That was the question I posed to a room full of lovely ladies On Wednesday night at Orchids - a female only health & fitness centre in Peterborough. They might not have known when they came in but they certainly had more idea when they left. Celebrities call it Personal Branding, and even lesser mortals have one whether or not we’re aware of it. What the ladies learned last night is what they wear supports or detracts from the messages they want to portray about who they are and what they stand for. More importantly, they became extremely aware of how unique they are as individuals in their style preferences. This is why you cannot always successfully carry off the same clothes that look great on your friend, even if you are a similar build and shape. In fact, the twin sisters in the audience had completely different style preferences. Fascinating stuff, which makes my role even more exciting and meaningful. I think the ladies really enjoyed themselves - I know I did. If you’re interested in finding out more, I will be running 3 additional monthly sessions. The next one is on Wednesday February 25th at 7pm entitled ‘How to look like a model’. Ring Hannah or Carol on 01733 348299 for more details.
What is so refreshing about Samantha Cameron, Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama is that they are keen to promote clothing from the stores that grace our high streets. Many times we’ve seen Samantha and Sarah wearing Jaeger, Reiss and even H&M rather than the really expensive designer labels only afforded by the few. Contrast Michelle Obama’s selection of J Crew (originally a mail order catalogue) for her children’s clothes on the day of the Presidential Inauguration but also for her own appearances on the Jay Leno Show and her husband’s campaign outings. A far cry from Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe. You really don’t have to spend to be stylish as long as your choice of clothing fits and suits your physicality, your style and your intentions.
NEW YOU NEW WARDROBE
18th February 2009
7pm – 8pm
Teleclass
- Do you feel ready to unveil a new you this year?
- Do your clothes excite and tantalise you?
- Do you want to make an impact?
- Would you love to know how to dress, just for you?
- Are you ready to get rid of the old and embrace the new?
Then this is an opportunity you just cannot afford to miss
If you’ve ever felt like tearing your hair out when choosing what to wear you’ll find this 1 hour teleclass is right up your street. Better still, it’s free and it’s fun. All you have to do is ring in at the allotted time and participate alongside other like minded women.
I’ll be there to help you understand what makes you tick when it comes to your clothes. Why would you want to dress like someone else when you can look and feel fabulous yourself?
As I’m feeling generous, I’ll give a special discount to those of you who also book the Virtually Fabulous Day on March 7th. Sound good? Send an email to sue@feelfabat50.com with NYNW in the title box to register your place and I’ll send over the details.
You won’t regret it – and neither will your purse!
Just been looking through this month’s Vogue magazine and I had to laugh. As someone who is very clumsy, and who is so worried about laddering tights that she wears trousers/jeans most of the time, this was the ultimate horror story. Nicolas Ghesquiere has designed a pair of tights-boots for Balenciaga. I couldn’t find a photo for you to look at so I’ll explain further. The tights themselves are white and lacy ( good job the model has skinny legs) with a thick black line on top of the foot and a thinner one running up to the ankle from the sole. The tights cover the entire foot but meet the sole with a silver platform and a high conical heel. Even the model looks like she may put her toe through the fabric at any time. It would be my worst nightmare. Obviously designed by someone who never wears tights. The price? I don’t know, but you have to order them specially. Expect to be crushed in the rush!
I was killing time waiting for a friend near Bond Street station the other day. It was around 5.15 and rush hour was looming. As it was very cold, and I needed some ideas for a gift for a friend, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and have a look round the shops in Oxford Street. As I was very near to Debenhams, I thought I’d pop in there first. Wow, talk about being jumped on. From the minute I entered the store the sales assistants were trying to get me to sit down for a free makeover or try a new perfume. I was constantly ‘hassled’ as I tried to get to the back of the store and I found the entire experience quite overwhelming. I know that times are hard and the sales assistants have been asked to do everything in their power to reach their sales figures, but guys this is not the way to do it. Department stores have traditionally always been great to browse around, with assistants on hand if you need further help or guidance. Shopping should always be a lovely experience but this was way off mark. I couldn’t wait to scurry out. In this particular area of London there are a number of other stores just down the road selling similar, or even identical, products. Service is often the key differentiator which determines where we spend our money. Debenhams, please be careful. Compare that with the service I received at Mottoo in Brighton on Saturday. I go to Brighton once or twice a year to stay with a friend. When I walked into the shop on Saturday, both the owner and her sales assistant recognised me instantly, recalling to mind my previous purchases and also remembering what I do for a living. Bearing in mind that the last time I shopped there was some 12 months ago, I felt highly honoured and extremely special. Did I buy - yes - and I would have purchased more if the clothing I liked had been stocked in my size. Go to www.mottoo.com for more information.
It seems that graduates are also suffering as a result of the economic downturn. This means that competition for the jobs that are available will be very fierce. I’ve already received some calls from some very savvy mums, who have booked their graduate sons and daughters (both A level and university) in to see me. Why? Well, we all know first impressions count and most students, though they dress well for their age group and social scene, don’t always have a clue when it comes to the business world. By teaching them exactly what to wear for what they want to achieve, they get the edge on the others. Not fair but true that if there are two equally talented contenders, the one with the best image is more likely to be the winner. Putting on the right outfit really can earn you the money. See www.accentuate.me.uk for more details.
It’s a funny colour- orange. Many of my clients have never worn it, and some actually hate it. Perhaps it just doesn’t go with our pale, insipid climate and the skin colour that goes with it. There’s no doubt it’s a difficult colour to wear unless your in the Caribbean. Being very warm, in terms of its undertones, it’s difficult to team with black or white and it can be too bright for brown or olive green. But here’s the thing- team it with fuschia pink and you’re laughing. For some reason it really does work. Not too much though - you don’t want to be tango’d - but enough to liven up an outfit. If you don’t suit really bright colours, try wearing a mixture of the two colours in a scarf. A woolly one will soften the brightness and keep you warm and cheerful. And we could all do with a bit of that. As an extra bonus, it’s on the catwalks so you’ll be ahead of the game if you buy now.
I know it’s sometimes hard to look in the mirror and see anything remotely fabulous about yourself BUT there is - REALLY. If you want to find out what makes you so gorgeous and how to enhance it, then don’t waste this opportunity to meet with like minded people and ’shine’ together.
Finding Your Fabulousness will be held on Saturday February 28th at the wonderful Theobald’s Park Hotel (Junction 25/M25). You will discover what makes you uniquely special and how to dress and shop with your whole persona in mind. Just think, no more expensive mistakes or exhausting shopping trips. Price is £150 per person, including lunch and a signed copy of my book and full use of the leisure facilities. What are you waiting for? For more details, send me an email to sue@feelfabat50.com
Well it would have to be wouldn’t it? Everything goes in cycles and this is no exception. So ditch the St Tropez, the lip gloss and the over bleached hair and think glossy hair (easy to say, harder to achieve) and red lips ( to be avoided at all costs if you have thin lips). You could always opt for a sheer colour and pink would work if you’re worried that red is a bit too showy. Hair is also dramatic - this is perhaps where the wigs come in handy - so you’ll need a brilliant stylist. The good thing is that we can now stay out of the sun and hide our bikinis if we want to, because pale skin is back in fashion. For more info, see my blog dated Oct 19th where I write about the O magazine experiment transforming the LA ladies to ones with NY style.
If you’ve ever had a bad hair day, you’ll know how debilitating it can be. It’s not for nothing that we call it our shining glory and if it’s not at its best, it can truly upset our day/week/month, depending on how bad the damage is. So it will be a nice surprise to hear that wigs are back in vogue. Many famous celebrities, such as Joan Collins and Cher, are known for their wig wearing but did you know Beyonce, Halle Berry and Peaches Geldof are also huge fans? Hairdressing costs can be prohibitively expensive these days and a good wig, well looked after, can eliminate excessive spending in this area. Hair extensions cost hundreds of pounds and take hours to apply so a wig could be a better investment if you want long hair. Wigs have become so popular that Harrods has opened an express wig bar and Selfridges and Top Shop have reported their wigs to be flying off the shelves. Prices vary from £20 - £1000 depending on whether it’s real hair or synthetic. The photos show Bryony Gordon from The Telegraph wearing 2 wigs both priced under £40 from www.hothair.co.uk who also supply to Top Shop and Selfridges.
Of course changing your look is only one option for wig wearing.
Unfortunately, with age may come the onset of any number of illnesses, cancer being one that appears to be growing at an alarming rate. Chemotherapy can cause the hair to shed so if you don’t want to remain bald, you can either cover up with a scarf or wear a wig.
There are two types of wig:
1. Handmade: light, comfortable and expensive
2. Machine Made: strips of hair are sewn onto pieces of fabric so they become bulkier and heavier to wear.
They can be made of human hair or synthetics. The latter is heavier to wear and pre styled. The former is just like your own hair and will need washing and styling.
We’ve all seen ladies (and men for that matter) wearing obvious wigs so here is how to ensure yours looks like your own hair:
Go to the best wig centre you can find. Check with cancer specialists, hospitals, hairdressers or other cancer sufferers for referrals.
Make sure it fits properly. If the staff don’t know how to fit it, move on. Wear it behind your normal hairline. It must be comfortable to wear so leave it on for at least ten minutes.
Stick with your own natural colour and a style that is similar to the one you normally have. Many wigs have much more hair than we would naturally have so thinning can be done by a hairdresser while it’s on the stand. Any final cutting should be carried out while you are wearing it.
Don’t use hairspray or gel or it becomes too stiff.
Have a great Hair Day
