Beautiful Bountiful Boots

Ok, so I will hold my hand up and admit to owning 10 pairs of boots. Many of them from Overland. Excessive you might say, but I enjoy and wear each and every single pair. In fact wearing boots is one of the highlights of winter fashion for me, along with colourful coats (another day another blog).

If you don't own a pair of boots and want to buy your first pair, you can't go wrong with a classic style. Irrespective of the latest fashion craze in heel heights, find a pair that you can run around in all day without your feet killing you. If that means flat, stacked, court, wedge or stiletto, so be it. Best to go with a black or brown pair that teamed with the rest of your clothing is easy to wear. I would also recommend a pair of boots that come to just below the knee. This style of boot is so versatile, as you can wear it with skirts, dresses, tunic's and also under your trousers and jeans.

Ankle boots are popular and when worn well are funky, modern and heaps of fun. But be warned that if you are not particularly tall or have legs on the shorter side, then chopping your legs off at the ankle is not a good look! You can still look great in ankle boots as long as you don't create too much of a contrast at the ankle, so flow the colour of your tights/stockings/leggings into your boots. For instance, black legs, black boots. Dark teal leggings, dark brown boots etc. Dark with dark, light with light.

The only length I'm not keen on is the calf height boot. Not only does this draw the eye to the widest part of this section of your leg, it makes even the longest legs look stumpy. Those that struggle to find boots to fit their calves, go for one that has buckles at the side. This allows the gusset of the boot to open up fully and encase any calf.

I adore coloured boots. They are fun and have personality. They say 'I don't need to match, just look at me!". Exactly what's needed during a dreary winters day. If you have that one classic pair of boots and are looking for something a bit different, then go crazy with a coloured pair. People notice shoes and even if your outfit is fairly conservative, throw on a pair of coloured boots and bobs your uncle.

Stay colourful!
Trudi
www.wardrobeflair.com
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Black - Beauty or the beast?

I don't own a stitch of black clothing (I don't count a dodgey Halloween dress-up and my Bikram Yoga gear). Most people find this fact surprising and are also dubious that I am telling the truth. I can assure you there is no little black dress hanging in my wardrobe.

This week I attended a fabulous and interesting 'pop up exhibition' and debate all dedicated to wearing the colour black. Put together as part of the Arts Festival by the Museum of Wellington City & Sea, it had a fabulous panel of fasionistas, including Carolyn Enting, Fashion Editor for the Dominion Post, Robyn Mathieson, Emma Wallace, Duncan McLean and Dr Prudence Stone from Duncan and Prudence.

The psychology behind why we as New Zealanders and more relevantly, we as Wellingtonians are fuelling the 'Lambton Quay Black' association is really interesting and varied. Is black really cool? Do we wear black in the hope that people within certain industries will take us more seriously? Is it as one person suggested a great colour with which to make ourselves a 'blank canvas' so that our inner personality is able to shine through? Or is it because black seems really 'safe' and our confidence levels are not high enough to try colour?

Having worked in the Wellington styling industry for coming up to 7 years now I can tell you a few things about wearing black. If it does not suit you, you will look older and tired. It is not slimming when worn as a bottom (trouser/skirt) with a block of colour on top. This essentially chops you in half and makes you look a little shorter and a little wider. There are other alternatives as a 'base' colour. People rarely compliment you when you wear black and if you do wear colours that suit you, people smile at you on the street.

The panel and many within the audience did agree that colour makes people happy and often more confident. While I try to rid many people who do not suit black of this draining colour, I do agree that when it suits you and you feel GOOD and confident in it, then you should wear it. However, if you are like the huge chunk of people we see each day who want to 'break out' of the black rut, know that you CAN make the move to colour. And I wonder, if you stop buying it, then maybe the shops will stop being flooded with it?

Stay colourful!
Trudi
www.wardrobeflair.com
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Dressing with Success

Many of us have spent some of last week ogling frock horrors and hits from the recent Oscars. This year was of particular interest to me as I had the exciting opportunity of helping a lovely Wellington client with her Oscars wardrobe and gown. Thanks to Wellington designer Sophie Voon, she was draped in a delicious silver silk gown and made to feel like a princess amid the acting icons of tinsletown.

The Oscars is a great reminder just how subjective fashion and style really is. Websites with the best and worst dressed polls vary so much it's laughable. Fashion can be a lot like art - you either like it or you don't.

However, dressing well for your colouring, body shape and age doesn't have to be a lottery. I have a internal mantra with which I have built my style consultancy business upon and it is Colour, Shape, Fit. If you think of your wardrobe and all the pieces hanging unworn, I bet you often wonder why you don't wear something when it seemed like such a good idea in the shop?

I guarantee if falls down on either 1 or even 2 of these reasons you won't wear it. Great coloured top but the neckline is a bit high? Great shaped dress but the colour makes you look washed out? You love the colour and shape of that piece, but have to keep pulling it down or out because it doesn't quite fit?

So as I perused the plethora of Oscar gown pictures, I assessed the overall look in a very similar way. So very many of the gowns I saw were not 3 out of 3. Sack that stylist! It upsets me the most when the person who wins the Oscar is not wearing the optimum dress because that picture is staying around for a very long time!

My favourites from the Oscars were Gwyneth Paltrow - love or hate 'the cape' the whole look suited her. Natalie Portman - hardly ever gets it wrong and keeps it simple but stunning and usually colourful. Michelle Williams, another gown that had all the elements for me. Penelope Cruz looked stunning as did Milla Jovovich.

You may not be off to the Oscars some time soon - unless of course your work for or are married to someone working for the fabulously talented Weta Workshop - but it is handy to run this mantra through your head when you are next buying a special dress. Don't accept less than 3 out of 3 and you will hit the dress jackpot.

Stay colourful!
Trudi
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Here comes the Bride

We are now half way through wedding session. For some of us who have pretty frocks hanging in our wardrobe, the thought of being able to dress up and attend a wedding is very exiting. But for a surprisingly large amount of people a wedding invitation can cause a huge stress session about what to wear and where to buy it. What everyone does have in common is the anticipation of seeing what the bride will wear.

Last week I attended the Te Papa Unveiled: 200 years of wedding fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London exhibition and can honestly say spent an hour mesmerised by the beautiful gowns of bygone brides. I choose an evening to see the exhibition and was glad, because while the lighting was subdued to protect the gowns, it, teamed with the music & up-lit pictures, added to the overall effect of being transported to another time and place. It created a feeling of wonder at the lives of those who made these beautiful creations and the brides who wore them.


It was so interesting to see how the different fashions of each era filtered down into bridal wear. But what was clear is that the fabric, cuts and attention to detail on each and every dress was paramount, irrespective of the budge spent on it. Simple, extravagant, frilly, romantic and modern styles were all represented.

Having a rather practical eye, I did wondered what it was really like having a 5 foot train, a zillion petticoats or a dress weighing 10kg! Some lavish embezzlements looked stunning and eye catching, but also rather 'scratchy' on the skin. I loved that the representation of NZ designers - Jane Yeh, WORLD and Lindah Lepou were varied, interesting and beautifully made. The videos charting the process was a great touch and again super interesting.

I loved seeing Gwyn Stefani's Galliano wedding dress, adored the only red wedding dress and see it's simple, yet elegant style sitting well with today's fashion. But for me, and I choose not to look at the designer so as to give myself a surprise, it was the dress by Vera Wang that I would choose for myself. When I saw who it was made by I had, after all not surprised myself and even had to give myself an eye-roll at my own predictability.

Stay colourful!
Trudi
www.wardrobeflair.com
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Reviving New Year Resolutions

Oh my giddy aunt I really can't believe it is already late February. All those new year resolutions made so enthusiastically in December for many of us are distant memories. So I'm here to rev them up again and remind you how important looking good is linked to feeling good.

Here are a few of my new year resolutions and I challenge you to think about adopting some of them too. It's not too late people!

1. Compliment more people on looking good. I try to do this, but am determined to do it more often. It sometimes feels a bit weird to stop someone in the street or tell someone at work how nice they look, but think back to times this has happened to you and how chuffed you felt. This feeling often lingers all day and also inspires people to make a bit more of an effort.

2. Exercise. This is the usual resolution, if not for the inches on your Xmas and holiday waistline then do it for your mind. Exercise and mental happiness has been linked in numerous studies. I believe the key is to finding an exercise that fits into your day (walking to work) or even getting off the bus or parking the car a couple of streets away. Or finding something you love. For me, it is Bikram Yoga.

3. Buy less clothing and use what you have more. This will be my biggest challenge. I LOVE clothes and am surrounded by gorgeous pieces every day. But less can be more. Often people can feel overwhelmed by too many clothes in the wardrobe. Have a good clearout, get some clarity, buy less and be adventurous with the pieces you already have.

4. One of my favourite quotes by Ernest Holmes is "where the mind goes, energy flows". I believe this to be very true. I want people to take 30 seconds each day to do something that is very rare, which is to look in the mirror. Make the effort to leave the house feeling good about what you are wearing, and watch the knock-on effect.

5. Smile. The best thing someone can wear each day in front of friends, family or strangers is a genuine, friendly smile.

Trudi
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Sizzling summer shorts

During a usual Wardrobe Flair wardrobe session, every time I say to someone 'so where are your shorts for this summer?" they look at me like I just said "hey, are you going dance naked in the rain later?". The nose screws up, and the face is pulled. Nearly as often as when I say 'ok, so lets talk about your body shape", but not QUITE.

For those of you with children who will run around with them these holidays at beaches and parks, you need shorts! But I don't mean daisy dukes, trust me. I also don't generally mean anything that is above the knee (unless you are under 5.2 OR a spring chicken in age).

Many NZ women wear the dreaded 3/4 trousers and feel they are practical (yet frumpy and cut you off at the wrong spot). So all I'm saying is, shorten those so called 3/4 trousers to be just under your knee and you are good to go. Seriously, it will make the world of difference to your outfit, and your leg length!

This season you have two shape options. Fitted (like Capri type shorts/trousers) or wider leg. If you are going for the safe look the wider leg shorts will balance out any hips or larger chests, will be flattering and practical. I think a denim pair is an essential part of most people's wardrobe (men and women).


If you are wanting to be a little more 'on trend' then think about a more fitted pair. These are great teamed with a slightly longer top or tunic dress. If you do have a bigger bust and hips, then beware that tapered look, and make sure you balance yourself out with the top or tunic dress.

Other than denim I think a white pair is a great option for the cool tones (remember tonal flow people!!) and if you have no idea what I am talking about then you need to book a session with www.wardrobeflair.com STAT! For the warmies, a nice stony or lighter brown would be fab.

Make sure your T-shirt is the right neckline, fit and a fabulous colour and you will be kitted out at your very best this summer. Enjoy yourself and have a great summer.

Stay colourful!

Trudi
www.wardrobeflair.com
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Dear Santa

Dear Santa

We at www.wardrobeflair.com have had a really fantastic year. Other than lots of exciting media opportunities - 8 stints on Good Morning for TVNZ and the same amount of panel sessions on Sean Plunket's Friday Face Off on Newstalk ZB - our favourite bits have been meeting the wonderful men and women of NZ and helping them with their confidence.

For Christmas this year we hope that all those people who we have helped enjoy a new and exciting outlook on life looking, therefore feeling, terrific. We hope they continue to share our love of complimentary tones and brings smiles to themselves and others because of this burst of colour happiness.

We wish them joy, happiness, laughter, love and a safe, prosperous and exciting 2012. We hope that all those who have doubts about their bodies are able to see that while one size does not fit all, all are beautiful and blessed with health.

As one wise young lady recently said to Trudi "when I feel down about the size of my thighs, I remind myself that at least my legs work!". Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Santa, we are a happy little company and when we see people accept what they have and dress to suit their colouring and shape right now - not in 5 or 10 kg's time - then we feel our work is done.

For Xmas please send our thanks and regards to our clients, they are the reason we do what we do and why we love it. They support us, they refer us, they let us into their homes, their lives, their wardrobes, their insecurities. They are a brave bunch.

Merry Xmas to all. Stay safe and colourful and we look forward to meeting many more of your friends, family and loved ones in 2012.

Trudi & Sarah xx
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