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Ladylike - think Classically tailoring, fine knit cardigans, pearls, ballet-flats and simple, classy heels.
Paris Chic - striped boatneck 3/4 sleeve tees, capris, ballet flats, scarves knotted around your neck or on your bag, a beret if you're a hat-girl, espadrille wedges...all good and always in style.
Nude Neutrals - Style Counsel has been extolling the virtues of softer, lighter neutrals for many years - and will do, regardless of what "they" tell us is in or out. Soft neutrals soften and lighten most women's complexions, and take years off! Think of nudes as your very own "vaseline on the lens". Monochromatic at it's very best...
Navy - SO many women dress in top to toe black thinking a slimmer silhouette is guaranteed. What they neglect to notice is that it's not the only shade on the colour spectrum and that navy has a richness and a softness to it that black doesn't. Navy teams nicely with all the other lighter neutrals but also equally as good with brighter gemstone colours (and as this season blue and green will be seen without a colour in between) Navy is a good base instead of boring black.
Velvet - a fabric that can make you look like a couch or curtains if worn incorrectly. It can also highlight lumps and bumps, so go easy on the amount of Velvet you inject into your wardrobe.
Prints - remember, less is more. Bold prints can wear you, so be careful with the colours and fabrics you team them with. Too many prints can over-power and make your wardrobe less mix-and-matchable.
Feminine/Romantic - Feminine is fab. And flowers and frills are pretty - but too much of a good thing can really look tizzy. Add touches of femininity but don't go top-to-toe floral. A flower in your hair or on a brooch is great, but to avoid looking like an overgrown garden in springtime, be selective.
Bling/Embellishments - Again, a little goes a long way. Overly-embellished clothes can look more tacky than trendy. Just like wearing your favourite jewellery, a ring on every finger and gold dripping off your ears, around your neck and your wrists can actually cheapen the effect - even if it's the real deal.
Sequins - do have a place -on the red carpet or in a night-club - but by day this look screams "look at me! I 'm a fashion victim and will wear anything that's in, anytime, day or night!". In fashion terms, having real style means you know what's appropriate and when/where to wear it. Too much bling by day looks garish and cheap. If you love sparkle, think less is more i.e matte sequins as a trim instead of a mini dress made entirely of shiny silver and gold!
Harem Pants - If you did this look in the 80's, leave it there as a fond (or perhaps not so fond) memory of your youth. Who wants to look like they've had a bit of an accident in their knickers? Wrong then, wrong now! Peg-leg pants are also IN, "they" tell us - but again - just take a look at the silhouette it gives you? If you want to look like an Ice-cream cone and draw attention to hips/bum, go right ahead!
Distressed Denim - While I am always one to tell women to "caz-down" & deconstruct their look a little for a more youthful appeal, I fear this latest take on casual may be embraced by the very young (in a desperate attempt to look uber-cool) with a little too much gusto - going from being "distressed" to "deeply disturbed"! A few little rips here & there is great, but save this look for day & stick with dark, well-fitting denim for night/more dressier occasions!
"Keeping up with the latest trends can be costly and time-consuming. You risk becoming a slave to fashion mags, or at worst, a fashion victim. Don't wear ALL the latest looks just because they're "in" only to discover you look like a clone of all the others being held hostage by that latest HOT look! Here's my perennial selection of what's HOT and what's NOT. Remember this isn't about what's IN or OUT - this is about STYLE - so if something is on the NOT list here, don't expect it to ever move onto the HOT list as fashions change.
Remember with FASHION, what's HOT quickly becomes luke-warm/common, & we all have our own tastes/opinions. What works for you & makes you feel great is the most important thing, no matter what "THEY" say!" ...Alison
Having a collection of quality shoes in many different styles and colours is what will really pull your look together - or totally kill it if they're just wrong! (ie joggers and jeans!). Know the difference between a great shoe and a cheap-looking one. A chunky distraction or a quality "finishing touch" to your whole outfit! Style Counsel can show you how!
A good quality, butter-soft leather bag in a neutral colour (not necessarily BLACK though!) will add style to any outfit. Think of soft tans, grey or ivory to really lighten up your look. Don't spend too much on bags which are very obviously following a trend or they will date your outfit next year and you'll wish you'd invested in something more classic.
White lightens & brightens everyone's wardrobe. Team a classic white shirt (french cuffs are really stylish!) with denim jeans or dark man-style pants; Soften it with a scarf tied loosely under the shirt or layer it under a shift dress with black opaques.
I'm sure you know the look I'm talking about here....jet-black layer underneath platinum blonde on top? This look really is "on the nose" and makes a woman look like she's impersonating a pet skunk! Let's move on to some more natural, healthy, shiny flattering hair colours pleeeease! Al's Rating: 2/10
Eeeeeeow! I see these as summer's version of Uggg Boots! Almost as unflattering as the velcro-strapped sandals seen on many a backpacker, these chunky (albeit probably very comfortable & good for your feet) appendages will have you looking anything but cool, despite any marketing hype telling you otherwise. Leave the clogs and plaits to the Dutch national costume, or in the garden where they belong - except on children under 6 (who can look really adorable making their tiny feet look huge) Al gives this look one big, ugly, chunky 3/10
Really obviously fakes give tacky a whole new meaning - especially when carried by teens who've become slaves to the latest celebrity "it" bags seen in the latest tabloid mags!
An example? A Louis Vuitton with PVC handles and obvious flaws (a real one will never have a seam cut through the LV logo!), or pretend Gucci (you know the one...where the G and C are actually other letters masquerading as the real-deal). Even an A-grade fake can look fake. If you're 15 & don't have the income of Paris or Brittany then isn't it unlikely you'd be paying up to $2,000 for the real deal? Even if you're lucky enough to have the real deal, if you're carrying the latest logo-emblazoned IT bag everyone assumes it's fake anyway! If you're a teenager, not working full-time, don't have the income (ie 'Daddy's credit card!') to make it believable, or the rest of the wardrobe to carry it off, then leave designer replicas off your list! Al gives tacky fakes a very genuine 2/10
Animals are not arm candy. Carrying around miniature dogs, kittens, parrots, whatever, is not de rigueur; it's just plain WRONG! Oh, & while we're here - dressing your dog up like you would do with your Barbie Doll is really not cool either. So please...just don't! Al rates small animals carried in or AS a handbag with a very claustrophobic 0/10
Nails - hands and feet - like shoes, can make or break any attempt to look stylish. Bitten, ragged or dirty nails are certainly won't add to your look but then neither will the extreme opposite - using your nails as a canvas for glittery bits & tattoo-like images. And as for extra-long acrylic/gel talons (or whatever material they claim to made from)...YIKES! Not to mention what damage you've done to your poor real nails underneath those supposedly "natural" gel overlays! Al is afraid...very afraid! 1/10
While Uggs may be practical & warm at home with your PJ's, don't make the mistake of turning them into a fashion statement. Especially when teamed with a mini or shorts & a Von Dutch Trucker hat! They may have been cute for about 3 minutes 5 years ago, but I think it's fairly safe to say this trend is now (thankfully) dead & buried? Uggs with shorts and a boob tube is as much of a season contradiction as thongs worn with a winter jacket & scarf! Say no to Uggs anywhere but in a ski resort or the comfort of your own lounge-room. Al says "What the?" 0/10
Alison Triffett - Style Counsel gives permission for you to use the materials in this zone for your personal use only. All material and images are Copyright 2006. Unauthorised transmission, reproduction or dissemination of any text and images from this site is not permitted.
