21 Steps to a More Stylish You

Regular readers will know how much I enjoy doing style courses in the hope that one day I will become super stylish! My latest attempt has been the most intensive yet, as it contains 21 steps. At the time of writing I'm on step 15: prints and texture.

The topics covered so far include style personality, lifestyle and age, colour, levels of refinement, style goals, the golden ratio and the ideal silhouette. The on-line course is being run by Sylvia of 40+ Style along with Ruth, who is a UK based stylist. If you click on the link you will find many helpful articles as well as information about joining the Style Club.

Most of us know about colour analysis and have some idea whether we have warm or cool, soft or bright and deep or light colouring. Or do we? Having been told in the past that I was a Winter, more recently the consensus has been that I have warm colouring! I won't mention the make-up consultation that I had on a recent trip to London though, where I was told that I have cool colouring....! Putting that on one side (I'm guessing that I'm a border-line case) my lifestyle is clear, as is my age and body shape. My style personality when I did a style analysis was Natural Gamine, and my own interpretation is colourful casual chic. I think the photo below sums me up well: definitely colourful, obviously casual and hopefully chic.

My lifestyle is very casual as I'm retired, plus I spend a lot of time walking my dog Lisa, going to exercise classes and sitting at my PC writing blog posts, as well as reading other blogs. I do go to the theatre sometimes, as well as dining out with friends, so occasionally I dress up a bit more. I found the step on levels of refinement very helpful, as it described the types of clothes that fit into the five levels. Most of my wardrobe is level two (very casual or sports clothing) and level three (casual or smart casual), with a smattering of level four (very smart daywear or evening wear). 

Another helpful topic was the golden ratio, which is particularly relevant to those of us who are vertically challenged! Even when I buy petite tops, I have to take care that they don't cut me in half, giving me a 50-50 ratio, which can make me look wider and shorter. I often resort to wearing long cardigans or waistcoats (vests) to give me a more flattering silhouette.

The above photo highlights the use of a longer cardigan, plus a column of colour, to create a more flattering shape. I am also using a touch of my favourite red in the scarf plus my bag.

I am in the process of going through my spring and summer wardrobe and already it has become apparent that I have lots of colourful tops and mainly neutral trousers. Not exactly a surprise to those who know me. At the same time, I will be going back to step 13 (closet edit) and step 14 (what's missing?).  All of this has to be completed over the next few weeks, ready for a trip to Paris and London at the beginning of May, with the aim of blending in with all those super stylish Parisians and Londoners!

Step 1: Style Personality

First impressions - whether we like it or not - are very important in both work and social situations. How often  have you looked at someone when you first met them and thought: "She looks very confident." or maybe "He seems a bit sloppy."? Come on, be honest!  Of course once you get to know someone really well you may change your mind, but wouldn't it be helpful if the way someone dressed totally expressed their personality?

The first step of Imogen Lamport's 7 Steps to Style system will help you to identify your style personality, which in her system can be a combination of styles and not simply the usual Classic, Dramatic, Romantic and other categories.

Growing up I was very much a tomboy, so when I did the House of Colour style assessment in January last year I wasn't surprised to be told I'm a Natural Gamine. The 7 Steps to Style system has 7 personality types: classic, relaxed, dramatic, creative, rebellious, feminine and elegant chic, but the permutations are endless. I wasn't too surprised to score highly for relaxed followed by elegant chic (I try to be chic even if I don't always succeed!), as that is close to Natural Gamine, however both classic and feminine came next, and I didn't expect that.  It goes to prove that many of us are much more complicated than we realise and it's why one style personality is unlikely to suit everyone.

The above styles are very close to the type of clothes residing in my wardrobe, so the assessment by my House of Colour stylist Fiona was pretty accurate. However it didn't necessarily cover the other elements of my style personality, which I have discovered while doing Imogen's course.

My original style recipe, which I concocted with the help  of others in the 7 Steps to Style facebook group, was "Casual Chic with a dash of Colour and Drama". As with all recipes, it's sometimes good to add other ingredients or swap some for those that suit your taste better. I've decided that I'd like to add some elegance to my wardrobe or be even more ambitious and change my style to "Parisian Casual Chic with a dash  of Colour and Femininity". I  know that colour is very important to me and I will cover that in another post.

If you are unable to invest in the 7 Steps to Style system, you can of course try to define your style personality on your own. There are numerous on-line style personality quizzes, though most are limited in what they can tell you. You may prefer to create a Pinterest board of styles that you love and that you feel would suit you, then analyse them to see if you can come up with your unique style recipe. Look in your wardrobe to find which of your clothes make you feel happy, and decide what elements they have in common.  In my case, not surprisingly, colour is an important element. Once you have a good idea of your own style personality, you can use it as one of the criteria when buying new clothes and accessories. Remember though that this is only step one - there are six more to come!

Share in Style: Skirts or Pants?

I spotted this question on Une Femme's blog and couldn't resist joining in.  I'm sure that any regular readers will know my answer to the question: skirts or trousers? Pants is the American version of trousers by the way, and I used it above to make the title a bit snappier! Yes, my choice is definitely pants, trousers, jeans etc rather than skirts. I occasionally wear a dress and I do have a few skirts in my wardrobe but most times when I open my wardrobe I automatically reach for a pair of trousers.

There are several reasons why I opt for trousers. My style is natural gamine, so I tend to look more like me when I wear pants and jeans. My lifestyle is pretty casual, which again makes them the obvious choice. I am short and I think that wearing trousers gives me a longer leaner line than if I wore a skirt, which is why I will opt for a dress rather than a skirt on smarter occasions, as it has a similar effect.

I took a look at the photos that I've posted on here and, not surprisingly, there were very few of me wearing a skirt, so here's one hot off the press as it was only taken yesterday.

Featuring the lovely Lisa

Here's one that was taken over a year ago, showing how often skirts feature in my daily outfits!

The first thing I noticed was that I appeared slimmer in the more recent photo, in spite of over indulging with delicious food and wine on my recent holiday in France. I think that's because the top is more flattering on me.  I love stripes but vertical stripes (or hoops as my OH insists on calling them!) make me look broader rather than taller, plus I think the contrast between the pale top and darker skirt cuts me in half.

Here I am wearing a bright pink top with black linen trousers  - I'm not sure why my arms are like that! - which I think makes me look taller and slimmer than in the photo above it. Yes, there is still a contrast, but between two darker colours this time.

Finally, in the photo below I'm showing off my recent purchase, the patterned trousers, and trying to look slim with the help of a long scarf. I think I need a professional photographer though, or perhaps I should take more care with my posture, as my top half looks a lot bigger than my bottom half. However in my view this is the most flattering outfit.  I wonder if you will agree!

 What is your verdict? Skirts or trousers?

Creating your wardrobe: the first few pieces

If you have been following this series of posts on creating a wardrobe from scratch, hopefully you will have discovered your most flattering colours and best styles. You should also know what your style personality is and all you have to do now is start building a personalised wardrobe using these guidelines.

Wait though before you hit the shops with your credit card or start browsing on the internet, as you may already possess some key pieces in your existing wardrobe. Be ruthless as you go through your clothes, rejecting anything that doesn't fit you properly, doesn't flatter you, is past its best or that you don't really love. Hopefully you will still be left with some great items to form the basis of your wardrobe.

Based on Janice's inspiring series "Starting from Scratch" on The Vivienne Files blog, these are the first few essential pieces. If you don't already own them, you have my permission to add them to your shopping list!

1. A pair of trousers that fits you properly and flatters your shape.

Although this would be top of my list as my personal style is slanted towards casual chic, I would suggest that if you aren't keen on trousers you should make your first item a skirt that fits you properly especially if that works better for your lifestyle and style personality. Your trousers (or skirt) should be in your main neutral colour and the best quality that you can afford. Please note that it doesn't have to be black, grey or navy if warm colours look better on you. Many lists of "must haves" specify a pair of black tailored trousers, a white button-down shirt and little black dress. If you look great in chocolate brown and cream rather than black and white, those should be the colours you buy rather than the prescribed colours.

2.  A good pair of comfortable shoes.

I deliberately added in the word "comfortable" to dissuade you from buying that gorgeous pair of high heels that you've had your eye on for a while, which will cripple you as soon as you try to walk down the road. Again, the idea is to buy the best shoes that you can afford in a style that won't date, in the same neutral as your trousers or skirt.

3. A cardigan or jacket and a shirt.

Gone are the days where you would automatically buy a matching jacket and skirt or trousers for work - otherwise known as a suit! I still own a skirt suit and a trouser suit, but I never wear them now that I have retired. (Maybe it's time that I retired them too!) These are also going to be in your neutral colours, which may be perfect for many of you, though if you're like me you are probably impatiently waiting for some accent colours. Choose either a cardigan or jacket in the same neutral as your trousers or skirt, plus a contrasting shirt or top. You now have  one complete outfit.

The first outfit, using neutrals of navy and white, is based on similar items in my own wardrobe and the navy striped jacket in the photo is the same as the one that I own.  The jacket makes the outfit slightly dressier, and when I used to work in a casual office this would have been perfect for work as well as suiting my personal style.

When I decided to use Polyvore to create a different outfit for those of you with warmer colouring, I discovered something interesting. Most of the brown jackets shown on the website were made from leather and most of the brown pairs of trousers were very casual, so the second outfit might not be suitable for all working environments. If you wore the jacket with a skirt and pair of low heels it would probably look more professional than the basics I have shown. Unless you have a strict dress code at work or have to wear a uniform, I still think that it is advisable to stick to the colours and styles that look best on you. What do you think? Of course those of us over 60s who have retired don't have the same problems when choosing what to wear on a daily basis, though we may still have the occasional dressy events to attend.

My next post will introduce some accent colours  - just for me! - and we will be building on these basic items. to create a more versatile wardrobe.

Project 333. Summer 33

I'm afraid I've been rather distracted recently, writing several posts about creating a wardrobe from scratch, plus a few more about Fashion Feng Shui, so this is a long overdue article about my Summer 33.

For anyone new to Project 333, the basic idea is to create a wardrobe of 33 items of clothing to cover the next three months. Strictly speaking your 33 items should include accessories, shoes and outer clothing as well as your basic items of clothing, however I still bend the rules and exclude all my scarves, jewellery, handbags and shoes, though as I gradually cut down on my clothes I may add in other categories.

I used Polyvore to create the picture above, so not all of these items are exactly the same as the ones in my wardrobe. The first jacket clearly is as it's an actual photo of my Mango jacket, but most of the other items are the closest I could find on the Polyvore website. The skirt, top and cardigan in the following picture are also identical to mine as I downloaded the photos from the Kettlewell website where I'd purchased them.

I probably won't wear the jackets until September, when I am planning to visit my family in London, as it is now very hot here in Spain. Even the navy cardigan shown in the top picture and the light grey cascade cardigan below are only being worn when we're out late at night and there's a bit of a breeze.

Most days I wear one of the five pairs of trousers that I have included, as they are ideal for summer: four pairs are linen and the other pair is made of cotton. With a dozen lightweight tops, most of which can be worn with any of the bottoms, I can ring the changes over the next three months and not become bored with my choices. The skirts and dress are mainly worn for dressier occasions such as lunch out with friends or meetings in the town hall (don't ask!). As a Natural Gamine, my personal style is very casual.

After I created my summer 33, I realised that my main accent colours were pink and blue, with a couple of red tops and one green one. My neutrals are mainly navy and grey, with one black top and pair of trousers, a black and white striped top, white cropped trousers and a stone linen pair that is lighter than the pair shown.

You may have spotted that I have only shown 27 items of clothing. I also have a pair of smart navy trousers and two dresses in the wardrobe for evenings out, though they aren't pictured here. As this is a total of just 30, it allows me to include the three shoulder bags that I have been using on a regular basis in my summer 33, so I am gradually improving. Aren't you impressed?!

DIY Personal Style Analysis

Not everyone can afford the luxury of a personal style analysis and not everyone lives near enough to a personal stylist anyway, even if they can afford one.  If you´re interested in defining your personal style, there are lots of resources on the internet to help you or, even better, why don't you do it with a friend? Promise each other to be honest, but also to be tactful: I'd hate to ruin a beautiful friendship with this idea!

The House of Colour Style Analysis looks at your Yang/Yin personality and their checklist contains questions about whether you are dark or fair, tall or small, angular or curvy, formal or informal etc. No prizes for guessing which traits are yin and which are yang! A dramatic or classic style personality is more yang whilst an ingénue or romantic style personality, not surprisingly, is more yin. The other two options are natural and gamine, which fall in the middle, and I am of course a natural gamine.

Here is one on-line quiz, which is job related, however it gives you an idea of the differences between yin and yang: are you a dragon (yin) or a tiger (yang)?. I have tried a couple of quizzes with differing results, though in all cases I was somewhere in the middle and either slightly yin or slightly yang, which ties up with the results of my style analysis.

Another way of identifying your personal style is to go through your wardrobe and pick out your favourite clothes and accessories. The clothes that you feel good in when you wear them and that make you look good too, not necessarily your latest purchases. This is where your friend can be helpful in saying "You always look great in that!" Or maybe, tactfully, "That's not your most flattering look."

Is there a theme? Are your favourite clothes tailored, feminine, sporty or dramatic?  Don't worry if there is no common theme as you don't have to rush this process.  Go through some magazines, cutting out pictures of outfits that you love and the celebrities that are your style icons. You can also do this on-line by clipping pictures to Polvore or creating a Pinterest board. Here's a Pinterest board that I've just started, to give you some ideas: Natural Gamine style.

Who wouldn't want to look like Audrey?

The photo below, taken in Paris (where else?!), shows me in an outfit that reflects my style personality. Neat fitting, boyish with (I like to think) a touch of French chic: this is my gamine look. Examples of well-known personalities who have the gamine look are Audrey Hepburn (my no. 1 style icon!), Dannii Minogue and Zoe Wanamaker.

As I'm only 5' and a bit, it would be difficult for me to have a dramatic personal style without being overwhelmed by my clothes. Bold patterns and colours would dominate me, and I don't have the height to carry off the striking clothes that a dramatic would wear. Think Joan Collins, Iris Apfel, Jennifer Lopez - not exactly shrinking violets - all glamorous, flamboyant women: these are the true dramatics. Does this sound like you?

If you have a classic personal style, you probably buy simple, elegant clothes that don't date. Classics go for neutrals rather than bright colours and are willing to spend money on good quality clothes. You will admire the style of Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow or Kate Middleton. You always look well-groomed and probably don't like casual styles or anything OTT.

The natural style personality is very casual and sporty and many naturals aren't really interested in fashion. Naturals don't feel comfortable in formal clothes and will always choose comfort over style. If naturals have a style icon it is likely to be Cameron Diaz, Keira Knightley or Jennifer Aniston.  They are all stylish in their own way, but they don't look as if they've tried too hard: they clearly have more important things in their lives than fashion. Could you be a natural?

I've seen ingénue described as a gamine, as both styles tend to look best on smaller women, but whereas a gamine is boyish, an ingénue will be more delicate and feminine.  Goldie Hawn and Charlene Tilton are good examples of ingénue style personalities. You like small and delicate jewellery, light fabrics and will tend to avoid clothes that are too sexy.

Finally, the most yin of all the style personalities is the romantic woman. She is sexy, curvy and very feminine: if I mention Liz Taylor, Sophia Loren and Catherine Zeta Jones you will know exactly what I mean. Do you love to wear glamorous dresses that show off your curves? Do you like sensuous fabrics such as silk, cashmere and suede? If you love bows and ruffles on your clothes, if you enjoy dressing up to go out and if you feel undressed without make-up - well maybe you are a romantic too.

Most of us are a mix of style personalities.  I am a natural gamine, for example. It's a good choice for someone who is as short as I am and who has a rectangular body: bows and ruffles don't look good on me, bold patterns wear me rather than the other way round however I am interested in fashion and looking stylish, unlike most naturals.

Your personal style should work well for your body shape as well as being a reflection of your personality. I have always been a bit of a tomboy, I'm told that I still look youthful at the advanced age of 66, I tend to wear fairly structured, neat-fitting clothes but I also like to have fun with my clothes and I try to create a chic look. Voilá! I'm definitely a gamine!

I'd love to know whether you have found this helpful and to hear what your style personality is.

My Personal Style Session

There weren't any major surprises in store for me when I returned to see Fiona Ingham of The House of Colour for my Personal Style session, however I still found it very helpful and I came away with some excellent guidelines for future purchases.

The Style session included many elements such as body shapes, body geometrics, proportion & balance and personality, but it also focussed on my  individual requirements. Obviously I don't need to build up a work wardrobe or worry about dressing for success now that I've retired, but other women might find those topics helpful.

My objectives were to understand my shape and proportions so that I could choose the most flattering clothes to create a balanced look. Our bodies change as we get older. Even if I was still as slim as I was in my 20s and 30s (sadly I'm not), I am now an inch shorter, so it was helpful to have an informed opinion about what suits my changing body. Early in the session Fiona asked me how I would like to be perceived,  to which I answered "stylish", so that was a definite challenge for her!

Having spent some time recently looking at body shapes, I wasn't surprised to be told that I was a straight rectangle with an oblong face. My body proportions are fairly well balanced, though I have a long neck so my top half is half an inch longer than my bottom half. It was great to be given guidelines for my best shapes for expensive items such as jackets, coats and dresses. As I'm only just over 5' tall (by the half inch mentioned earlier!) I know that there are certain limitations to what I can wear. With Fiona´s help I now have a list of the best lengths and the most flattering shapes on me for tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, jackets and coats. Armed with this information and the wallet of my best colours, I expect to find clothes shopping a lot easier in future.

I enjoyed the exercises on understanding your personality, where we looked at my Yang and Yin personality. This was my second session with Fiona, so when we were looking at certain questions she told me how she perceived me,  which proved very interesting.  As someone who can be very disorganised and indecisive, and who is a bit of a hoarder, it was good to know that I appear to be more organised and decisive than I really am! I was also reassured to be told that, at the grand old age of 66, I still come across as natural and youthful rather than mature and sophisticated. I scored slightly more on Yin than Yang, however I am clearly not a Romantic or Ingenue (both are more Yin) and I'm a long way from being a Dramatic or Classic, which are more Yang.  Natural and Gamine both came in the middle.

Audrey Hepburn is one of my style icons, so I was thrilled to be told that I'm a "Gamine" like her. Other well-known Gamines include Zoe Wanamaker, Danni Minogue and Victoria Beckham - though I don't think Victoria Beckham and I have a lot in common! Words to describe a Gamine include: quirky, boyish, witty and fun, youthful and French Chic. Oh la la!  I'm a Natural Gamine, which means I should add a natural or textured look to my clothes.

Fiona gave me loads of tips to make the most of my body shape and proportions and enhance my personal style. In the photo below I am trying on a long bold necklace, which looks totally wrong on me. The small delicate necklace I tried on first wasn't much better.

This long bold necklace doesn't suit me

My medium scale necklace is far more flattering

I was pleased that Fiona approved of the medium scale necklace above, as it was the one I had chosen to wear to my style consultation. The Mango jacket with rolled up cuffs  that I was wearing also won the seal of approval as did my grey ankle boots and my new Clark´s bag, which will feature in my next post. I also brought along a top that didn't really work for me, so Fiona explained why it wasn't working and what I could do to improve it.

Having worn a couple of dresses that are above my knees recently (albeit with dark tights), and having been complimented on these looks, I was delighted to be told that dresses and skirts on or just above my knees are perfect for me. I usually wear trousers during the day, which is typical of a Gamine, and I enjoy using accessories to add contemporary, funky, quirky or fun details to my look. My short hairstyle is ideal for a Natural Gamine, so it looks as if I was instinctively making some of the right choices.

The Women's Personal Style booklet contained some very helpful charts, such as the one about creating interest, where you can work out if you are underdressed or if your outfit is too distracting and you are overdressed. The mix and match chart is also useful and is similar to the Wardrobe Clusters that I wrote about earlier in the month.

Thank you for all your hard work Fiona in helping this Natural Gamine become more stylish. I would recommend a style session for any of you who are in a style rut or not really sure what looks flatter you the most.

Stop press! Fiona has just sent me an update advising which of the current trends will work for Natural Gamines. Time to hit the sales, I think!