The Top 10 Credit Cool List!

Tags

Barbour, Converse, details and styles that will look good now and just as fabulous in 5 years time!, Diane von Furstenberg, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality, Equipment, Face Shape, Jerome Dreyfuss, labels, Michael Kors, Missoni, personal colouring, Rayban's, style and image advice on body shape, Tod's, Top 10 Credit Cool List

The following compilation is a list of items that I believe to be of a ‘credible cool’ nature… in other words labels, details and styles that will look good now and just as fabulous in 5 years time!

The Shirt: A quality luxurious shirt with trans-seasonal appeal that can be worn day or night. I am such an advocate of the Equipment shirt… owning three myself, they are truly exquisite purchases.

 Equipment shirt available from Stanwells

The Dress: Flattering to all body shapes this iconic dress has been a favourite wardrobe staple to those in the know since the 70’s… may I present the Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress:

Dianne Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress from Matches

The Knitwear: The signature quality and design of Missoni knitwear suggests why these yarns are such a classic choice.

Missoni knitwear is available from Matches

The Jeans: Opt for Bootcut indigo denim with no gimmicks to achieve good longevity and a sophisticated appeal.

James Jeans in Bootcut available from Donna Ida

The Jacket/Coat: There are of course many appealing designs of the Barbour jacket… probably why this country classic company has remained at the forefront of fashion.

Barbour Jacket from Liberty London

The Hem-Length: Hem lengths practically change every season but the perfect ageless and most flattering length is ‘on’ or ‘just below’ the knee.

Navy Corduroy skirt by Jaeger

The Detail: A man’s chunky watch on a female wrist… this juxtaposed detail is still standing the test of time(excuse the pun)!

 Watch by Michael Kors available from My Wardrobe

The Print: Leopard never ceases the sass factor… but always remember a little goes along way!

 Bag by Jerome Dreyfuss available from My Wardrobe

The Accessory: My sunnies of choice are Ray-Bans and of course with many shapes such as the Aviator, Wayfarer or Cat-eye (shown below) they should suit your face shape?

Ray-Bans from My Theresa

The Shoes: It is a close call between Tod’s loafers and Converse… both are very much existent within my wardrobe, not only for their comfort-ability factor but also for their credit cool!

Tods Loafers from My Theresa

I consider these ageless and timeless classics will not fade from fashion… hence worth the investment!

So what about you? Is there anything you wish to add to the list? As always would love to hear your comments?

For more style and image advice on body shape, face shape, personal colouring, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality visit theimagemistress.com

Stay Stylish,

The Image Mistress xo

The Most Worn Items Within My Wardrobe

Tags

ageless ability, Anton Heunis necklace, Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap dress, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality, essential basic wardrobe staples, Face Shape, flattering to body shape and trans-seasonal appeal, Isabel Marant Jenny boots, J Brand Maria skinny jeans, personal colouring, style and image advice on body shape, The Most Worn Items Within My Wardrobe, versatility factors to include colour

Recently I have been keeping a subconscious eye upon the most worn items within my wardrobe… to include categories of tops, knitwear, dresses etc.

I discovered that the items I wear most are not necessarily my favourite pieces but seem to work well for my lifestyle. Furthermore the common denominators of the selected items below are their versatility factors to include colour, ageless ability, flattering as regards body shape and trans-seasonal appeal.

So here are similar items that feature most frequently within my outfits:

Shirt/Top

Levi’s Made & Crafted Chambray Shirt from Coggles

Dress

Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress from Matches

Knitwear

Seed Stitch Cardigan from Boden

Trousers

J Brand Maria Skinny Jeans from Donna Ida

Coat/Jacket

Fishtail Parka available from Toast

Shoes/Boots

Isabel Marant Jenny Leather Boots from Matches

The Accessory

Anton Heunis Embellished Necklace from My Wardrobe

I guess what I have learnt from this exercise is that I should update and replicate these items for the future as perhaps they should become my essential basic wardrobe staples?

So what are the most worn items within your wardrobe… would love to hear your thoughts as always,

For more style and image advice on body shape, face shape, personal colouring, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality visit theimagemistress.com

Stay Stylish,

The Image Mistress xo

Wardrobe Workout Time!!!

Tags

classic's staples, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality, perfect your image, personal colouring, style and image advice on body shape, timeless, wardrobe work out

Remember your wardrobe is one of the key factors to perfect your image; therefore you should make sure it is well managed, maintained and updated.

Twice a year your wardrobe should have a good workout! The beginning of spring and the end of summer is a good time to complete this task.

Wardrobe Work Out: Clearing out your wardrobe will give you a good idea of what clothing you have for the forthcoming season. It’s also always good to rearrange and declutter. Take a good delve into your wardrobe, to familiarise yourself with exactly what clothing and accessories you have.

Clarify your Clothing: Go through each item of clothing within your wardrobe and question:

Does this suit my body shape and body features?

Will it work with my lifestyle and personal style?

Does this colour suit?

Is this item age appropriate?

Does this garment have sentimental value?

Be brave, honest and clear with you answers and then take wardrobe action!

Recycle, Rework & Maintain: Categorise each item of clothing from the above header. Recycle are for clothes no longer needed that can be donated to charity or resold. Rework, is for clothing such as classic pieces, archive items and previous season choices that can be used for the forthcoming season. The Maintain section is for garments & accessories that need alterations, dry cleaning or resoling.

Plan to Perfection: After clearing out your wardrobe, now is a good time to note what items of clothing are left and what clothing you will need for the forth-coming season. List outfits for work, social & casual; doing this will help indicate what is missing from your wardrobe, therefore indicating what needs to be purchased. Some of your clothing will and should be versatile to use for work, social & casual.

Timeless Classics: It is perhaps time to invest in wardrobe staples, safe and classic pieces will not outdate and have longevity, these include items such as the little black dress, white shirt, black bag, tailored black trousers, flattering jeans & versatile shoes/boots etc.

Choose Wisely: When selecting items of clothing ask yourself questions such as: When and where will I wear this item? Does this piece flatter me? Does this item tie in with my existing wardrobe? etc. Always make sure you get the most out of your purchase.

Cost per Wear: Consider how much wear you will receive from your potential purchases. Investing in a trans-seasonal classic coat will give you more mileage than buying into a seasonal trend on a whim. Your purchases should be versatile enough to be worn in many ways and create many different looks.

Accessories for Accent: A great way of updating your clothing is to add accessories, such as a scarf, necklace or bag, to create a whole new look. And remember accessories don’t have to cost the earth, you can find fabulous items on a small budget.

Shop Around: Research online stores, including high end, boutiques and high street stores before making final selections, taking into consideration prices and which items are worth splurging or saving on.

Be Creative: Play around with your clothing, old and new, trying out different looks and styles that you wouldn’t necessarily have tried before, but bearing in mind that they should look good and flatter your figure. Most of all enjoy!

Having achieved your Wardrobe Workout you will be safe in knowing that you will look fabulous this season!

So how often do you clear-out you wardrobe? How do you go about this task? As always I welcome any comments or suggestions,

For more style and image advice on body shape, personal colouring, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality visit theimagemistress.com

Stay Stylish,

The Image Mistress xo

Winner of the Sacha London Competition Announced!!!

Tags

bag, competition, Sacha London

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Sacha London bag competition is…

*Drum Roll*

Ms. Jade Davies

Congratulations Jade… if you can please contact The Image Mistress with your address details, this fabulous bag from Sacha London will be posted to you shortly:

Stay Stylish,

The Image Mistress xo

Autumn/Winter 2012/13 Trends… which will suit you?

Tags

& lifestyle and of course suit your body shape, apple, Autumn/Winter 2012/13 Trends… which will suit you?, Burberry Prorsum, Donna Karen, dressing to suit your lifestyle or style personality, features and colouring, hourglass, inverted triangle, John Rocha, Marc Jacobs, pear, personal colouring, personality, Prada, ractical and realistic styles, Ralph Lauren, rectangle, Rochas, style and image advice on body shape, Topshop Unique, which can work and update your wardrobe, Your personal style should reflect your age

Fashion can be a fickle industry and the trends it produces can be quite frankly unflattering. Having scoured and researched the catwalk trends I have summed up the more practical and realistic styles, which can work and update your wardrobe this season.

Fruits of the Forest Fusion: Hues and tones of purple from garnet, plum & maroon is the colour range to opt for this autumn… I’m sure there will be a preferable colour within this array to suit you? Though read our blog post ‘How to Make Colour Work for You’ for further advice.

 Haider Ackermann

The Groomed Goth: Forget grunge and think glamour when channeling this trend. Choose fabrics such as lace, velvet and tulle in black… the rule is BLACK! This is a dark and somewhat edgier trend but elements such as floatiness and grooming add the romance. Just always remember the colour rule for black!

 John Rocha

Optical v Floral Prints: Prints continue to be a big story this season ranging from winter blooms to the illusion of opticals. Prints are great for attracting attention to your more flattering features though always remember the scale of the pattern should be consistent with your frame i.e. petite frame = petite print and onwards. Key point… few can work an all-over print!

 Prada

Leather Noir: Lux leather was the fabric of choice on this season’s catwalk and black was the preferred colour. Coats, jackets, skirts, trousers and tops were all stitched from glossy leather and some designers even went for an all-over leather look. As regards body shape due to the fact leather is eye-catching perhaps use it where you wish to attract the attention to i.e. the Inverted Triangle should wear either a leather skirt or trousers to detract attention from her shoulders and vice versa for the Pear shape.

Although there are some beautiful leather pieces in the shops… I wouldn’t suggest an all-over leather look… leave this to the rock stars, a one-piece investment should suffice.

Topshop Unique

Girl Meets Boy: The trouser suit has made an impact with features such as braces, the double breast and collars achieving an androgynous style. This look will be most suitable to the Rectangle and the Inverted Triangle body shape… though a shapely one buttoned jacket/trouser suit will enhance many body shapes.

Donna Karen

Country Classic’s: Quintessential Britishness country chic… of tweed, cord, plaid, quilting and over-sized knits though remember that the majority of these fabric’s can tend to add bulk so think wisely before taking on this trend, with reference to your body shape?

Burberry Prorsum

Waist not Want not: This season’s silhouette is still very much about the waist… which is perfect for the Hourglass. Coats, suits and dresses were all very much belted at the waist. If you are an Hourglass or Rectangle body shape this should be your top trend to follow by accentuating your waist with an eye-catching belt. Pear’s and Inverted Triangles should also adopt this trend but with a more subtle approach. Apples should avoid, as you shouldn’t wish to highlight your tummy area further.

Marc Jacobs

Opulent Orient: Elements of brocade, embroidery, embellishment, kimono sleeves, obi belts and Chinese collars were played out in force on the catwalks. This certainly is an appealing look though with key pieces that draw the eye… will this look suit your body shape?

Ralph Lauren Collection

Accessories: Embrace your feminine form with a belt as I mentioned in ‘Waist not Want Not’

Block heels that are decorative will suit the Apple and Pear shapes with a mid-heel T-bar wedge being flattering for an Inverted Triangle, Hourglass and Rectangle body frame.

Rochas

Eye popping leather gloves with jewels will certainly add interest to an outfit this season, but avoid if you are an Inverted Triangle shape as this will only aim to accentuate your broad shoulders further.

That pretty much sums up the main trends for Autumn/Winter 2012/13 but remember when choosing clothing/accessories that it is paramount you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear. Your personal style should reflect your age, personality, & lifestyle and of course suit your body shape, features and colouring. For more information and style advice visit theimagemistress.com

Quick reminder of our Sacha London competition currently running… whereby you could win a stunning bag by simply commenting on this post!

Finally… fashion and trends are fast paced but true style will last forever….

Stay Stylish,

The Image Mistress xo