Accessory of the season

I have recently been up at the Auckland Gift Fair and it was amazing as always to see so much beautiful jewellery and various other accessories. I noticed a huge amount of wonderful scarves this year and yes ladies, I purchased a fair amount of them.

Scarves can be a girls best friend. They are comfortable, and when you wear them to the specified neckline that suits you (a little more open for those with a bigger bust) and higher up for those who are somewhat smaller in the chest department, they look fantastic.

The scarves these days are meant to stay on, not be taken off like those old woolly ones worn for pure warmth. They are an accessory in their own right. They add texture and colour to an outfit.

They allow people to incorporate seasonal trends without having to wear an item of normal clothing. Stripes in, then striped scarf it is. Floral in, then a pretty floral scarf is going to be just the ticket.

Staying modern with trends is a way of feeling like you are moving with the fashion times. Its keeps our wardrobes fresh and interesting.

So keep your eyes peeled to this blog and our Facebook account - which has DAILY tips on what to wear http://www.facebook.com/WardrobeFlair for when the next batch of scarves are coming in. They are utterly divine.

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com

P.S get in now and get the best Christmas present EVER. A Wardrobe Flair voucher. The gift that gives men and women the tools to learn to shop effectively. We also do partial vouchers for money towards a session or you can group together with the rellies and get a full session.

Wedding Wear Worries

The invitations are flooding in for summer weddings (where are mine??). I know they are because I am getting some stressed out ladies emailing, asking for either advice or a booking for a shopping session so we can go and FIND a great outfit.

There is no simple answer as to what to wear to a NZ wedding. They are so varied in their casual/formal scenarios. However here are a few simple hints which may help. What time of day is the wedding? Morning weddings are usually a little more casual, evening weddings traditionally more formal.

Where is the wedding being held? Church? Garden? Again, you need to tailor your outfit to the correct environment.

Here is what I believe. You can NEVER be over dressed for a wedding. You will see a range of people wearing so many different outfits, but the main consideration is that you are going to a special event, to help two people celebrate a very important moment in time. I believe it is important that you make a big effort, not only for them, but for you to be able to look around and feel confident that you look fantastic! Plus there are also the photos!!

You have around three options. The first, and easiest is a wonderful dress. Sleeveless, with a round or v-neck, band under the bust and a flowing A-line skirt that comes to just below the knee. Try Jacqui E, these guys know how to do some great dresses.

If you want to cover your arms, a little bolero will be perfect. I like boleros because they cover the arms but don't cover the dress, which might have nice detail on the front. If not a bolero, then a simple tie-cardigan is also appropriate.

Second option is separates. A great skirt, in a fabulous fabric. Satin/velvet/chiffon detailing, A-line. If the fabric is interesting and luxurious looking then it will be wonderful. Then either a nice top or what I really like is a bustier type top, then again with the bolero or tie-cardigan. Separates have the advantage of being able to be dissected and worn on different occasions with different pieces. Can't find a skirt? Head to the fabric shops, grab some fabric and have a dressmaker whip you up a simple A-line skirt in your beautiful fabric. Then just concentrate on the top and accessories.

Last option, and really only appropriate for a late, evening wedding. A pair of dress trousers and I MEAN dressy. Not just a pair of trousers. They need a sheen or some sort of interesting fabric to set them apart form just bulk standard trousers. And a 'sparkly' type top. Something really lovely and dressy. Your objective is to make sure you don't look like you are going to work.

Think about what you will be comfortable in. What works with the rest of your wardrobe (you may already have one piece that you can use and then need to find the rest). Think about your colours, what suits you, the shape of your body and check out all shops - not just the ones you usually go to.

In the past I have found great outfits for weddings in Stax, Jacqui E, Pagani (of all places) Savemart, designer boutiques, Farmers, David Lawrence and Max.

Don't forget those finishing touches. A hat does look great, but if you are not sure, then there are lots of gorgeous flower hair accessories around to pop into your hair. A simple material flower clipped up on one side looks lovely. Necklace and fabulous shoes a must.

P.S Please tell your friends that I am always happy to have any invitations to weddings because I LOVE weddings and have HEAPS of lovely outfits to wear :-)

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com

Question time!

That's right. You all know I love to waffle on about fashion, style, trends, cut, colour and pretty much anything associated with making men and women feel confident.

But lets get a little more interactive! Send me your requests for blogs. For instance the 'shoe' and skirt blog was requested by a client and likewise, in a few months time I shall do a full, detailed blog about swimwear.

But if you have a question, dilemma, problem etc, then send me an email at trudi@wardrobeflair.com and I shall be more than happy to help you out.

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com

Boys in Blazers

Where did the suit go? Who knows, but it is pretty much nearly gone in most working environments. This caused SUCH a dilemma for many men. They had their suit and shirt for work, then their jeans and old Ts for home. Then someone changed the rules and said 'hey, lets go casual dressy".

We are now many years into the casual dressy work attire and men are still struggling. However, there is a solution! The blazer is the new 'suit' for men. Not only does this tick all the boxes with a casual smart pair of trousers and shirt for work, it looks fabulous with jeans for going out. Bonus!

Many men lack this 'going out' item, or some sort of jacket they can throw on at work for when a little more professionalism is needed. I see so many old, dusty suits and am told many of these are kept at work for that 'just in case' moment.

I really believe the blazer is the way forward. A well cut blazer looks fantastic and some of my favourites actually have a little bit of texture included too. Think fine cord or velvet (don't freak out boys it looks really good!!)

Easy, plain colours are best. Classic cuts are also best. Some stores are trying to 'funk' the blazer up and adding epauletts. These look cool now but will dates, so unless you are going to be buying TWO blazers, keep it nice and simple.

Meccano has a lovely dark navy blazer (Queensgate & Porirua) Rodd & Gunn have a great charcoal option. Even Haldenstein's jumped on board last season had a great brown blazer. So they are around. Find the cut and colour that will go best with all your shirts and enjoy the benefits of not having to worry about looking too casual any more!

Give us a call if you need help with this.

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com

The MILLERS challenge

Yes. I did it. I went into Millers, a shop I never go into. I practiced what I preached. I went looking for items that shone and did I find some?

Yes I did! Now as we always say here at Wardrobe Flair, never judge a shop by it's shoppers. Glassons may be full of 18 year olds, but always has some jems. Millers may not have had anyone under 50 in it while I was there, but as I found, it still can come up with some goodies.
One thing I really like to see in a shop, is a good size ratio. Millers ranges from 10 to size 22. A good start. However, is not set out in a particularly attractive way with most clothing swished onto one of those old style circular rack things.

But they must have seen the merit in some of the pieces I liked, because they were the ones they mostly choose to display.

The above photos show some clothing that I would have selected a warm toned client to try on. I really liked the wide-leg dusky pink cords and while a few pictures show some sweatshirts, hey, we still do need casual clothing as well!!

So enjoy the photos. Take the challenge. Go into THAT shop you never go into today, whether it because you label it too young/skinny/stuck up/cheap or frumpy. You just never know.....

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com

Skirts - now what SHOES?

So often I find women are quite keen to branch out into dresses and skirts, but are hesitant in what sort of footwear to put with them.

One word. BOOTS. They MUST be knee-high, none of these awful mid-calf ones please!! They create too much of a gap between the skirt/dress and the boot, plus they cut you off at the calves. Nobody needs that :-)

Make sure those boots are knee-high and they look great and very stylish with skirts and dresses/tunics.

If boots don't float your boat, then mary-janes are always good. A little wedge heel suits pretty much anyone, is comfortable AND looks really pretty. For the shorter people, keep the strap of the mary-jane as low as possible. For taller people, you can have it going across the top of your foot.

So to clarify, skirt and dresses with either KNEE-HEIGH boots (yes you can find boots to fit ANY sized calves now so never fear) or stockings / leggings and mary-janes. Another nice look can be the simple, flat, ballet slipper. Looks the best with leggings and tunic. Chuck a pair of skin coloured knee-high stockings on under the leggings to give extra warmth and so your tootsies don't get too cold.

We expect to see an explosion of skirts and dresses now.... get to it! They are SO flattering and easy (no problems with matching things when you wear a dress!!).

Trudi www.wardrobeflair.com