Summer Style: Find your personal style...unleash the style queen within.
3 March 2008
We talk about offering stylish resortwear for busy women. Why do we do that? Basically for ONE reason....confidence. We exist to help busy women look gorgeous and feel great - with a focus on summer. Why summer? well, we love summer but it can make the bravest of women cringe at the thought of baring more for all to see.
When a woman feels great about herself, her confidence shines and boy, does she deliver!
I must confess, that most of my life I've been very content to dress how I wanted to and feel good about myself BUT when I left my paid career and swapped it for a voluntary one where the pay is in hugs, kisses, screams and smelly bottoms...I couldn't believe how I just lost it!...completely lost my sense of self and with it, my sense of confidence. As for my personal style, the beast seemed to be well and truly dead...it had deserted me, or so I thought.
Truth is, years later, I find that it didn't die...it was hibernating - the winter was just very, very long!
Personal style and finding your sense of style is about YOU and that is why it can be so hard to find and why it's so scary to create! You put yourself out there and for many of us who have lost our confidence, that is confronting and overwhelming...safer to not do anything and try and melt into our environment.
Personal style is an outward expression of who you are...it tells your story. Instead of using words you use clothes, accessories, shoes, glasses, hats, makeup, scent and these days..mobile phones! I think a ring tone tells more about who you are than any dress will but that is a whole other story!!
So here are Holiday Girls tips for finding your personal style:
- ME time - without finding time for you, how do you expect to rediscover who you are. Set aside time each day for you, even if it's a cup of tea and an inspiring read. This also helps you to put yourself first...the key to building confidence.
- Drop the Guilt - if ever there was a destructive force, this is IT. It eats at the very heart of confidence. Drop it occasionally and see how liberating it feels and watch your confidence soar.
- Fall in Love - human is good but that's not what I'm talking about. Fossick and find things that truly strike a chord with you, that instantly give you a lift. For me it's my Sam Kaftan. I'm drawn to it's feel, lace detail and when I put it on I feel alive and dare I say it...sexy. My bold red dress ring from Diva (thanks Pip!) has the same effect - shazam...I feel empowered. Don't just buy something because you think that it's 'in'. That's soul destroying! Buy it because you love it and how it makes you feel. TRAP: don't use it as a crutch - you have to evolve and learn how to work it different ways, to let it grow with you...that's true love.
- Know your body shape and work with it - now we get down and dirty. It's all very well to deal with the 'soft side' but to deliver, you need to focus on the hard stuff too. We all come in different shapes and sizes, at different phases of our lives, gosh, even days of the month! To look great, you have to work with what you've got and make the most of the best bits. This way, the bits that aren't so memorable, stay that way. I've done this in my Swimwear Fit Tips to get an idea of where I'm coming from. Trinny and Susannah are absolutely brilliant when it comes to understanding this so I won't try and rip them off or re-invent the wheel...tiresome. Check out what they have to say, do the body shape test and act on it!
- Play and Be Brave - play with different clothes and accessories and see what effect they have on how you look. Include the stuff you love as a foundation and build on it from there. Don't be afraid to ditch the old favourites if they truly look 'off'. Explore new shapes and colours and move out of your comfort zone. Don't think for one minute that just because you've always worn pale blue to match your eyes, that's the only colour on the planet that you can wear! Colour palettes are another detailed blog topic but to get the general idea check out Nicolle's tips. Whilst they are about makeup they are easy to understand and are a great place to start.
- Build a Network of Trust about you - not only for support but for honest to goodness truth! When you are experimenting and trying to bring it all together, you need honest friends to tell you how it really is. Listen to them, play some more and find out for yourself if they are spot on with their advice or not. If not, gently remove them of their duties.
- Step Out - even if it's one step at a time, draw back the curtain and step out from behind it in something different every week or so. You will get notices and you will get feedback. Work with it. You never know unless you give it a go!
Personal style, as you do, evolves. I wish I could give it to you in a sachet to 'just add water' - sorry girls.
What you must do is rediscover you, enhance your assets, have fun experimenting and always work with things you love as a starting point.
Go get 'em your majesty!
Ciao for now.
H.G.
xx
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