The ladies’ barbershop I joined the other week is entering some pretty important competitions in the coming weeks so we have to look good. As the choir is still in its infancy, it has no ‘uniform’ to speak of so everyone wears black trousers and a black, sparkly top. Last night I collected my trousers. Unfortunately, there was only one pair left, about 5 sizes too big with the crotch reaching knee level. I know harem pants are in this season but there is no way I can wear them in this state. I need to find a trusty dressmaker and soon. I do not possess a sparkly, evening top of the type that choirs wear so I needed to buy one of those too – expensive business singing – but it’s always sod’s law that when you are looking for something specific, you know you’re never going to find it. I know I’m on a strict time limit and am incredibly busy workwise, so internet shopping had to be my only answer. I looked at oodles of sites and found nothing ( black, sparkly (cheap) evening wear isn’t really spring/summer is it?) but then I came across ASOS (www.asos.com). Not only do they have a clearance sale on at the moment but each item is shown on a video clip demonstrating what it looks like on the catwalk. What a brilliant idea. This is such a great piece of merchandising. You can never tell what a garment is really like from a photo but the moving real life model makes your choice so much easier. Just in case, I’ve ordered 3 different tops as this type of garment isn’t really my cup of tea, but as the total price was less than £70 I can’t complain. Now I’ve just got to source the lipsticks from the lovely Jane Fardon (www.janefardon.com) – check out her lovely makeup ranges - and then find some caterpillars . Yes , really. Caterpillars, for those of you not in the know, is the musical reference to false eyelashes!
As someone who has a wardrobe predominantly in shades of grey and purple, I was a little taken aback by the new catwalk collections unveiling great swathes of unashamedly bright, bold colours. Not for the fainthearted I know. But the overriding point is this. Wearing colours that flatter you near your face can make a HUGE difference. Even regular facials don’t come close to providing the same amazing results in luminosity, tone and radiance of the skin.
Shopping this Sunday with a client was a case in point. We chose the most beautiful tops in cobalt blue, cerise and red. She looked amazing, especially her eyes which just ‘popped’.
As the clothes I choose to wear need to have some dramatic impact, I’ve always chosen to wear the brighter colours in my accessories. This works really well if you’re not confident with wearing brights or don’t have the colouring to carry them off near your face. A hint of colour can work wonders in adding interest to your clothing and enables you to ring the changes by adding variety and flexibility to your wardrobe, which will save you money in the long run. If you want to know what I mean, take a look at the fabulous Brenda Kinsel’s blog for November 13th www.brendakinsel.com/blog and you can see how I’ve managed to make a plain grey dress look less than ordinary.
Colour also works its magic on a cellular level. You have to agree that it cheers us? That’s why I would never dress from head to toe in neutrals. Far too depressing.
So if some cheer is what you need right now, you have my permission to inject some colour into your life – literally. I’m sure you’ll notice the difference immediately, and so will your friends.
Spoke too soon. When I woke up this morning there was snow everywhere, probably 6 inches deep. I should have kept the wellies after all!
I’m always challenging myself to try something new. I’ve mentioned in 
previous blogs about joining a ladies barbershop and I’m still awaiting my formal audition as a bass, which I can tell you is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. Even though I love singing within a group, even without instrumental accompaniment, the thought of singing solo exposed for all to hear is really scary. So imagine how it must feel for the wonderful Tina Turner, who at 69 has been persuaded by older icons, Sophia Loren and Georgio Armani, to make a stage comeback after 8 years in retirement. Known for her legs as much as her singing voice, she is still wearing short skirts on stage and knocking’ em dead. Her secrets? Two meals a day, 12 hours sleep, no drugs, no cosmetic surgery and a toy boy. Sounds divine.
I’ve just escaped the snow and come back from a fabulous weekend at my sister’s house in Cardiff. One of the highlights was playing The Sims with my gorgeous niece Charlotte on her computer. Having no children, The Sims was a new one on me but it took me back to favourite times of my own childhood, when dressing my adult dolls was all I lived for. With The Sims game, you create neighbourhoods, the people that live in them, develop their relationships and decide what they wear and how they look. Charlotte and I created a Sue lookalike, who really did look like me with glasses, spiky blonde hair and a fabulous array of outfits. I loved changing the make up and their hair styles of the people we created, choosing the clothes they wore and building their houses. We even created an emporium of shops. People do need clothing and food after all. Such fun! And this from someone who thinks computer games are completely anti-social and should be banned. I’m now eating my own words. My husband is threatening to buy me a copy for my birthday to keep me quiet. I wonder if I would be The Sims oldest fan? www.thesims2.co.uk for more details.
