woman who considers herself curvy or plus size. Few know how to celebrate our non-standard shape bodies, because they don’t know how it “feels” to have so limited choice and settle for something that they have to “make do” with. 

Granted, there are some who do however, if designers don’t have our bodies, they don’t really know how it feels to try to love how we wear them.  We are all different shapes and sizes, and one shape does not fit all.  Even most of the models for these Plus size labels feel frumpy modelling these garments and have way more sexy clothes in their own wardrobes.

What are they thinking?  Obviously, only about what they know and understand and is easiest to create for the mass productivity system.

What if instead, you become educated on how to dress your body just the way you are, how to shape it here and not there, to make alterations where it’s necessary and easy.  Sometimes it’s as easy as knowing how to alter the hem-length to the best one for you, or learning how to use your silhouette to your best advantage, understand how line and interior design can take kilos off, and how the use of  colour contrast, levels and combinations and fabric type will flatter you not fail you, and above all, getting correct fit to be a super, beautiful, normal “you”.

So yes, You can have a fabulous wardrobe no matter what size, shape or age you are. You just need to know what you may not already know and work with what we’ve got!

How would that feel?

No More Frumpy Frocks.  Style up.  Let me know if I can help.

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

Customised clothing versus ready-to-wear for a perfect fit.

Purchasing well-fitting and flattering clothes shouldn’t be difficult, no matter your size or your shape. But that’s just not the case for millions of women all over the world.

Their wardrobes, including mine at times, are in a pickle. I hear much anguish about frumpy frocks on offer because they are plus size, or either have only a choice between looking like their daughter or their mother, or just nothing inspires them because they feel designers have ignored them, sizes only go to size 14 or 16 in anything that has any flattering features, or are just not well made.
When there is a distraction such as poor fit or inappropriate styling, this is communicated in a variety of ways from unawareness of how it looks, to your feelings and views about how you feel about yourself on an unconscious level.

Let’s take a look at the evolution of ready-to-wear clothing from the skill of tailors and seamstresses of customised clothing so we get the whole picture.

Women’s ready-to-wear clothing really only surged in the 1920’s.

Before that time, women used to wear corsets to draw in their waists and accentuate their shapes so manufacturers had difficulty in creating clothing that fit.

In the 1920’s, the styles became very much looser and had a straighter silhouette, which became much more popular and the manufacturers were over the moon they could cater for the majority of women with ready-to-wear clothes. From that era, manufacturers have more or less continued with this simplicity with a few exceptions and more detail in the finishing touches, but in the main, clothing silhouettes have not really changed from 1920. Image Source

This simplicity has created a dilemma for all curvy women, some of whom believe they can straighten out their curves rather than embrace them and actually look slimmer and younger showing them off. There’s an art to that, which I can help you with to simplify your life.

In more recent times, women have resorted to trying their successes buying on line as the recent COVID 19 restrictions have limited supplies, and the purchasing satisfaction has been disappointing by up to 50%. This factor has greatly contributed to the high cost of clothing where millions of dollars all over the world are being wasted.  These garments are still hanging in wardrobes across the country with their tickets still on them, landfill is full of discarded clothes, and the amount of waste in developed nations would feed and clothe millions more.

But we all want to look younger and slimmer, and not only look good, but we feel good too!

I can hear a big ‘Yes Please!” Right?

Unfortunately, for many women, the dilemma is still unresolved.

Garment fit has an effect on how you feel, and on how others feel about your personal or professional presence. The eye is distracted to those things which are not quite right, and the eye doesn’t lie and when something’s not quite right, the brain tries to work out what it is.

What did women do before 1920?  They made their own or wore bespoke clothing made for them. So, we’ve come full circle.

Who should consider bespoke clothing?

Here are 7 reasons, just to start with, why you might want to consider bespoke clothing.

1. You’ve shopped until you’ve dropped. You’ve gone to all the sales, weekend markets and boutiques and you still come up most times with a “settle for” garment or have returned home empty handed. When you do find something that you think you will love, you find it’s an orphan and just doesn’t work with anything you already have?

2. You have always bought from ready-to-wear clothing but you often have to have your garments length altered.

3. You have a non-standard shaped body and have difficulty getting them to fit as you may be one of the many, many women who have 3 dress sizes, not in any particular order, between your shoulders and legs, like tops, dresses, skirts, or slacks/pants.

4. You prefer better quality fabrics for drape, wash-n-wear properties, wear-ability on your skin or have allergies.

5. You may have special medical restraints like arthritis in your hands, are confined to a wheelchair or have recently had surgery and require easy to put-on or take-off garments you can do on your own.

6. You may have a special occasion and want to have a garment that no one else is wearing in the colour and style which makes you unique.

7. Or you just want quality, beautifully tailored clothes which fit you perfectly, and are your evergreens for a long time to come.

If you have an idle sewing machine and you know the basics of using it, you can sew your own clothes.

Just start with something simple, do some mending and get your confidence with small projects. I started making my kids clothes 40 years ago, and it was a great way to learn as they didn’t need much fitting. Then I learned how to do stretch sewing techniques which I found easier, but some fabrics I fell in love with were non-stretch and required a bit more structure. That was before YouTube and the internet, and there are many “How to” videos there for access so you can see how it should be done.

There are many seamstresses in your area you could employ to create garments for you and they are well worth the investment, especially if you choose quality fabrics and choose styles which suit and flatter your shape and intention.

Before you invest in couture clothing, it is great advice to know which styles and colours are you most functional and flattering and reflect your personality first. Also, which fabrics are more suitable to your climate, your body shape, whether they need to have draping and fall characteristics, or best suited to structure and tailoring. It is certainly great advice before you go shopping for either ready-to-wear clothing or fabrics for making your own.

There are many sewing classes for levels and all ages in your area, and help is never too far away if you were leaning into your creativity. Or maybe you’ve just given up sewing altogether because you are frustrated with fitting a commercial pattern correctly and the whole thing is a disaster?

What if you could get perfect fit before you even cut into your cloth?

What if you could use your supply of fabrics and create unique outfits that fit you perfectly in colours and styles you love and that no one else is wearing?

I love finding tools to make my life easier and I figure you probably do too. Here’s one I’ve been using for a few years and it’s saved my sanity on many an occasion. If you are tired of spending money on clothes and adjusting patterns to find that they still don’t fit, you will love the Pattern Drafter – for adults and children.

I’d love to show you how easy it is. I love this pattern drafting tool and I believe you might think it’s better than sliced bread too. It’s a mystery buster.

I have no formal training in pattern making or sewing but all the same I still make a lot of my own clothes and have been for decades.

If you have ever considered having a garment custom-made, we know you will be thrilled with the finished product, as nothing compares to the personalised fit of custom-made clothing!

Have you downloaded your Free e-Book yet? Just Click the link at the top of the page.

If you are daring to dream about being an irresistible midlife woman and you are wanting some changes in your love life, your business life or social life, this is for you.

An irresistible midlife woman is really comfortable in her own skin, and it shows.

Some midlife women start to feel invisible and comparing ourselves to other women as we get older. We set ourselves up for such heart ache when we do that and a lot of that has to do with how we feel about ourselves and our personal history over the previous 50 years.

In a nutshell, best advice is just be yourself, with no airs and graces, and just really loving yourself as you are. Just be your best self and not copying someone else. Here’s some insights how you too can be an irresistible midlife woman and attract wonderful people and opportunities into your life.

Give up your bubble, and stop trying to be like someone else.

“Why can’t I look like that?”   It’s not real life. It’s a mindset.

Women are beautiful no matter their weight, height, age, shape, size, colouring or ethnicity. With so many variations in appearance, there is but one common denominator: it’s feeling confident and beautiful in her own skin.

Men don’t see us in the same way that we do when we are picking ourselves apart. We are so self-conscious and men don’t really care what our features are if we are confident and happy and fun to be with.

This can come about especially if your ex-partner has been picky, insulting, criticising you, keeping you under his thumb and destroying your self-esteem. This will never build up your confidence. Relax a little bit, stop obsessing about every little thing and put your best foot forward.

It’s not a healthy way to live your life and it takes its toll on your self-image. If you’re feeling it’s relentless and nothing is going to change, seek some help or take the next exit.

It’s so important to reflect on the outside, and remember how incredibly visual men are. They just are hard-wired for it, but we don’t need to be intimidated by it, but just know it is what it is. As women, we need to be more aware of how we present ourselves authentically, as it tells the world we value ourselves, and men of value respond very favourably to that. Just be sure you are putting your best self forward.

Confidence is super sexy and when you know what works for you, you don’t need to say a word. You don’t need a massive makeover, but learn to do a few little things to make a difference where a difference matters. Learn how to apply makeup to enhance your features or review your hair style and maybe introduce a highlight or low-light hair colour that you can do yourself so you don’t feel that the only time you look good is when you walk out of the salon.

Re-ignite your life. Book in for a hair and makeup glam-over and just see how differently you are treated.

Men want us to look like women. They don’t want to date themselves.

Look more like a woman, more feminine, or whatever your essence is. Jeans and T shirts, suits, and nothing remotely feminine have their place and usefulness, but not when you are dating. Lots of yoga pants never see yoga.

There are a lot of landmines in the fashion world for women, especially midlife women. OMG!

It’s a difficult world to navigate, and you need to give it some time and some attention. You may need the help of a professional, especially if your understanding of how your body is changing and how it’s affecting your wardrobe choices is baffling you.

Seek help to figure out your body type and how to understand how to use colour, line and interior design for your shape and proportions, what to accentuate or camouflage, and stick to those styles and designs which flatter you.

You could be a combination of a couple of body shapes, prominent features, larger hip than thigh, narrow shoulders, but a tummy too that you have to add into it. Now, in our stage of life, we have a 3 dimensional body shape: what do you look like all the way around? Most clothes are in 2 dimensional styles and don’t always cater for a change in shape midlife women often encounter.

You have to dress and work with all those factors, how to enhance or camouflage.

Quit the dreary colours.

As we get older, colour is really important. It makes such a huge difference if you pay more attention to wearing better colours which are more flattering to you.  Do you want to disappear, not want to draw attention to yourself? Look at it in natural light, not fluorescent.  If you live in black, grey, get out of it, especially around your face as black will accentuate your lines. If you like to wear grey, and it can be a stunning colour for provided you have medium to high contrast in between your eye, skin and hair colour.

There are so many shades and temperatures of each colour, eg how do you know you have the correct red for your complexion and contrast levels? Any colour could be more warm than cool (temperature), muted/soft or bright (intensity), dark, medium or light (level), and those factors can overwhelm or diminish the effect you are after.

Dare to be Stylish.

Style impacts on how you show up in the world and will build self-esteem and increase your confidence.

4 top things you might take on.

1. Go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything that doesn’t make you feel fabulous, is out-dated, faded, or not in good repair, “Oh yes, I was meaning to throw it out but kept it.”
2. Look at the predominate colours, what are they? Black and grey. Definitely figure out the best colours for yourself. Make it doable in baby steps if it’s overwhelming for you? Most women don’t have the shopping gene. If you are afraid of colour, work out why does it scare you? Just take a baby step, introduce a colourful accessory, and add in things one at a time and change them around. If you are going to wear black, get some jewelry to bring up the life to your face.
3. Learn about your personality style. Where do you spend your time, and the majority of what you do? Are you wearing Corporate clothes any more, or are you a stay-at-home entrepreneur? Start building a small wardrobe for romantic possibilities and create or purchase a few essential pieces.
4. If you’re dating, the guy only sees the top half. On the bottom half, no one will know if you wear the same skirt or pants, you will get more wear changing out your tops, with new scarves and learning how to mix and match the upper half under your face. Look for one or two pieces that you can add to your wardrobe, even if you only purchase a few pairs of earrings or a new handbag.

If you would like to go deeper and discover how to be confident, irresistible and maybe even attract your extraordinary man into your life, please send me a cheerio in the form below. I’m here to help.

If you enjoyed this article, perhaps you would like this one too.

SHOPPING SAVVY 101

Home / Gift Certificates / Wardrobe Audit / Styling Services

What are you doing about buying clothes?

Shopping is something you either love or hate.

Either way, you over-shop or totally under-shop.  There are many reasons why and one or two may apply to you.  Let’s take a look!

1. You are so frustrated with shopping and don’t shop at all. 
2. Always feeling out of touch with the world, so just wear what you have.
3. You’re in a style rut and are totally overwhelmed with not knowing what works for you.
4. Maybe you feel designers have forgotten all about you.
5. Fads, fashion trends, friends and store assistants totally confuse you.
6. Or maybe you love shopping, you’re an over- shopper, but are you really getting value for your money?

Dressing for success is not always understood and has many interpretations.

One key question to ask yourself is ‘Would you do business with someone who dresses like you?’

How often do you feel it’s a lot of trouble so you settle for less only to wish you had taken more effort for the interview?

Or how many missed opportunities were there because you believed the only place to buy nice clothes is at expensive chain stores or boutiques?

Or are you waiting until you get that big promotion to dress the way you want to.

Talent alone will not get you what you want. Looking good and keeping a high profile and taking home the money go hand-in hand.

Dress the way you are going, not where you are today. Don’t ever get caught apologizing for the way you are dressed.

Here are seven steps to learn the skill of dressing for success and intentionally packaging yourself properly with an observation and test approach so you create influence where you need to.

The First Five Seconds

When you meet someone for the first time, become aware of how you felt about him or her at that first meeting for the first 5 seconds.

Was it their jewelry, their dress, facial expression, hairstyle, how he/she sounded, what eye contact was there?

Was it a positive or a negative impression or neither? Just take an observatory position as if you were watching a movie and notice your response to each question you ask yourself.

Pick Five People

Now select 5 people you know well and write down their names. Think of how you would change their appearance, or would you even change their appearance?

Look at them in detail and in every part of their attire, grooming, communication and behaviour. Do their shirts, shoes, trousers all work, and are the colours flattering? Do you think their glasses suit their face shape and enhance their appearance and level of professionalism?

Become consciously aware and write out their changes as if you were given permission to do so.

Now that you have done that, do the same for yourself.

Start from the top and work your way to your feet and take note of every detail that you would change. Be totally emotionally detached.

Also, be aware that no one will tell you voluntarily because, as you know appearance is one of the most personal and sensitive issues in communication between people so few people will really tell you what they think.

Choose a New Outfit

Before you got out shopping pick a new aspect of an outfit like shoes, jacket, and handbag and improve on it being sensitive to the congruence and relevance of it.

Have a different look every day and see how you can change it and improve on it. It will also make you more aware of how your friends and others feel the way you look and you will find out along the way how it all works.

Consult with an Accredited Image Consultant

Our appearance has a great impact on how others see us and it is great advice to invest in a professional consultation for BEST advice, especially strategic business dress advice for long- term results.

This is an area of image indefinables and you want to be sure your investment is well spent if you are looking for strategic dressing for the business and corporate world.

Research and increase your awareness

Do as much research in this area as you feel you can by internet search, reading books and studying what is going on out there and although the media is full of opinions, it will help increase your awareness.

By doing this you can develop your own personal style into the general parameters of style and impressive dressing. Treat fashion magazines with caution as they are laden with fads and trends and are generally targeted at the early 30-year olds on behalf of designers and retailers.

Some give great value where others look great, but not on you. Each of us is an individual and not everything is going to be applicable on a general scale. Business style and lifestyle fashion for the mature woman is often misinterpreted.

The key is to find evergreens and classics that better enhance your image and add flexibility with the addition of selected accessories to suit the occasion.

Ask for honest feedback

Take your time and increase your confidence with one change at a time and increase your dress awareness congruently with your personal and professional development.

Ask “How do I look?” from people who are not sensitive and insecure about the ‘new you’ and who will not feel unsure or covertly sabotage you.

Only ask people that you respect and admire as they will give you honest feedback to help you grow.  Then you will no longer need a second opinion.

In competitive and challenging times, take control of your image and get the edge on your first impression management.

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?

Here we are again!  And our wardrobe is not ready for summer.  These are some of the things we often overlook until we need them, when we search for something that isn’t there, a soft white camisole, or a summer weight pair of black slacks, a lightweight three-quarter sleeve jacket. If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation, struggling with “if only I had”, then you know what I’m talking about.

Take action and get your wardrobe into ready for summer.

Now is the time to rethink your summer wardrobe as the new spring fashions flood into the stores. Don’t wait for it to happen.  It’s time now to take stock of the items that will work for you this summer and how to mix and match them, what to purchase to add an item or a new accessory to complete them.

What to do first.

Make a list of all your activities that are routine for you. Now add in the ones that are coming up over the next 3 to 6 months. Moving to a different climate, applying for a new job, looking for a new love, going on holidays, playing a new sport? Do you have a special occasion such as an anniversary or a wedding? Are you planning a trip overseas?

What should be in your Summer Ready Wardrobe?

The clothes that make you look and feel great any time of the day.  Plan your wardrobe and put it together and then forget about it.
Camisoles
Short sleeve shirts
T Shirts
Jeans
Summer Casual Dress
After 5 Dress
Good Summer Bag
Hat and Sun Glasses
Sandals
Dressy Footwear
Light weight trousers
Cool Suit
Casual Tote bag
Slide-ons
Swimmers
Sarong

Make a list of the items you need for each warm weather activity.

Are there any items on your list you don’t yet have? For example:
For Work: Trousers, jacket, skirt, blouses, shoes and bags.
Socialising: Slacks, shorts, skirts, shirts, jeans, sandals, sunglasses, T Shirts.
Holiday/Leisure: Shorts, T shirts, sandals, swimwear, hats and sarongs, slacks, shirts, skirts, sunglasses, jeans.
Special Occasions: After 5 tops, camisoles, black slacks, accessories, jewelry, strappy shoes, shiny shawl/scarf.
Wet weather: Light jacket, umbrella, raincoat.

Now do your audit.

Now you have created a list of activities how does this all look when you open your wardrobe? Pull out the things that don’t work for you anymore. Toss them out, donate them or sell them either by consignment or on ebay.

What have you not worn for the past 12 months and why haven’t you worn them? Do they need mending, do the colours feel right, is the style a WOW factor for you, can you alter it or have it altered, shortened, or replace the buttons.

Now create a wish list to be ready for summer.

These are the gap items that will create stress if you don’t have them when you need them. Now highlight the items that are not in your wardrobe. This is your shopping list!

Prioritise your list.

Chances are you have been wearing one area of the wardrobe during summer more than any others, more work clothes than usual or more casual is you work from home. You may now find you need to buy a few more things, but if your budget can’t handle it all at once, then opt for the items that are going to have the largest impact on your wardrobe needs first. Then fill in all the gaps as your cash flow allows.

Divide your shopping list into 2 or 3 priority options, A new blouse, cami or jacket will have much more flexibility and impact on your wardrobe and will be the ones that are most noticed before skirts, pants and shoes. If you could add a few blouses and tops to your wardrobe in colours that best flatter you, then you are more than half way there. Remember to round out your wardrobe with work tops and casual tops for the weekend leisure time.

In order to look and feel your best, create a summer ready wardrobe that matches who you are and reflects how you spend your life. If you spend 70% of your time at work each week, and the rest in social activities and pottering around the house and relaxing watching TV your wardrobe will reflect this. Once you’ve filled the holes in your wardrobe and pulled your wardrobe together for your lifestyle, you can then focus on the accessories and “just for fun” pieces that take your eye while out browsing at the markets or the sales.

Only buy summer clothes when the time is right.

Now you have your list, start shopping. The best selections are early in the season however, there also seems to be a lot more sales these days. If you are a hard-to-fit size, you may have to be prepared to shop earlier rather than wait for the sales. Always keep your eye out, and stay focused on your list. If you like to shop at certain stores who carry your favourite brand, get on their email list and receive their new releases of stock.

Nothing compares to personalised fit of custom-made clothing!

Imagine wearing an outfit that no one else is wearing, and it actually fits you beautifully, skims your curves without tugging and pulling and is in the colours you love and which are perfect for YOU.

Not only that you can create a clothing capsule that mixes and matches in many unique ways just be bringing in one more garment to tie them all together. If you have had difficulty adjusting patterns this can be a deterrent from having a bespoke wardrobe, but there is a great solution for creating your own pattern blocks that anyone can master in one easy lesson.

Prepare your skin for summer.

Now the warmer weather has arrived, more skin is shown. Get a pedicure and take a pamper package for a defoliating foot massage. Cracked heels, flaky skin and hairy toes are all undeserving of beautiful footwear. Get a buff and polish, smooth and trim those tootsies for the summer months ahead.

Need help with your wild and dysfunctional wardrobe? Let me know how I can help.

Have you downloaded my
complimentary eBook?