Many of us would like to be taller than we are, and many petite women envy their long legged, taller ’sisters’.  And in some ways that’s a shame because lots of great adjectives go with petite: cute, compact, pretty, charming, feminine, sweet, dainty, delicate. However, when a petite woman dresses she doesn’t need to advertise her shortness. So there are some very useful guidelines to keep in mind if you are 5′4″ /160cms or less. If you don’t fit into this category don’t be too quick to dismiss the ideas here. Why? Because whenever we appear taller, guess what??? That’s right! We look slimmer!

At best these suggestions will increase your apparent height at worst, they won’t advertise or exacerbate your lack of it.

• Think Narrow

Avoid wide hemlines on skirts, dresses and pants instead choose slim leg trousers, jeans, straight skirts or very subtle A lines. If you are slim and petite, then try the skinny jeans option , they may just work for you.

• Bright Colours on Top

Use eye catching, bright colours to direct attention to your top half while keeping the bottom half quietly dressed in deeper and/or neutral colours. When the onlooker’s eye is drawn upwards, you will appear taller.

• High Horizontals.

Horizontal lines demand the eye’s attention, so incorporate these into your dressing. But place them high on the body, preferably above the bust.  (Be careful of this strategy however, if you are large busted.)

• Choose Heels

I know there are times when we need to slip into some flats, but NEVER when we don’t want a neon sign on our forehead flashing short person….short person…. Medium to high heels are the obvious device to add height. However, as well as adding inches, they also change our demeanour and posture in ways that add to the illusion of being taller.

• Short Shorts

Ok, you need to have the legs for this option but if you do, go girl! Short shorts lengthen the leg while longer ones don’t, especially if they are wide legged. And that’s not rocket science.

• Ditch the Crops

We know this is a really contentious suggestion.  Cropped pants and capris are the “couture de Aussie summer”. Yes they are comfortable, yes they are available in every chain store and yes they come in every colour but…NOTHING MAKES OUR LEGS LOOK SHORTER and our bottom closer to the ground.!

For some of you, these suggestions may be useful on a daily basis. Or perhaps they just might be helpful for special occasion dressing when it really does matter to you to look as tall and /or slim as possible. However you use them, we hope they give you some ideas for looking  fabulous!

Here’s a link to a website that may be useful for the petite girls who are over having to alter everything!

http://www.pocketdiva.com.au

THE TRUTH ABOUT SHOULDER PADS.

Personal Stylist Sharron-Del Wakley talks about the use of the humble shoulder pad to change your body shape

Big hair, big earrings and big shoulder pads are synonymous with the 1980’s.  As fashion toned down in the subsequent decades the big hair and the big earrings were downsized but shoulder pads were totally eliminated from our wardrobe.  Yet as an invisible accessory, they are hard to beat. With the exception of those few women who naturally have a broad, square shoulder line, every woman will be flattered by a shoulder pad. When we look back over the last 100 years, shoulder pads have been in vogue for most of that time. There have only been brief periods when they were considered passé. This season we have seen their resurgence as a style feature. Long may the trend continue.  However, when this fashion fad has run its course, as indeed it will, hopefully the unobtrusive and subtle shoulder pad will still remain.

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Do you know what an image consultant is? If not, then it’s time you learn what they are and how they’ll be able to help you in all areas of your life. Whether you’re aiming to create an impact in front of people, want to present yourself better, looking to create your own personal style or would just like to feel good about yourself, then the services that image consultants provide are just what you need.

The benefits of image consultants go just beyond personal improvement as well. Corporations and large scale businesses have been known to use them in order to establish their very own distinct looks and identities. They are well trained in terms of identifying problems and provide you with various available solutions.

Image consultants will be able to teach you how to understand your body more. Color, height, proportionality – Everything that you will need to learn in order to achieve the look that you’re aiming for will be taught by the consultant. How will this be able to help you? Well, in essence, understanding your physical features deeper will help you pick out particular styles and combinations that will set you apart from everyone else.

Weddings, special occasions, public speeches; these are just a few of the occasions that you will need to present yourself properly. And it is exactly the reason why you need image consultants by your side. You’d have to remember that during these occasions a simple mistake in the way that you look – clashing of styles, mismatch of colors in dress, and unbalanced makeup can create the wrong impression that everyone will remember for a long time.

A good image consultant will be completely honest in the way that you are presenting yourself, which is exactly what you need. It’s hard to get an honest opinion from other people because they are not familiar with what looks good.  Most people will simply tell you that you look okay just to be nice even when your outfit doesn’t match.

You might think that image consultants are just for women wanting to look good, and you’d be wrong. Now, more men are starting to get the services of image consultants in order to create their very own positive impressions in the workplace or in social settings.

The right image consultant will be able to help you boost your image as well as self confidence. Another advantage when getting the services would be the lasting value of knowing your very own fitting style as well as color combination’s. While you might end up using the services again in the future in order to create more of a distinct look or for a special occasion, it’s will not be as extensive. This is because you’ve already learned the basics and all you’d need is a little fine tuning with the help of the consultant.

You can contact us on Tel 02 9542-3042 or 0409 914 583

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For a man enlisting the services of an image consultant means that he is ready to take the journey of self discovery. The way he looks and thinks about himself and the way he dresses will be forever altered by this journey he undertakes. With the assistance of an expertly trained professional his future shopping experiences will become easier and dressing for any occasion will be more successful. At first many men are astonished by what they don’t know and how much they have to be taught since good grooming goes way further than selecting the correct tie and buying a suit.

These are the things that a fashion image consultation can help men with:

• An Understanding of Body Shape. This permits a man to create an understanding of his silhouette, vertical proportions and positive or negative features. With this information he will learn what styles and garments will enhance and flatter him.
• Principles of Colour Line and Design.  This is the part that unravels many when it comes to the skills of good dressing. When shopping for clothes few people are well trained in this area and therefore make poor choices when selecting their clothes. If they have an instinctive concept that what they have purchased is not pleasing, they infrequently do not know why and so time after time makes the errors.
• Selecting the Correct Garments. Using the information obtained in the body shape analysis, he should be given an all-inclusive list of clothing styles that will assist him look his best for any function.
• Knowledge on Accessories. This is a priceless ingredient of the consultation since accessorising correctly is very imperative to a man’s visual image. It is this feature of a man’s wardrobe that allows a man articulate his individualism and personality style.
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Saving time and money with the help of a personal stylist is not wishful thinking.  Are you overwhelmed every time you walk into a shopping centre looking for clothes? Are the endless options so mind boggling that you choose coffee and cake and then head home empty handed? Was shopping always so difficult?

Well, only you can answer the first two questions but as for the last, the answer is no! Shopping has evolved into a very different experience to what it was midway through last century. Where once we shopped in a couple of favourite boutiques or ‘ladies’ stores’ in the centre of our suburban shopping strip, today we shop in huge, multi-levelled edifices crammed with stores stocked with low cost, imported product. Service consists of taking your money at the check-out after you have rummaged through endless rows of clothes dangling from coat hangers or worse still, lying discarded on the floor by the previous faceless shopper. To make the entire experience even more unsettling, every second night our favourite current affairs program is featuring some gorgeous young thing prattling on about what’s current, what must be worn by everyone this season and how easy it is to create this season’s “look”. Their words and accompanying images swim around in our brain as we trudge the tiled floor of our nearest shopping centre. When it all becomes too much and our cries for help go unheeded, we admit defeat and retreat to the car park.

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