Style Harmony

Summer trend is here and the way to perk up your day in this hot and sunny weather is to add a pop of colour in your wardrobe. It instantly updates your look too. While not everyone is daringly bold with colours, those who love colours like I do will want to don a jacket or sheath in a bright, rich colour like crimson red or royal blue. Do not pair it with shoes and accessories in the same colour tone; matchy-matchy is not good! Your shoes and outfit will be fighting for attention, thus losing the focal point of your ensemble (see Kylie Minogue in blue dress and blue shoes). Fergie, of the Black Eye Peas does it right by wearing a silver-toned heels and letting her bright blue dress be the main attention.

Wearing brights with black shoes is always a safe choice but predictable, boring and too high contrast. I would suggest doing a nude heel like Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City). It looks more harmonious and also projects an updated look as nude shoes are the current trend.

Usher in the lunar new year with a roar in bright colours! If you have a golden/yellow complexion and an optimistic personality, spring’s red (see dress,left) will look fabulous on you. Red and pink go absolutely wonderful together. However, if red is not your favourite colour, you can opt for fuschia pink, melon, bright yellow or royal blue. If you have a pink complexion and tend to be more diplomatic, wearing colours like lavender, raspberry and peach (see dress below) will flatter your skin tone. For those with bronzed skin and a choleric nature, orange and gold will make you look radiant.

Finally, if you have porcelain skin and are quiet and reserved, you can still go for strong colours like pure blue, red violet and dark red. Remember, you can wear all the colours in the rainbow provided they are in the correct shade for your skin tone.

Does your wardrobe look like this especially after the pre and post Christmas sales???

Well, it is no wonder you have New Year blues and shopping fatigue! And one common phrase I hear is “I have nothing to wear!” Now, how do you find anything in a messy wardrobe! Let me share with you a Chinese New Year tradition where every family gives its house a spring cleaning, believing that it will sweep away all the ill-fortunes of the past year. So, this being the fourth day of the New Year, why not give your wardrobe a thorough cleaning. Follow these strategic steps:

1)  Discard stuff that:

• Have not been worn in the last two years
• Are faded, torn, outdated, too tight, too loose etc…
• Are festive looking outfits like christmas sweaters
• Hold you back to the past and prevent you from moving forward e.g. a divorce, weight issue or illness
• Do not flatter your shape, skin tone and personality

*Before throwing out your clothes, decide which ones should go into the garbage bin, to a charity or to the tailor for alteration/repair.

2) Re-organise your wardrobe by:

• Colour
• Style (Business/Formal, Casual, Dressy)
• Type (Skirt, Blouse, Pants, Lingerie etc…)
• Season (applicable to people living in the four seasons)

*Re-organising your wardrobe will enable you to have a clear and quick snapshot of what you already own and what are the missing pieces needed to complete or enhance your existing outfits.

3) Shop for:

• Missing pieces that will complete your outfits
• New pieces to add some spark to your current outfits
• Clothes that you wear most often e.g. you may wear more pants than skirts

*Ensure there is a continuum from casual clothes to formal outfits or casual to dressy depending on what your lifestyle.

A well organised wardrobe will save you money, time and the morning misery of not being able to find anything to wear! Transform your wardrobe from grubby clutter to stylish cluster! (For information on our wardrobe services,go to: http://www.image-harmony.com/wardrobe-makeover-for-women.html)

Most people I know, including my clients are somewhat afraid of prints. Of course, some people just do not do prints, period! I am the complete opposite. Enter my closet and you will see a riotous mix of prints and patterns. Wearing prints may be a personal style preference but if you are open to experiment with it, here are some tips on how to make prints work for you tastefully.

Tip 1: Select a print that relates to your body lines for e.g. if you are curvy, prints like polka dots, flowers with rounded petals and paisley will flow harmoniously with your body.

Tip 2: Choose prints that are of the same scale as your body size. If you are petite, go for smaller prints to balance with your body proportions.

Tip 3: When mixing prints, try not to combine more than two different prints together. The prints must relate or have a consistent theme. For example, stripe and stripe, floral and floral. If the prints do not relate to each other, then one or more colours in each of the print must be the same or very similar (see picture below)