Fashion Feng Shui: the verdict

What did you think about my series on the five Fashion Feng Shui types? Did you identify your Feng Shui element and type?

Briefly, the five different elemental types are: Water, the Philosopher, whose style is creative; Wood, the Pioneer, whose style is sporty, Fire, the Pleasure Seeker, whose style is dramatic; Earth, the Peacemaker, whose style is traditional and last (but definitely not least!) Metal, the Perfectionist, whose style is elegant.

It's possible to be one type in your appearance but feel that essentially it isn't really you.  Perhaps you have the golden colouring, soft, full features and apple shape of a Peacemaker, but deep down you have a creative personality. Or you may look and feel like a sporty Pioneer but work in a field where you are expected to wear the styles of a Peacemaker. This is where I like the idea of Feng Shui fashion, as it allows you to add touches of other elements to your wardrobe to express yourself more fully. Maybe you are forced to wear conservative styles in the office where you work, but that doesn't mean you can't wear bright red underwear to express your inner Pleasure Seeker!

If you want to explore the ideas of Fashion Feng Shui more fully, you might want to download a copy of the book shown above.  I won't receive any commission if you decide to buy it, by the way!

Alternatively, if you enjoy playing on Pinterest as I do, why not search for pictures of the different types there? This board in particular has lots of inspiring pins: Jane Rekas. I have also created my own Fashion Feng Shui board: click here.

The picture above immediately appealed to me as I do love a touch of red and purple in my wardrobe. Finally, I believe that fashion should be about wearing what you enjoy and whether you follow the guidelines of Dressing Your Truth, Seasonal Colour Analysis or Fashion Feng Shui, remember that they are only guidelines. Our aim should be to express ourselves and love what we're wearing.

Fashion Feng Shui: the Perfectionist

The fifth and final Feng Shui element is Metal, which represents the Perfectionist. Many of us aspire to be elegant and spend a lot of time and money trying to achieve it, however it comes naturally to the Perfectionists, who have been born with inherent good taste. Perfectionists find success in careers where good organisational and management skills are essential, such as analysts, editors, curators, organisers and statesmen. They enjoy upmarket refined places so you will find them in museums, concert halls, mansions and country clubs. Perfectionists, as you might guess, prefer quality over quantity.

Perfectionists have very light hair, eyes and skin, delicate features and hourglass bodies. They like wearing pale colours, polished textures and luxurious fabrics: you can expect to find cashmere, silk and designer accessories in their wardrobes.

If any Perfectionists are reading this post, I'm sure they will pick me up for the outfits shown above and declare that they are far from perfect! Apologies, as a Pioneer with Philosopher leanings, I know that I'm far from being a Perfectionist. I do have a lovely cashmere cardigan (though in the Wood's shade of green), so perhaps I need to wear it more often?

If you value quality and excellence, enjoy organising and have a cultivated spirit, then you're a Perfectionist in essence, even if you don't look like one. Similarly if you want more order or refinement in your life, or you have cultural goals, or you just want to look elegant, then add some Metal elements to your wardrobe.

Perfectionists wear perfectly fitted clothes, monochromatic outfits, either little or no pattern (polka dots, brocades or lace are best) and status or designer accessories. Other Metal element fashions include cashmere twin sets, polished or shimmering textures (such as the gold lamé dress above), pale colours such as white, powder pink and silver, a status gold watch, round-toed pumps and gemstone or metal jewellery.

As I've already admitted, I'm not a Perfectionist - and I don't have the necessary funds in my bank account to be one. If I need to add some Metal elements (apart from my cashmere cardigan), it will probably be with a pair of round-toed pumps, my (non-status!) gold watch or maybe some metallic jewellery.

Fashion Feng Shui: the Peacemaker

The fourth Feng Shui element is Earth, which is representative of the Peacemaker. I suspect that a lot of women will identify with this Feng Shui fashion type, but is this because essentially they are Peacemakers or because they are playing the role that society expects of them? Peacemakers are caring, helpful and sympathetic. They are good at details and completing tasks, but not so keen on change. Practical, traditional and at their happiest when helping other people, many Peacemakers are nurses, therapists, politicians and (not surprisingly) mothers. They enjoy gardening, knitting, cooking and volunteering.

If you've read the above and it sounds just like you, it means that essentially you are a Peacemaker, but do you look like one? In general, Earth elemental types have golden or brown colouring with topaz, hazel or brown eyes, also soft, full features. They can be described as sturdy, having a short, full body-shape otherwise known as an "apple" and their style is classic. If you don't look like a Peacemaker however you are searching for stability and security in your life, or perhaps you want to appear more traditional, or your goals are family or community focussed, then consider adding some Earth elements to your outfits.

I don't think there is anything in this picture to upset anyone - after all, we are talking about the Peacemakers here! If you want to add some Earth elements to your wardrobe but aren't a Peacemaker, then you may want to consider the following options: a tweed blazer, a plaid shirt or khaki chinos are possibilities or, depending on your colouring, think about yellow, brown or earth tones for your clothing. You could also consider cropped jackets or square-toed shoes,or something as small as a square-faced watch or ceramic beads. Today I am wearing a square-faced watch to add an Earth element to my outfit, which means I am quite happy to do the cooking tonight!

Fashion Feng Shui: the Pleasure Seeker

If you've read my previous posts, you will have realised by now that Feng Shui Fashion isn't just about your physical appearance, though obviously that is very important, but also includes your essence and your intention.  If you have been told that you are charismatic, you enjoy being with friends and value personal connections, then even if you have the colouring of a Philosopher you may essentially be a Pleasure Seeker.

What does the Pleasure Seeker look like? Being a Fire elemental type, not surprisingly they tend to have red hair, red tones to their skin, pointed features and sparkling red-brown or violet-blue eyes. They are an inverted triangle in shape, with a larger size top than bottom, and enjoy wearing dramatic style clothing.

The Pleasure Seekers, as their name suggests, like to have a good time and will describe activities that they enjoy as "fun". They love dancing, socialising, entertaining, performing and truly are the life and soul of any good party. Many Pleasure Seekers are actors, DJs, agents, entertainers and MCs.  If you want to be noticed, or have more excitement in your life, then add some Fire elements to your outfits.

Fire elements, as you can see from the picture above, include bright colours especially reds, animal prints, body conscious silhouettes, v-necks and short, slim skirts.  Pleasure Seekers like to wear silk blouses, satin gowns, stiletto heels, leather jackets, skin tight jeans and animal print scarves. You may also spot them in feathers, fur and sequins - though not necessarily at the same time!

When I want to add a touch of Fire to my outfits, I will add a red belt, animal print scarf  red bracelet or whatever will blend with the outfit that I am wearing.

If you haven't identified with any of the Fashion Feng Shui types shown so far, there are two more to come: the Peacemaker (Earth) and Perfectionist (Metal).

Fashion Feng Shui: The Pioneer

In Feng Shui Fashion we aren't just concerned with our physical appearance, although obviously it has a major role to play, but we are also thinking about our essence and our intention.  The Pioneer or Wood elemental type usually has cool colouring, with ash-toned hair, blue or green eyes and olive skin. They have strong brows and jawline, a rectangular-shaped body and wear sporty or casual clothing.

Pioneers are usually competitive, energetic people and don't like to sit still doing nothing.  They enjoy going to gyms, spas and parks and their hobbies include coaching, exercise, travel and hiking. Pioneers enjoy arguing and debating issues and are good ideas people and initiators, often leaving the detailed work for other people to follow up. You may be a Pioneer if you enjoy getting things done and need your daily exercise fix. Many Pioneers become lawyers, athletes, coaches. trainers or sales people.

What clothes should you wear if you are a Wood type? Your best colours are cool neutrals, sapphire, jade plus other blues and greens. Your style is sporty and casual, with athletic details like zips and hoods plus sporty accessories such as back-packs. You look your best in slim trousers and jeans, vertical lines and very little waist definition. Plant-based patterns such as florals are good and natural fabrics like linen and cotton suit you.

Even if you are not a Wood type, you may want to incorporate some Wood elements into your clothing when you need to take action to achieve your goals, especially if they are health and growth-oriented, or you would like to be more competitive.

If you don't look like a Pioneer physically but you are competitive, enjoy being busy and you value freedom of movement, then use Wood elements in your dress to express who you are. My appearance is more like a Pioneer than the other four Feng Shui Fashion types, which may explain why I am wearing a green t-shirt with stone coloured linen trousers today!

Are you yin or yang?

I touched on this subject when I wrote about my Style Consultation in January. As part of  my style analysis I completed a questionnaire that revealed the yin and yang aspects of both my appearance and my personality.  Many of us are a mixture of both yin and yang. Even though we may be firmly in one camp, sometimes we may want to appear a bit more yin or a bit more yang.

In my case, being short and youthful (according to the lovely Fiona!) makes me yin, whereas my angular face and body make me yang. My interest in clothes and shoes is yin but my creativity using ideas rather than my hands is yang. My result was ten points for yin, four for yang and six points were half & half.

I thought it might be interesting to look at a few characteristics of both yin and yang in fashion. In a nutshell, yin aspects are softer and more feminine, while yang traits are stronger and more masculine. Imogen of Inside Out Style has written an excellent post about ways to balance your yin and yang.

If your fashion personality is classic, dramatic or athletic, yang clothing will suit you. If you are a natural, romantic or creative, then yin clothing will suit your personality.

Yin vs Yang

Looking at the outfits show above, I think it is obvious which one is more yin and which is more yang. Both jackets are striped, however the one of the left is a paler colour, with less contrast and the lines are softer. The jacket on the right is higher contrast, darker and with a sharper silhouette. Skirts are usually yin whereas trousers tend to be yang: this skirt looks soft and feminine while the trousers are straight and in a brighter shade. Finally both outfits include flats, however the pale blue ballerinas have a rounded toe and the black and white pair have a pointed toe.

Neither of these outfits would be my ideal choice as I prefer straighter skirts on the odd occasion when I wear one and, though I like the outfit on the left, the jacket is too dramatic a style for me. My preference would be to swap the skirt and trousers, then wear the yin outfit.

Are you more yin or yang? Do you prefer yin fashion styles or are you more drawn to yang fashion?

A Woman's Prerogative?

Last year I declared that "cute" wasn't a good look for the over 60s and maybe it was time for me to grow up. This is the original post: is cute a good look for over 60s?. However I'm a woman, and we women are allowed to change our minds, aren't we? Over the last 12 months I have been looking at Dressing Your Truth (DYT) and, according to their guidelines, I am a type one. Guess what? Type ones are described as bright, animated and cute!

So was I right in saying that cute wasn't a good look for over 60s? I think it's probably a matter of how much cuteness we over 60s should allow ourselves. I had already thrown out some t-shirts with really cute pictures on them, and clothes that had far too many frills, which I think was the right decision. There is a thin line between cute and juvenile, especially for the more mature woman!

Pre DYT outfit

I had discarded black and brightly coloured tops as well, which I think was also a wise decision. These colours wore me rather than the other way round and black in particular is too harsh for most women of a certain age. If you look at the photo above I look a bit washed out, even though I was wearing make-up, whereas I think I look far better in the following photos where I am wearing brighter colours.

 

Many of my trousers and skirts stayed, however they are mainly neutral colours such as the navy, stone and brown trousers in the photos above. In these photos I am wearing DYT colours - the three tops are all purchases from the DYT type one store - but that is only part of the story. What I like about type one colours is that they are tints, i.e. pure colours with white in them, which are flattering against more mature skins. All of these tops are very light to wear, which is a feature that has always influenced me when choosing new clothes. In the three outfits I am wearing light, colourful accessories, which is very much a type one trait too.

With DYT, unlike some seasonal colour analysis systems, clothes don't have to exactly match your colour card, so long as they are in harmony with it and "pop".  If I go shopping without my colour card, but I am wearing a top or scarf that I know is the right colour, all I need to do is check whether my new purchase goes with what I'm wearing.

The shapes for type one are circles, stars and hearts, so design lines should reflect this e.g. rounded jacket bottoms, round or v-necklines. Pushed up sleeves and skirt lines that flare are also good looks for us.

Chunky textures are out - clothes should feel crisp and have a light weave. Light to medium weight fabrics are the best choice, with fabrics that look crisp and feel light and fresh on the body. The best patterns are animated with small and/or medium shapes and light, upward movement in the designs. A lot of these features work well for me as a petite size.

I've said it before - but it's worth repeating - that too many of these colour and style systems are overly prescriptive and you do have to use your own intuition and a bit of common sense. When I've looked on-line at the DYT store, there have been many items there that didn't appeal (either the colour wasn't one of my best colours or the style was a bit too fussy for me) but equally there have been many items that I have loved.

One type one tip that I have deliberately avoided though is wearing a flower in my hair. The look of horror on my daughter's face when I suggested that I might try one for the recent family wedding was enough to reassure me that this idea was best forgotten! I wore the flower on the lapel of my jacket instead, so everyone was happy.

What's your fashion personality?

I was reading an on-line article this morning, in which the fashion writer described four different fashion personalities: classic, romantic, trendy and casual. I was surprised that she only described four, as having looked at several other fashion blogs I would have included vintage, quirky and dramatic if not more. Then there are some of us who have several different fashion personalities lurking in our wardrobes so schizophrenic is probably the closest match for us!

When I worked in an office most of my clothes were classic, though I generally preferred trouser suits to skirt suits, as I've always been a bit of a tomboy. Anyone who has seen my Winter wardrobe for Project 333 will have noticed that there was one winter dress, two skirts, five pairs of jeans and trousers, plus a trouser suit. Now that I don't work outside my home I have developed a distinctly more casual style, though I do like to wear smart skirts or dresses occasionally. The outfit above is what I wore in Paris when we went out for a meal on my 65th birthday.

The following outfit though is what you are more likely to see me wearing. It underlines the fact that if you had to define my current style using one of those four categories it would be casual.

I've hardly ever worn romantic fashions, as being 5'1" too many ruffles and frills would overwhelm me, plus I'm not really a girly girl. I wouldn't describe myself as a trend-setter either, though if the latest trend is one that I like I may buy into it, in small doses.

It is also worth considering the negative connotations of the four fashion personalities. Classic can easily become boring. Romantic may verge into fussy or dowdy. Trendy is in danger of becoming a fashion victim. As for my casual personality, I must take care that I don't become too sloppy, which is why I aim for casual chic.

I think it can be useful to define your own style and it certainly makes it easier when you go shopping. On the other hand you don't want to get stuck in a style rut. In "Parisian Chic", Inés de la Fressange says that she often dresses in black or navy with a white shirt, but sometimes on a whim she will surprise everyone by wearing a fuchsia pink blouse. For me, it's that surprise element that makes fashion so much fun.