Thursday, 31 December 2015

Farewell 2015 - 2016 is beckoning!

I hope that you have all had a wonderful holiday. No matter whether we celebrate Christmas Day or not, most of us enjoy a few days of relaxation with friends and family at this time of the year and for many of us (including retirees who blog!) the festive season is a welcome break from work.

Looking back over 2015, I am grateful that so many of you commented on my posts. We bloggers love to know that people out there are actually reading our blogs! My most popular posts, both for the comments made and the number of views they had, were those about the 7 Steps to Style system and the recent No Repeat November challenge. I believe - from comments made, plus looking at photos I've posted here - that I have made giant steps in developing my style by following Imogen's 7 Steps system. I'd started on my journey by having a colour analysis in 2013 followed by a personal style session in early 2014. It was established that I'm a Natural Gamine, which suited not only my personality but also my lifestyle.

Before: picture 1
Before: picture 2
The two photos above show where I started out from style-wise. I look casual and comfortable, however my body is cut in half, especially in the second picture, so I look shorter and (being honest with myself) a little dumpy. The trousers are a bit baggy too, which doesn't help matters.

This year I learnt that there is more to creating stylish outfits than discovering my best colours and finding clothes that flatter my H (rectangular) shape, important though they are. I found out about the importance of value and colour contrast, plus values, lifestyle and style personality. I even created my own style recipe: "Colourful casual chic, with a little bit quirky and a Parisian influence." 

Below you can see what I like to think is the new improved and more stylish me. The cardigan and trousers in picture 1 create a column of colour, which helps to make me look taller and slimmer. In picture 2 I am wearing a dress (not my usual look as regular readers will know) and I'm showing off my legs. Enough said!

After: picture 2
After: picture 2
Have you made any New Year resolutions? I'm hoping to find a theme for 2016 rather than the usual resolutions that inevitably get broken. I will continue my pursuit of becoming more stylish and plan to add to my capsule wardrobe in the spring. In the meantime, I need to decide on my Winter 33 items of clothing to get me through the colder months. 

I also intend to eat more healthily, specifically to find an anti-inflammatory diet, having been told by my doctor that I have arthritis of the jaw. My husband put it down to over-use! I'm hoping that a new healthy diet will help me look younger - I'm an optimist in case you haven't realised! - plus I'm starting to use shiatsu face massage so i will report back on whether it works.

Finally, I'd like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. If you've made any New Year resolutions, or have chosen your own theme for 2016, please share it with us.




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6 comments:

  1. Juhli31 December 2015 at 09:53

    Happy New Year Sue! You are looking lovely and I am sorry to hear about your arthritis diagnosis. I do look forward to hearing about your experience with the anti-inflammatory diet as I think most of us would benefit for doing that.

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    1. Sue in Spain4 January 2016 at 09:14

      Thanks, Juhli. I'm lucky in so far as I've only had the pain in my jaw a couple of times and, once it was diagnosed, I've only taken the ibuprofen my doctor prescribed once. I'm hoping that the right diet might prevent future problems and will definitely report back here.

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  2. Anonymous31 December 2015 at 12:33

    hello and happy wonderful new year! i didn't discover your blog until november, so now i am intrigued to find the '7 steps to style' posts! you look amazing in the dress #2 photo! so young and chic and i do like the #1 photo outfit as well, but i think the biggest style plus is your smile! whatever resolution or new lifestyle change you choose, your happiness makes you the prettiest and best...maybe it is the 'paris girl' in you! i look forward to reading your fun and interesting fashion and lifestyle conversations in this new year...i love the new year, a perfect time to remember all the great things that worked out and to plan for amazing possibilities to come true...happy new year! lorette

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    1. Sue in Spain4 January 2016 at 09:25

      Thanks for your comments, Lorette. As a blogger, it's always lovely when people leave such great comments! It makes it more fun blogging when you know people are actually reading your posts. If there are any topics that you´d like me to cover in 2016, just let me know. Sue

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  3. Anonymous3 January 2016 at 20:22

    I'm glad I stumbled across your blog. I've lately been staring into my wardrobe and finding nothing to wear - I have some lovely clothes but I have to face the fact that many items no longer work for me. I'm now inspired to bite the bullet. .... Sandra

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    1. Sue in Spain4 January 2016 at 09:27

      Thanks, Sandra. I hope that you get some inspiration from my first post of the year about Project 333. Following Project 333, plus what I learnt in the 7 Steps to Style system, have made a huge difference to my wardrobe.

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