Style Counsel Brisbane personal stylist Alison Triffett wardrobe & shopping tips

Al's advice for UPDATING YOUR LOOK

"Buy only a few pieces of the latest HOT look to inject new life into your existing classic wardrobe. Invest money updating a few key items - like choosing a cropped, fitted jacket and ditching the 80's power-suit, or buying a really great handbag for a luxury finish to any outfit. Don't invest a lot on the latest fad or you will find yourself quickly looking like yesterday's news with no money left to board next season's trend-train! Most trends hang around for about a year - some a little longer - and fashion cycles about every 20 years which is why so many 80's looks seem to be (frighteningly) back in vogue now! Be careful!"

Style

Style can mean several things - how a person looks, the shape of a garment or a style of clothing such as corporate, funky, trendy, casual, formal, etc. To look stylish, it's important you know which styles of clothing look best on your body type but also how your style fits into your daily life. Eg. you may like to dress feminine or funky but those styles don't work well in all situations. A funky style will work when going out with friends but will not work well in a business situation. A feminine style may work for a romantic evening but will not help you land a new account! Take some time to discover your style and how it is working for you.

Always Wearing Black? Lighten up!

Don't get into the habit of buying everything in black just because you think black is slimming. Monochromatic colour schemes work wonders and allow you to lighten up your complexion and take years off! Wearing white against your face can take 10 years off (honest! I've seen it!). Think of adding different neutrals such as greys, navy and brown instead of black. When you wear lighter colours you too will feel lighter and the whole tone of your wardrobe is immediately softened.

Weight

Weight & body image are huge issues with many women. Many who feel they have weight to shed say to me they would rather wait to buy new clothes until they've lost a certain number of kilos. Obsessing about a few kilos or the shape or size of a particular body part is wasted energy - yet we all do it! I'm yet to meet a client who is 100% happy with all their features (me included!). I believe we should all start right now to bring out our best features by wearing styles that flatter us and make us feel more attractive. If you feel good about yourself others will notice and you will attract more of what you want. Stop hiding behind baggy clothes and dark, drab colours and show the beautiful you - no matter what your size!.

Quality

Before you spend another cent on any item of clothing make sure it looks great, you LOVE it, it's the best quality you can afford. Two big mistakes many of us make are 1. Buying cheap clothing just because we can get more of it, and 2. Buying because it's a great deal. It's not a deal if it isn't perfect for you and fits in with your existing wardrobe - it's just fattening your closet. We all love a bargain, but make sure it fits into your wardrobe, is the right colour, the perfect fit, goes with at least three other things in your wardrobe, and you would have bought it at it's regular price had you seen it - then, and only then is it a good choice!

The Right Fit

Pants that are too tight will make you look larger. Skirts that are too short make can make moving difficult. High-waisted pants/skirts can make you look shorter. Jackets, blouses, tops and knits that are took tight look unprofessional. But conversely, buying clothes one size too big (while comfortable) can add inches to your silhouette too! The right fit means it's not too tight, and it's not too big! IT FITS! Getting the right fit is very important in achieving a stylish and polished image - befriend your tailor (or your mother in law, or whoever!) and you'll never settle for a bad fit again!.

"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!" Alison...

Here's my perennial selection of classic looks - some HOT, some just NOT! Remember, hot quickly turns luke-warm, & we all have our own tastes/opinions. What works for you & makes you feel great is the most important thing, no matter what I (or "THEY") say!

Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot

Signature Styling - finding a look that represents YOU and sticking with it no matter what comes in or out each season! Be it your hairstyle, a particular colour you absolutely LOVE, or a sentimental necklace or charm, wear it often, and with confidence and it will quickly become your signature look - a true YOU piece!

Accessories Wardrobes - building your own collection of beads, ribbon, scarves, earrings, etc in bold, definite colour-ways to pick up a bag, belt or shoe colour and pull your look together.

SHOES - Having a collection of quality shoes in many different styles and colours is what will really pull your look together (or kill it if they're just wrong! ie joggers and jeans!)

BAGS - 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.

Scarves

A lovely silk scarf (or ten!) is a must in anyone's wardrobe. These are really huge at the moment, but we all know they've never really been out of style. They're the perfect way to update your look, tie in a colour or pattern, or add a little pizazz to any handbag. Try tying loose & low underneath a shirt collar (my feminine take on the man-style cravat) or even use them as a belt. The possibilities are endless! Al gives scarves a 10/10 - a long-term, can't-go-wrong wardrobe investment.

Wearing White

White lightens & brightens everyone's wardrobe. Team a classic white shirt (french cuffs are really stylish!) with dark man-style pants; Soften it with a scarf tied loosely under the shirt or team a white turtleneck or shirt under a shift dress with black opaques for work. then there's always a crisp white shirt with bootleg jeans to be perennially stylish! Al gives white a fresh, light and breezy 10/10 for any season! Wearing white up against your face takes 10 years OFF! Can't complain about that!

Not Not Not Not Not

Skunk-like Hair Colour

I'm sure you know the look I'm talking about here....jet-black underneath layer, and platinum blonde on top? This look really is "on the nose" and makes a woman look like she's impersonating her pet skunk! Let's move on to some more natural, healthy, shiny flattering hair colours please! 4/10

Crocs

Eeeeeeow! I see these as summer's version of Uggg Boots! Fashionable for about 3 seconds, but there will surely be a host of people still wearing them years from now (sigh). 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 the heavy 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 7 (who can look really adorable making their tiny feet look huge) Al gives this latest look one big, ugly, chunky 3/10

Cheap Designer

Replicas (aka fakes)

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 Hilton or Nicole Ritchie then isn't it unlikely you'd be paying up to $2,000 for the real deal? Everyone just assumes they're fake, and if it IS real (...well lucky you!...) you will probably be the ONLY one who appreciates it's real beauty! If you're not working full-time, don't have the income 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

Pets as Fashion Accessories

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

Nail Art/decals

Nails & hands, like shoes, can make or break any look. Bitten, ragged or dirty nails are certainly not a good look, but then neither is 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 overlays! Al is afraid...very afraid! 1/10

Uggghh Boots

While Uggs may be practical & warm at home with your PJ's, for the most part they're just a big fashion mistake. Especially when teamed with a mini or shorts & a Von Dutch Trucker hat! They may have been cute for about 3 minutes 2 years ago, but I think it's fairly safe to say this trend is now (thankfully) dead & buried. It's the perfect way to look completely clueless this winter/spring. Al thinks (remember - it's just her opinion, for what it's worth!) that Uggs with shorts and a boob tube is as much of a season contradiction as thongs worn with a winter jacket & scarf! Uggs anywhere but in a chalet at the snow 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.