Colour and style blind

lisavuvietnam

I turned 40 in May and celebrated by buying my first Louis Vuitton bag. This has led to an interest in fashion that could better be described as an ignorance of fashion (I had no idea that colours had some formula. It just occured to me and I found your website when I was searching for information about colour.) I must be colour and style blind! I don't know where to begin but I have some obstacles. Firstly I live in Hanoi (Vietnam) and although the fashions here can be sensational, the colours don't always match my complexion (I am one of the lucky people to have vitilago, a mix of pure white and brown colour on my face and most of my body so I have some difficulties sometimes). We don't have the range that you describe in your articles (I have read many of them for ideas over the past few months). We have high humidity all year round and I often travel via vespa motorbike. I am sure that my story is not unusual so any ideas?

17 years ago

Dressing

10 replies

Latest reply was from lisavuvietnam

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Welcome to the forum, Lisa from Vietnam. Would you mind posting a picture of your body type? That’s where we'll start with coming up with style and colour suggestions.

17 years ago

lisavuvietnam

Active Member

I appreciate your response and interest. Here are some recent photographs. A body shot and a face-up. I don't know if they are clear ( I recently read your thread about mixing white and blue stripes so apologies in advance).

I am short (158cms tall). I normally wear a US size 4 when I buy clothes and my bra size is 75B. My measurements in inches are 24.5"- 22.5"- 25" (breast-waist-hip).

http://i377.photobucket.com/al.....G_8386.jpg

http://i377.photobucket.com/al.....G_8518.jpg
http://i377.photobucket.com/al.....G_8519.jpg

Thanks. Lisa

17 years ago

anne

Veteran

Lisa, just wanted to say I like your top in the first picture and actually thought you looked tall in the second one.
My guess is that you are a rectangle body type.
I don't know much about vietnam except that people I know have got a lot of clothes made there. Is that an option for you?

17 years ago

Anonymous

The pictures are great. You are so beautiful and I like the outfit you are wearing in the pictures. You look like you can wear just about any style.
I am fascinated with the painting on the wall. Did you paint it? I love it.

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Lisa! You’re not style challenged at all. You look GREAT. In heat, I focus on dresses and skirts. Will you wear them too?

I want, want, want that painting on your back wall. That type of art lights my fire. Where is it from? Are you an artist?

17 years ago

tarzy

Veteran

Lisa - your blue eyes are incredible! Do you wear much blue? I'm sure there are many shades that would make your eyes really stand out. In the first picture you look a lot like the actress Cynthia Nixon (from "Sex and the City.") I really like your outfit in that picture, too.

17 years ago

lisavuvietnam

Active Member

I have lived in Vietnam since 1996 and have lived through its most rapid changes including fashions. When I first arrived, tailoring was the only option but this was hit and miss. You really needed some background in dressmaking as the choices in fabrics is overwhelming (imagine a huge warehouse full to the rafters with small stalls and hundreds of fabrics in each stall and you have some idea).

Tailors are great and the end product is not so expensive but the cut wouldn't always be so great. You might end up with one decent piece out of ten.

There are some retails shops here now, but most shops sell brands direct from China and the quality is sometimes (but not always) questionable.

My problem may be part confidence but I just can't seem to put it altogether. I I have always been brainy and professionally successful and I didn't think it mattered much what I wore but as I get older, I realise that it does matter. My changing skin colour also changes the emotional landscape; I want to achieve more in a personal sense rather than just trying to cope. I think that so many of you could relate to that sentiment regardless of what is going on in our lives right.

My husband is a big celebrity here and has a huge fan club so I can't get away with much in terms of the public but I still want to be me (whatever that means).

I guess I will keep reading your articles and see it as a more long term project than I first thought! I will keep reading these articles and let you know how it progresses.

Thanks for all the feedback.

BTW I am not a painter. The painting in the background is by Tran Quang Hoan and he does this great things with women. That one happens to be women in the material market.

17 years ago

Anonymous

I think you are doing better than you think you are with your style. You look great.

17 years ago

tarzy

Veteran

Lisa - I think for many of us it's a process. I see other women who seem so effortlessly stylish, but some days I can barely put together jeans and a top. Often the styles I like are not the ones that look best on my body, so it's a challenge.

Many of us here are trying to figure out our personal style - you certainly are not alone on that journey!

17 years ago

lisavuvietnam

Active Member

So it looks like I have great company and a website full of ideas and inspiration. Thanks Tarzy.

17 years ago

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