21 Steps to a More Stylish You: conclusion

This has been a long journey and, to be quite honest with you, it's not really over yet. The course was very intense and, even though I completed it last month, I feel that I need to revisit a couple of the many steps as there was so much information to absorb. I have to smile when I remember the days when we thought that the only secret to style was learning which colours suited us. Apart from the fact that we've moved on from 4 seasons to 18 colour groups (at the last time of looking), we also consider body shape, colour and value contrast, lifestyle, style personality and many other factors. Putting all this into practice isn't easy. If you'd like to find out more, take a look at Sylvia's blog 40+ Style by clicking on this link.

Since my last post, I've had a trip to Paris and London, where I was able to trial some of the spring outfits in my travel capsule. My aim is to gradually introduce more neutrals, while still indulging in my love of colour. This was the capsule for my trip.

Beige trousers and shoes

Navy trousers, jeans and accessories

As you can see above, I chose neutral trousers and accessories as the basis for my capsule, but you will spot that I also added splashes of colour, including red shoes and a bag that smartened up my outfits in the evening.

Below are the other tops that I packed in my case. Originally I had planned to take just lightweight short-sleeved tops, but a quick check of the weather forecast the day before my holiday meant that I decided to swap some of them for heavier long-sleeved tops. 

Layering also helps when you're travelling and the weather is changeable. Of course I packed my trusty umbrella plus I wore a long cardigan and carried my copper trench-coat onto the plane, as I had decided not to take a large suitcase. Trust me, I was grateful for that trench-coat in Paris as it rained on several days. The best day weather-wise was when my friend Sandra and I visited Versailles, but I still decided to wear it and the umbrella was in my bag!

Enjoying the sunshine in Versailles

You may have noticed the scarf I'm wearing in the above photo, which I purchased in the Marché Vernaison flea market in Paris. I had taken a couple of scarves plus some jewellery, which luckily could be tucked inside the bag that I packed, however I thought this one went really well with my outfit so I couldn't resist it.

As stated above I took a smaller case, plus a rucksack, even though I was away for two weeks. I just didn't fancy trying to negotiate all the steps in the Metro stations with a large case! I used packing cubes, and rolled my clothes before fitting them into the cubes, which really helped me pack more. I now have to confess that I had deliberately only packed 11 tops for my 14 day holiday: I was wearing one for travelling of course, but I also bought two new ones while I was in Paris!

Since I returned from my trip I've been sorting out my summer wardrobe, which is still in progress. Some of the tops shown above will be included, plus my latest purchases. All will be revealed in my next post, but it's definitely going to include a lot of colour!