How to choose swimwear

So the holiday is booked, your passport is valid now all you have to do is find your swimwear. Sadly the diet didn’t quite get going and you aren’t looking forward to bearing your body on the beach or beside the pool. What you need are a few confidence tricks that will help you look and feel your best.

My first tip is to add some glamour – if you want to draw attention away from your figure add a few pieces that will grab attention such as:

• A fabulous pair of sparkly flip flops
• A large brimmed hat – to add an air of mystery
• Dark glasses – ditto
• A beautiful beach bag – you can always place this strategically in front of your tummy until you lie down!

And always have a great coverup, whether that be a sarong or kaftan, to wear when heading to the beach bar.

When looking for your swimwear here are my top tips for balancing out any figure flaws:

The well endowed
Always choose a swimsuit or bikini with support designed for the larger bust. Good make to look for are Fantasie and Freya who both do cup sized bikini tops and you can buy the tops and bottom separately to ensure a good fit.



  

Small Bust
If you want to make a small bust look fuller, go for a padded bra top in a bright colour and make sure it fits well. Or give the illusion of greater width with a stripe.


Bigger Hips
Draw the attention upwards with frills or detailing at the bust, or a darker colour on your bottom half.



Tummy Disguise
If it’s your tummy you are worried about wear a one piece and again draw the eye up with bust detail or wear a swimsuit with ruching to conceal.





 Finally for those all important beach accessories:

Have you chosen your beachwear yet? Do you have any favourite brands that you always return to – I’d love to know.

Have a great holiday if you are escaping our ‘great British summer(!)’

Essential Summer Wardrobe Pieces

There are some pieces that work in your wardrobe year after year whatever the current trends dictate. Three pieces that I wouldn’t be without in a capsule wardrobe are:

The White Shirt
Perfect on holiday as a beach cover up, whatever colour your swimwear or worn with shorts for sight-seeing. But it’s just as useful at home – wear to the office with a pair of smart cropped trousers and kitten heels.

A Large scarf
Take it on the plane when you go on holiday in case of drafts, then wear it to protect your neck from the sun whilst meandering, use it as a sarong on the beach, a shawl in the evening or to brighten up your white shirt for shopping.

The Jersey Dress
The perfect dress to travel with as it doesn’t crease. Wear it with flats and a hat when you are out and about, dress it up with metallic heels and statement necklace for the evening. When you get home slip it under a jacket for the office with a pair of heels.

Do you have any wardrobe essential you can’t live without?

How to Wear – White

Now that we are heading towards high summer (?!) nothing signals holiday season better than wearing white. White is definitely a part of my wardrobe as soon as the weather improves.







And if the weather isn't up to scratch, then white is also so versatile. This year black and white was a major trend on the catwalk and I love the drama of a monochromatic outfit:



As this look isn’t for every one you have plenty of other options this season. White with one of the fluoro brights, with red and blue, or with other neutrals.

When it’s really warm and you have that gorgeous summer brightness I love to mix my white with metallics.

How will you be wearing your white when the summer (finally) arrives?

Wardrobe Staple – How to Wear the Crop Trouser

Crop trousers are now a capsule wardrobe staple, both summer and winter and come at all price points. Today I’ve featured a mid price pair from Isabella Oliver, they are a great flat front shape and come in the neutral beige (desert, shown) or in a gorgeous Azure blue.

As a wardrobe basic these trousers can be very versatile, from out shopping to dressed up for a glamourous evening so they are worth the time and effort to find a pair which really fit and are well made.

I’ve picked a selection of tops, shoes and bags but you probably have similar pieces in your wardrobe. If not these are the kind of items that work hard in any capsule wardrobe; a neutral tote, evening sandals, vest tops and T-shirts, a great pair of wedges and flat driving shoes.

Just one word of caution – if you have a long body and short legs a crop will cut up the leg and make it appear shorter. If you want to wear them stick to a neutral colour and make your shoes the same colour.

So three looks with your crop trousers:

What to wear to Look like you Mean Business

If you work in a corporate environment with a fairly formal dress code you’ve probably heard the saying “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” One of the best ways to upgrade your image is with quality, classic accessories. It’s amazing how many people notice your accessories, before they notice your outfit. You can make an inexpensive dress look designer with the right accessories but sadly it doesn’t seem to work the other way. It’s worth spending more on a bag and shoes that you wear everyday of the week than on a dress you only wear once a month. Here is where cost per wear really makes sense. You see all you needed was the justification to buy that beautiful bag!

 

Start building your accessory wardrobe with a great work bag or feminine briefcase in a neutral colour that goes with all your workwear basics. Add classic court shoes, a smart laptop or ipad case, a stylish watch and pen. Go for colours like black, navy, tan and cream that will go with most other colours. Once you have a main “capsule” of accessories start to build a second one in another colour, perhaps black or navy for winter and tan or cream for summer. These items will last for years and shouldn’t be high fashion, they are an investment in your business wardrobe. It’s a great time to buy now during the sales too.
Here are some options which I have deliberately teemed with an inexpensive and a mid priced dress:

I’d love to know if you have invested in one of these classics. Do you feel more confident at work when you “dress up”?

How to Build a Casual Capsule Wardrobe

The easiest and most economical way to build a wardrobe that works for you is by creating multiple capsule wardrobes; work, casual, winter, summer etc. Pieces can work within more than one capsule collection for example finer knits from your summer capsule could be layered in the winter. Here are my top tips for creating a capsule wardrobe with examples for a casual collection which if you work from home like me may only need the addition of a smarter jacket for meetings to make it work ready too.
Top tips for capsule wardrobes:

1. Start with a neutral colour as a base – black, brown, grey or navy would be good options.
2. Build your wardrobe in 3’s. For example if you have 3 skirts make one a neutral, the second a pattern which incorporates your neutral colour and the third a complementary colour. Then add 3 tops, again neutral pattern and colour that mix and match with the skirts.
3. Spend the most money on the neutrals you will wear most often.
4. Once you have the basics add in other colours that mix with your existing capsule – maybe a colour of the season if you love it and it suits you.
5. Just because you are creating a capsule collection of clothes it doesn’t have to be boring. When you buy a new piece for your wardrobe ask yourself, “does it suit me, does it work with what I already have, and will I love wearing it and feel great in it?” If you can’t say yes to all of these move on and save your money for something that does.
6. If you find something perfect consider buying it in two colours.
7. Look after your investment. When you have spent hard earned money on your wardrobe make sure you follow the cleaning instructions, hang things on decent hangers (have you noticed how one wire hanger multiplies in your wardrobe?) get shoes re-heeled when needed, fold knitwear so it doesn’t pull out of shape and give everything enough room in your wardrobe.

Examples – the pieces in 3′s




Every piece in this collection can be worn in a variety of ways. Once the basics are there another seasonal colour could be added, for example a red would work well in here.
Below are just some of the outfit combinations:





Hopefully this has given you food for thought. Try laying out your clothes in 3′s like this then mixing them up. You will then see what you are missing – take a note with you next time you go shopping to see if you can fill that gap.

Summer Trend – Sugar Candy

There is a real feminine feel on the high street for the summer (you remember what summer is!) with girly candy colours translated from the catwalks. If you feel that it’s all a bit too sugary for you try just one piece mixed in with your every day neutrals. For example add sugary pink with navy, lemon with grey or coral with black.

Here’s how it was done full on at the shows:

Images courtesy of Style.com

And some high street pieces:

Pieces above from a selection at Boden, Fenn Wright Manson Pure Collection Phase Eight, John Lewis and House of Fraser.


Will you be trying the candy trend? I am definitely lusting over some of the pretty makeup collections, and I can see myself wearing some of these colours in my outfits too – but when the sun (eventually) comes out!