Dressing for those Christmas parties after having a baby

I have tried to deny it but I'm afraid I can't bury my head in the sand any more. Xmas is really nearly here. For many new mums this may be the first time they have had to dress their new ‘baby bodies’ for their partners Xmas function. My advice to you is don’t even think about ‘hiding’ behind baggy, black clothes! Not only will you FEEL frumpy, you will make yourself look bigger than you are. If people can’t see your shape, they assume you are two sizes bigger!

My preferred clothing option for Xmas parties is the party dress. This outfit needs no co-ordination. As much as you want to again hide in black, it is boring, so think colour. Stick with a dress that is going to fall to just below the knee, skim over your thighs sit just under your knee with a scooped or v-neckline. Make sure it has some shape at the side but can fall comfortably over any remnants of ‘baby belly’ that might have stuck around. This can mean a clasp, knot or rouching under the bust or to the side. Team this with one of the many bolero type cardigans for an extra bit of coverage on arms and you are away!

Separates can work well too. If you want to play it safe, go out looking for a nice gradual A-line skirt but don't let it fall to that terrible frumpy mid-calf length! Instead, as with the dress, go with something a little below the knee. Team this skirt with a nice top. Don’t worry if it is sleeveless, again use a bolero's and maybe try and find a top with a little bit of sparkle in it. After all it IS Christmas.

Lastly, like the icing on the cake, the accessory is essential. Don't forget it. Especially as the dress or top I have advised is lower, so it will fill that space beautifully. Plus the pop of colour from a necklace can also help if your dress of top is black. Most importantly, enjoy yourself, look good, feel great and all the very best for the Xmas season. If you are thinking that 2015 is your year to find out what best suits your body, budget and lifestyle, then head on over to www.wardrobeflair.com and check out our FABULOUS options for gifts. We are defiantly the Christmas or birthday gift that keeps on giving!

Trudi Bennett set up her personal style consultancy www.wardrobeflair.com in 2005 after discovering a huge market of men and women unhappy with their personal and professional wardrobe and image. Her focus was to give people the tools to make wise, logical styling and shopping decisions, based on their body, budget and lifestyle.

Trudi is a motivational speaker at workshops, seminars & conferences all around NZ sharing her personal styling hints and tips in a humorous and engaging way. She dabbles in TV, is COAST FM’S Fashion & Styling contributor, and is also a fashion blogger for numerous online sites.

Trudi has offices in both Auckland and Wellington New Zealand and her main passion is to help people feel as confident as possible. She is most proud of her work when she knows her clients’ realise anyone of any shape, size or profession can look and feel fantastic.

Regards Trudi

www.wardrobeflair.com
www.facebook.com/WardrobeFlair
www.twitter.com/WardrobeFlair

The Long and Short of wearing SHORTS this Summer!

I always say everyone needs a pair of denim shorts for summer. But if you imagine daisy dukes, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Let’s leave those to the teens. Let’s be sensible here and discuss how the length and cut are all dependant on your body shape and age.

If you feel your hips and thighs are the area with which you are keen not to draw attention to then a wider leg pair are going to do the trick. This way they skim the area and flare out wider, essentially making the pins inside appear slimmer. This style also suits the broader up top body shape. It balances out the upper body with the lower body and creates more of the ‘hourglass’ shape with which most women are trying to achieve.

Lots of people are put of shorts (and skirts) because they are unsure about what length best suits them. Obviously each body shape suits different styles but there are some hard and fast rules that everyone can apply to their own situation. If you are on the shorter side, then a slightly shorter short, will be best. By short I mean either mid-thigh (age dependant) or just above the knee. The essence being that we need to try and elongate your leg length as much as possible. If you are a mid-height upwards (165cm), then you have the flexibility of mid-thigh to just below the knee.



Who suits the ¾ trouser that many women adopt in summer as their alternative to shorts, skirts and dresses? In my opinion – nobody. No matter what age or size you are, they are a frumpy alternative to the other options I have mentioned. Even if you have a pair of these trousers which you love and that fit really well, I suggest you shorten them to just below the knee so they become long shorts or short ¾’s. Three-quarter trousers cut us at our calf, which by the way doesn’t hide the calf, it highlights it! Secondly, because you can’t see the shape of the leg, you think the rest of the leg is the same size as the calf. Which we all know again irrespective of size, is the widest part of this section of the leg.



Shorts are a great, practical option for all. This season there is an excellent amount of options in lengths, fabrics and colours in the mainstream shops. From Max to Jeans West, everyone has a style and there will be one to suit you. Casual or dressy. If you get the right style and length suited to your age and body shape, your shorts will become a staple part of your summer wardrobe. This brings me back to my love of the denim version, which happens to go with all tops so make them even more versatile!

Trudi Bennett set up her personal style consultancy www.wardrobeflair.com in 2005 after discovering a huge market of men and women unhappy with their personal and professional wardrobe and image. Her focus was to give people the tools to make wise, logical styling and shopping decisions, based on their body, budget and lifestyle.

Trudi is a motivational speaker at workshops, seminars & conferences all around NZ sharing her personal styling hints and tips in a humorous and engaging way. She dabbles in TV, is COAST FM’S Fashion & Styling contributor, and is also a fashion blogger for numerous online sites.

Trudi has offices in both Auckland and Wellington and her main passion is to help people feel as confident as possible. She is most proud of her work when she knows her clients’ realise anyone of any shape, size or profession can look and feel fantastic.

Regards Trudi

www.wardrobeflair.com
www.facebook.com/WardrobeFlair
www.twitter.com/WardrobeFlair