If you are going to buy anything to update your wardrobe this Spring, consider the following suggestions:

The absolute “must haves” for everyone, irrespective of body type, age, and lifestyle”:

• Crisp white fitted shirt – to tuck in, belt at the waist or layer with a t-shirt, jacket or piece of knitwear
• Metallic bag – in gold, silver or any metallic shade in between
• Metallic shoes – in either a stacked heel, pretty ballet flat or strappy Grecian thong
• Fitted cropped jacket in a neutral tone – in either white, black, cream, tan, khaki or all of the above
• Knitted wrap dress – the ones that Diane von Furstenberg made famous. Don’t think that you can’t wear one – you’ll be surprised. Try one on and discover how flattering and forgiving they are!
• Long strand of beads – in wood, plastic, metal or pearls… or a combination of these 

For the more adventurous among us, feel free to add:

• Fitted knee length trouser shorts – in denim or any neutral stretch fabric
• White pants – fully lined and fairly wide legged
• Vintage ruffle blouse – in a neutral tone, soft flouncy fabric and perhaps made of stretch lace
• Crocheted shrug – finely knitted versions are smarter (we don’t want a repeat last season’s bo-ho chic look)
• Spotted anything – usually best in a blouse, skirt or dress 

And for the ultra fashionista:

• Horizontal “jailbird” stripe top – in black/white, brown/white, black/grey
• Short shorts – high on the thigh and worn best with heels
• Wide waist belt – preferably in some sort of stretch fabric for comfort
• High waisted pencil skirt – also best in a neutral tone
• Patent shoes – in a primary colour

Whether you’re a cutting edge girl, or prefer to remain currently classic – it’s important to update your wardrobe every season.

The season’s biggest fashion colour is white, but what does that mean for those of us that don’t tan and aren’t dark skinned? You might hold out even less hope if you are blonde. This is how I felt when I first heard about the new trends for Spring. Well ladies, I am thrilled to announce that it can be done! With some attention to detail – we can all look fab wearing white.

The trick is to create contrast.

• Layer underneath your white jacket – by wearing a black or colourful collared shirt or fancy t-shirt underneath your white jacket, you’ll have a flattering tone right up against your face
• Adjust your make-up – darken your lipstick, emphasize your eyebrow colour and add rosy cheeks if you don’t naturally have them
• Embellish your white shirt – layer onto your white shirt with black or another colour either in the form of a piece of knitwear or even a fancy t-shirt
• White pants only – wear white pants on their own (as opposed to an entire suit) and contrast them with preferably a black or brown top and add in metallic shoes and bag
• Wear chunky beads – liven up any white top with a colorful or metallic strand of short chunky beads against your face
• Contrast your white bag – wear a strong colour on top so that your white bag can contrast against it eg. black, brown, red or bright yellow jacket/blouse/t-shirt
• Contrast your white shoes – white shoes are not best against a fair skin, however, wear them underneath long denim jeans and you have your contrast

There are countless different ways in which we can create a striking contrast with all this ultra-trendy white merchandise in stores.  We may not all be able to wear white from top to bottom as trends forecast, but carefully selecting key white pieces will help us to update our look.

Well dressed people always dress according to their body type. Despite seasonal trends and despite what you like and what you don’t like, that which you choose to wear needs to be flattering for your shape at all times. Maintaining “a sense of balance” is key to a happy life – the same principle applies to dressing:

Creating a balanced body shape is fundamental to having great style.

The reality is that very few people have perfectly proportioned bodies. We can either mope around and wish that we had a different body; or we can dress appropriately and streamline our lovely bodies to create balance! But before that you’ll need to ascertain which body type you tend towards irrespective of our height. There are 5 main body types:

• Pear – when the width of your torso is smaller than the width of your hips. You’ll constantly want to balance the difference between the top and bottom part of your body
• Hourglass – when you are well proportioned with a shapely bust and defined waist. You’ll always want to strive to look taller and slimmer
• Rectangle – when you are well proportioned and relatively lean but lack curves. You’ll want create a bust and those curves to keep you feminine.
• Apple – when you are well proportioned but with a little bit of extra around the middle. You’ll want to create shape and disguise your midriff
• Inverted Triangle – when the width of your shoulders and torso is wider than the width of your hips. You’ll want to soften your shoulders and perhaps your bust line, and add volume to the lower part of your body

Once you know which body type you tend towards, you’ll need to know how to select clothes that bring you balance. This is not seasonal knowledge. Once you have it, you’ll be able to apply it for a good length of time. I have plenty of information to share on dressing for each body type and I’ll be sharing it in future posts. In the meantime, balance your beautiful body and celebrate!

Choices for this Spring/Summer season are plentiful. There are lots of options for everyone; many of them seemingly contradictory. Let’s have a closer look at what you can wear to be “in style” this season:

• Gold and silver
• Black and white
• Neutrals and primary colours
• Elegant lady-like suits and combat gear
• A-line skirts and pencils skirts
• Natural waists and low waists
• Ruffle blouses and t-shirts
• Stacked heels and ballet flats
• Pointy toed shoes and round toed shoes
• Skinny pants and wide pants
• Shift dresses and shirt dresses (a-line dresses that tie at the waist)
• Above the knee hemlines and knee lengths
• Oversized totes and delicate clutches
• Long bead necklaces and short choker styles  

All you need to do is make some savvy decisions as to what will suit your body type, skin tone, lifestyle and budget and there you go – you’ll look fab.

Embrace the variety – a season encompassing such versatility does not come around very often!