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Dressing for Your Age, Shape and Personality

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As a fashion stylist my goal is always to show women, how despite their age they can still look stylish in a way that reflects their personality.

It is no secret I love fashion which is why I chose to be a fashion stylist for a career.  I am going to be turning 50 this year (pause while I have a mid-life breakdown) seriously though – there is no reason, why women in my age group and by that I mean 45 plus year olds, should not  embrace their shape, personality and most importantly – their age.  For me, it is about accepting who and what I am and giving up the negative self-doubt (not skinny enough, not successful enough, not happy enough, I could go on and on) and start a different more positive conversation that goes something like; I am so lucky because I am a mother to a gorgeous girl who we nearly lost during my pregnancy, I have a husband who loves me and I love him (most of the time……) I have meaningful relationships with my girlfriends that I have known for years.  If you are can relate to any of what I have just said then I urge you to embrace who and what you are because I guarantee you that women in the 30′s and 40′s are not as ready to embrace and accept their lot in life.  We know from our own experience that those decades we are still searching for whatever it is we think is going to make us happy but as we approach 50 and beyond, we have the wisdom and experience to realise that life is never going to be perfect but it can be pretty bloody close!

Here I am embracing my age, shape and personality on mother’s day.  My style is a combination of funky and classic and it will always depend on what mood I am in on the day as to what I decide to wear.  This is an outfit that can be dressed up or down – take off the fur  replace with a structured blazer and replace ankle boots with knee-high boots  and you would have a different look again.

 

 

 

 

I love mixing and matching the old with the new, classic with funky, conservative with funky,  I could go on….  I urge you to try it and let me know how it works for you.  The most important tip I can give you is to have fun and have a laugh.  Very important and very effective.

 

Fur Vest : Country Road

Leather patch leggings: Kitch Boutique

Jumper : Kitch Boutique

Shoes: Hoss

Necklace: Mimco

Bangle: Mimco

 

Remember to laugh today!

Jo x0x0

 

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Muffin Top Update

May 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Last year I did a post on how to dress a muffin top – you can read about it here.  It is probably the topic I get asked most about so I thought it was time for a refresher course in disguising your muffin top.  The first thing I would mention is that if you do have a muffin top unless you have surgery or significant weight loss, it is more than likely it is going to stay with you for life.  Depressing? – yes it is a little but you know what – sometimes we just have to embrace what we have and let go of any unrealistic dreams of having a flat tummy again.   The chances are you never had one in the first place as most women seem to carry a bit of extra “meat” around the tummy – it is just the way we were designed.  However, there are many ways to hide your tummy and I will go through some of them here.  As a personal stylist I have dressed many women with varying degrees of “muffin top” and they cannot believe how their muffin top seems to disappear once I have found the right style of clothing for them.

  • Wear higher rise pants, jeans or skirts.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to get this right.  The reason we have seen a rise in sightings of muffin tops is because of the low-rise skinny jean (they have a lot to answer for).  When you go shopping for jeans or pants always ask for a higher rise or at least a mid rise and while we are on the subject if you are not confident in trusting your own judgement then go to a specialist store and ask for help eg. department stores or jean chain stores usually have trained staff that know their stuff and will be happy to help.  Let them do the hard work while you relax in the change room  - if they are not helpful then move on as you will only end up frustrated and deflated and either go home empty-handed or buy the wrong pair.
  • Layer, layer and layer.  Do you hear me.  Layering is your friend.  I love layering especially when it is done well.  It is so easy to cover the midsection (a nice way of saying muffin top) by layering a structured jacket, vest (waist coat) or cardigan over the top as it draws attention away from the muffin top.
  • Wear a camisole.  Work similar to shapewear but so much more comfortable.
  • Cardigans.  Wear a cardigan over a camisole but make sure the camisole is longer than the cardigan so it just pokes out at the bottom.  Nigella Lawson does this very well – she wears cardigans over dresses and trousers and does is so that it highlights her hourglass figure.
  • Prints and textures are great also.  Small prints will work better than larger prints.
  • Dresses. Dresses are a real winner for not only the muffin top but all shapes and their features.  Try trapeze dresses, fit and flare dresses, peplum dresses.  If you are looking for a website that has great dresses for all shapes and sizes then look no further than Sacha Drake – I am a big, big fan of Sacha Drake as they really do cater for the real women.  I did a recent post on my experience with Sacha Drake as a customer and you can read it here.
Well that’s it for muffin tops for the moment.  I will be posting updates on how to dress the muffin top reguarly so if you don’t want to miss out you can subscribe to my blog and get updates.  If you have a question for me about dressing your muffin top then I would love to hear from you.

Have a great day.

Jo

xoxoxo

 

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The Peplum

May 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

How To Wear To Wear The Peplum

Lately I have been getting quite a few enquiries about Peplums.  What is it; how to wear it; who does it flatter and most importantly “will it suit me?”.

peplum [ˈpɛpləm]

n pl -lums, -la [-lə]

1. (Clothing & Fashion) a flared ruffle attached to the waist of a jacket, bodice, etc.

2. (Clothing & Fashion) a variant of peplos

[from Latin: full upper garment, from Greek peplos shawl]

 

Peplums can be incredibly flattering – if you get the proportion right!  You will hear me talking a lot about proportions and it certainly applies to peplum.  One key trick is to make sure the peplum’s flare starts at the thinnest part of your waist and ends at the hipbone.  If your peplum has volume and structure, then it is best to wear it with simple pieces that have clean lines.  A pencil skirt is an obvious choice and depending on the colour of your peplum top don’t be afraid to add brighter hues like the beautiful jewel colours that are very popular at the moment; like emerald green, cobalt blue, or teal.  Pairing your peplum with pants is a winner also as it gives balance to the peplum’s feminine flair .  A black pair of skinny, straight or a boot cut (you are aiming for simple slim line while also consider your shape) pants will work a treat.

The peplum can be your friend if:

  1. You have a tummy you would rather hide.
  2. If you have a column figure and need to create a waist – perfect.
  3. If you are an inverted triangle – it will balance out your bottom half.  Remember proportions!
  4. You are an hourglass figure and want to accentuate your curves – nothing wrong with that!
  5. You are not scared of trying a new trend.

 

Style tip: If you are trying to lengthen your body, opt for a monochromatic outfit.  Very, very flattering!

You can also find some more photos on how to wear the peplum write here http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/03/19/fashion/usergenpeplums.html

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried the peplum yet? Would you be game?  I love it and intend to give it a try so stay tuned.

Jo

xoxox

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Style Review Runway Show

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Style Review Runway Show

by

Cindy Newstead

 

The Runway Show was a sell out event. 400 people!

 

 

This week I  attended a runway show with a difference.  This runway show hosted and organised by Cindy Newstead who is one of the early pioneers that brought personal styling to the everyday person here in Australia and has carried out over 6,000 personal consultations on what to wear over the last 11 years – yes you read correctly – 6,000 personal consultations.  Hello!  I trained as a personal stylist under her watchful eye.  I would like to say it was full of fun and frivolity but….. I would be lying.  It was gruelling, Cindy is gruelling, she only has one speed – fast! She only has one expectation – 100% best.  The memories are still so vivid!  I am being slightly funny (only slightly….).  She is a force to be reckoned with and that is why she is one of the best in our industry.   I do feel quite privileged to have done my personal styling training with her but I digress….

 

The runway show was  all about dressing real women in the latest trends.  All the models were Cindy’s clients.  Pretty impressive and gutsy.  The lovely ladies who did such a fantastic job of modelling are not models, they are everyday women like you and me.  It truly was inspirational to see them up on the catwalk.  I will let you know when the next Runway Show will be but I think it will be around October this year ready for the Spring/Summer 201 collections.

The runway show was hosted at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria.  Leonda has been around forever as a venue for weddings, formal dinners, banquets etc. so I wasn’t sure what to expect from a venue that has been around for that long and really is a bit of a Melbourne institution.  I walked in the door and they had me at “hello madam, would you like a glass of champagne”?  Oh yes madam would – thank you.  The  quality of food, alcohol and service were outstanding.  If you are needing a venue then I recommend you seriously consider Leonda (I am not being paid for that plug by the way – but if anyone from Leonda is reading this then please feel free to mail me a cheque or a bottle of bubbles). Thank you in advance.

 

Unfortunately, my camera let me down on the night so I have only a few shots to show you but I will be showcasing some examples on my blog soon. In the meantime this is what I wore….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to wear pants due to the fact that I am still wearing a support bandage on my knee after recent surgery and it never looks right when you have your leg/foot in a cast or bandage so, being the vain person that I own up to being –  I decided to wear pants.

  • Pinstripe Blazer – Sabatini.  This jacket is just divine made from wool and  is tailored perfectly for my shape. I can’t wear anything that doesn’t have shape in it as it will look boxy and make me look frumpy. Big gasp.   I do get a lot of wear out of this jacket as I can dress it up as shown here or I pare it down a bit with jeans and a heel or boot and voilà – elegantly funky.
  • Pearl necklace – Mimco.  I bought this a few years ago and never tire of it and always receive compliments when I wear it. What is not to love!  I remember a little pricey at the time but I have so much wear out of it and will continue to do so that it makes it a very economical purchase in the long run.
  • Black pants – Lisa Barron.  I have had these in my wardrobe for about 7 years! yep 7 years. Another example and reminder that if you buy quality with certain things then you are going to get so much value out of them.
  •  Shoes – black wedges from Country Road (3 years ago).
  • I did my hair and decided to keep it simple with an elegant ponytail (and lots of teasing and product!).

So ladies, if you are ever wondering what to wear to a cocktail type of event that doesn’t require something too formal, then I don’t think you can go wrong with a blazer/jacket and a tailored pair of pants.  If I wanted to add more bling to my outfit I could have worn a sequenced  camisole or another coloured camisole underneath.

TIP: We all have hidden treasures in our wardrobe – it is just a matter of remembering where they are!  So it is important to keep some sort of order in our wardrobes so we are constantly reminded of them  (easier said than done I know don’t worry) I am going to be doing a post very soon on Editing and Organising Your Wardrobe – so stay tuned.

As always, I would love you to leave me a comment telling me if you enjoyed reading this post or if you have question for me – I LOVE questions.

 

See you next time

 

Jo

oxoxox

 

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Hello Old Friend – Hello.

April 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

Its been a while since I blogged with any regularity and I am not happy about it at all.  To reach out to you – my readers and be of any value I really need to blog at least once per week – which I am clearly not doing.  So I am laying it out on the table here – my promise to you is to write weekly and give you some valuable content.  You have my permission to kick my butt (electronically of course) if I don’t live up to my side of the bargain.  Your side – is just to read, enjoy and leave me any comments on what you thought of the relevant post or if you would like me to cover a topic that I haven’t covered yet.

May I just say that I am not completely to blame ……. I managed a rather large tear in my right knee cartilage which meant an operation (painful) and a six-week recovery (painful and frustrating) but I am now on the mend (less painful and less frustrating)!  So no more excuses for not blogging.

 

I believe one must keep up ones’ style even when one does not feel up to it!

Over the next few weeks I will be to writing on a series of topics which will include:

  • How to define your shape
  • How to dress for your shape
  • How to Shop for your shape
  • Wardrobe editing 101
  • Winter 2012 trends
  • and much more

So please stay tuned and thank you for your loyalty.  Let the fun begin….

Jo

 

 

xxx

 

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Luxury Shopping versus Investment Shopping

March 19, 2012 By 3 Comments

Buy now, wear forever.

I came across a very interesting piece of information while I was reading the latest copy of  ”Shop till you drop” magazine and I was so shocked (pleasantly so) at an article about luxury versus investment purchasing that I just had to share it with my nearest and dearest – YOU!

I have always known that you get what you pay for but I have to be honest its only in recent years that the penny finally dropped along with me being in a better position financially to afford to “invest” in clothing, bags and shoes.  At last, I feel like I have finally grown up.  I’m at an age where I don’t need more clothes, I just need better clothes: smart, sophisticated, some of my own personality injected into the theme of things but I really just want some key pieces that are going to see me hold my own whatever the occasion may be.  Investment fashion won’t fall apart after one wash, will hold it’s shape and is going to feel beautiful to wear unlike its poor cousin from China who is cheap, breaks down after one wash and feels like is made up of a chemical cocktail.

As our ex-prime minister would say “let me be very clear here” – I am talking about investment fashion not luxury fashion. The difference is that investment shopping is about the smart buys that offer the best quality you can afford.  Quality that distinguishes itself through quietly flattering cuts, hard-wearing fabrics and garments that work from day to night, all year round.  In truth, when you add up the benefits of an investment piece, it’s actually worth more than the price you paid.  Allow me to demonstrate:

If you spend $2k on a classic designer bag and have it for two years (the approximate life expectancy of a standard It-bag) , it will only set you back about $2.50 a day.  Not bad.  Not bloody bad at all me thinks.

 

Investment Pieces

Proenza Schouler satchel handbag
$1,995 - net-a-porter.com

Bottega Veneta satin handbag
$1,380 - net-a-porter.com

Mulberry pocket bag
$1,400 - net-a-porter.com

Michael Kors zippered tote bag
$895 - net-a-porter.com

Lanvin handbag
$1,900 - net-a-porter.com

However……….

These luxury pieces, while they may be beautifully handcrafted, they are not going to be used every day and  they also may  fall out of fashionable favour very quickly, therefore not really giving you a good return on your investment (however if anyone would like to gift one to me I would be most grateful and extremely humble).
Luxury purchases

Christian Louboutin shoulder bag
$1,195 - net-a-porter.com

Alexander McQueen suede clutch
$2,645 - net-a-porter.com

Chloé patent leather handbag
$2,395 - net-a-porter.com

Victoria Beckham oversized handbag
$3,495 - net-a-porter.com
So what is your idea of luxury versus investment.  I have always dreamt of owning a beautiful timeless evening Chanel clutch that I could hand down to my daughter – I don’t know if I will ever get the opportunity but dreaming doesn’t cost any money so that is a pretty good ROI (return on investment).
Paris Hilton you have a lot to answer for….
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What JoJo Wore To A Wedding

March 5, 2012 By 5 Comments

The Wedding The Wine Tasting and The Weather

I do love a wedding.  Especially when it is a five star wedding and the loved up couple own a vineyard and have a wine collection that would knock the cork off any wine buff worth their weight in Penfolds Grange Hermitage.  The wedding service and reception was held at Melbourne’s iconic  Stokehouse restaurant in St. Kilda, Melbourne overlooking the bay.  The weather was a shocker – it rained non-stop all day right up until the last drop of fine wine was licked from the bottom of whatever glass was left on a table.   Sods law that!  However, our beautiful bride Karen was not going to let the weather rain on her parade – and nor was the Stokehouse restaurant.  The team there were on full alert and since we couldn’t have the service on the balcony they made sure that the restaurant was prepared for the service to take place inside.  They did a fine job as you would expect from one of Melbourne’s best restaurants.

For those of you who read my blog regularly you will know that I have a “thing” about customer service and I tell you what; the Stokehouse delivered on all fronts, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left.  Attentive, friendly and professional.  The food – to die for.  One of the highlights of the evening was having a wine tasting on each table.  Each table was given one bottle of wine covered to conceal its true identity.  I love wine but I am totally ignorant of the origins of whatever I am drinking – much to our friends disgust I still put the odd ice cube in my sav blanc on a hot day.  I was clearly not going to be any help to our table.  However, it was a lot of fun and to give you some idea of the quality we were tasting, one table scored a bottle of Grange Hermitage (not sure what vintage it was) interestingly they weren’t successful in identifying it.

What I Wore

My dress is from Sacha Drake and I only decided at the last-minute to wear it as what I had planned to wear was a better suited to a warmer day and given the weather had turned on us this dress was a perfect choice.  What I love about this dress is that it is very flattering and elegant.  It suits my hourglass figure but equally it would also be suitable for an apple or column figure.  If you are wanting to hide a muffin top this dress is perfect for you too, as it sits just under the boobs and with the silk tie wrapping around and then falling right in front of where you are wanting to cover up any past indiscretions e.g. pastries, wine, tim tams that short of thing.  I wore a Nancy Ganz underneath just to even out any lumps or bumps.

Have you been to an interesting wedding lately and what did you wear.  I love hearing about other peoples wedding stories good bad or funny.  Let’s hear it.

Have a great week.

Jo

xxx

 

Nigella? No, just me cooking dinner for my daughter and step-daughter before leaving for the wedding.

 

 

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Dear JoJo. I need some fashion advice……

February 28, 2012 By 2 Comments

One of my readers recently wrote in for some advice on how to wear an orange maxi skirt.

 I’m thinking of getting a long orange maxi skirt. I am tall but just turned 61, not thin but I am busty …what do you think? Some input please. I like the new orange color that is out and I would wear flat sandals, but what do I wear for a top? Nothing really short and I don’t think black would look well with it either.

 

So I got to thinking….. you could easily go with 2 totally different looks here.  Below I have chosen a demure neutral top and a bright purple top just for some variety.  Of course it depends on your colouring as to what shade of neutral you go and equally purple may not be your thing but you could try another vibrant colour like cobalt blue .  Given that my reader is 61 years of age I am going to assume (perhaps wrongly) that she may like the more demure look as it is more sophisticated and subtle but that doesn’t mean anyone of any age can not wear a bright colour – it just is some times wise to choose one bright colour  and team it with a softer colour as opposed  to wearing 2 bright colours at once eg purple and orange, as it can be a bit much especially if you do not have youth on your side.

Anyway, would love to know your thoughts.  Do you like to wear bright colours and if so, how do you wear them?

 

The long orange maxi

 

 


D G silk top
$235 - stylebop.com

Mason by Michelle Mason lace top
$245 - net-a-porter.com

Roksanda Ilincic skirt
£715 - brownsfashion.com

Wrap skirt
£81 - farfetch.com

Mango long maxi skirt
£35 - mango.com

Oroton flat shoes
225 AUD - oroton.com

Oroton clutch wallet
295 AUD - oroton.com

Chloé Love Chloé EDP 30ml
£40 - harveynichols.com
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The Ultimate in Customer Service

January 31, 2012 By 6 Comments

The Ultimate Jumpsuit was brought to me by

The Ultimate in Customer Service

Confused?  Let me explain.  My husband and I had been invited to a friend’s birthday up on the Gold Coast and for some unexplained reason I was fixated on finding the perfect jumpsuit to wear to the party.  The dress code is what I would call “cocktail glamour” so I knew in my mind what the jumpsuit should look like but I hadn’t been able to find one that ticked all the boxes.  There are plenty of jumpsuits out there, in fact they are not that hard to find unless you have the following criteria:-

  1. Compliment but not accentuate my bust and hips.
  2. Show off my waist.
  3. Needs to flatter by curves.
  4. Halter neck with wide straps so that it covers all upper body “imperfections”.
  5. Sexy not slutty (I turn 50 this year so my slutty days are well and truly over – sadly).

Between you and me I don’t think that is a big ask but apparently my expectations are way over the top and totally unrealistic according to the looks on the few sales assistants I met.  Time was running out and I was starting to despair with only 48 hours to go before we left for the airport.  Was I panicking? You bet your jumping jumpsuit I was!  Then I had a brainwave….. Sacha Drake!  I jumped on-line and searched her website and there it was – my jumpsuit – be still my beating heart.  I immediately phoned their head office in Queensland and spoke to Kate and told her of my burning desire to own a Sacha Drake jumpsuit but with only 48 hours left how on earth am I going to get it in time.  God bless lovely Kate for sensing my hysteria as the first thing she said was “I am sure we are going to be able to deliver the jumpsuit to you in time”.  Excuse me …. that is not what I was expecting to hear.  I was expecting all the reasons why it couldn’t be done.  Also, I wanted to be sure that it was going to be suitable for my shape so Kate explained all the benefits of the jumpsuit and how it would address all my concerns (see above).  She then calmly and efficiently took down my details and then told me that  she would be going to the post office and putting it in an overnight express bag so I would have it the next day.  This was at 4.30 pm Melbourne time.  The lovely Kate also said that if, when I received the jumpsuit and the size wasn’t right to phone her immediately and she would send the right size to my hotel on the Gold Coast so that it would be there when I arrived.  Well Kate – you had me at Hello.  This ladies and gentlemen is a rare example of exemplary customer service.  Clearly, the team at Sacha Drake are very committed and focussed on satisfying their customers.  What Kate did was take my problem away from me and make it hers and did so in a very friendly and professional way.  The jumpsuit arrived the next day and it was the perfect fit.  So within 24 hours I had gone from jumpsuit despair to jumpsuit very happy!

I am now a raving fan of Sacha Drake.  I have told so many people about my wonderful experience, urging them to  have a look at the Sacha Drake website.  Kate made it seem so easy and effortless and that is how customer service should be.  Maybe, just maybe, Australians would be less inclined to shop on the internet and send their money offshore if all Australian retailers had the same company culture of Sacha Drake.

Do you have a customer service story – good or bad – you would like to share?  I would love to hear about it and I know my readers would too.

 

Jo

xxx

 

Sacha Drake Jumpsuit can be worn many ways - winner!

 

 

 

So what do you think? Do you think I nailed it or not?

 

 

 

 

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Christmas Inspiration – 5th Day of Christmas

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Day 5, December 29
Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch:  1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity’s sinful failure and God’s response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

 

However if Five Gold Rings don’t do it for you then how about this……

 

Wishing You a McQueen Christmas

 


 

Dear Santa.  Black. Velvet. Jacket. PLEASE.

 

 

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