When I am old...

Whatever your age, it is essential that you take your personality and lifestyle into account. On the whole, as we get older, we need a bit more or slightly weightier fabric, to help camouflage the lumps and bumps that tend to come from nowhere, and we are better to incorporate trends, rather than do the whole look from top to toe!

I always think it is worthwhile considering the elements of clothing that you enjoyed wearing in the past. For example, I preferred the seventies more hippy styles with crochet, wild colour and wacky patterns. So, to my reckoning if your personality and shape hasn't changed that much, then the probability is that much of this fashion will still work. Just make sure that you aware of how the original fashion may have been a bit revamped. A good trick can be to look at how the youngsters are doing it, then remove at least one of the pieces. Most importantly your make-up should be bang up to date so that you don't look stuck in a time warp.

When I am “Personal Shopping” or “ Wardrobe Weeding” what often comes up is the concern that ladies have of looking the same and not having enough variety in their repetoire. For sure you don't need ten pairs of black trousers, but remember that we do wake up and look the same! I have waited for the day when I wake up blonde and slim, but it hasn't happened yet! Therefore, it pays to understand what your assets really are and go with them! Classic has never done it for me, so why bother? If you are a girl, then be a girl! If you are sporty, you will probably find that high heel boots will work better than shoes. So you can alter your look, but always maintain what feels best.

Play up your best features in tops and bottoms that hug your curves in all the right places and camouflage the ones you don't like as much. With age our waistline tends to disappear a bit more, so it can be more important to find ways of creating the illusion of a waistline rather than opting for blazer styles, a shaped jacket will be more flattering.

Cover up unsightly flesh, but don't hide what may be your best asset, such as shapely legs or firm arms. Some older ladies are firmer and fitter than their younger counterparts! Invest in a few quality pieces that will run and run so make sure you really love these and play with a variety of accessories and - finally but essentially, spend money on lovely undergarments because these are more key than many ladies realise to making your wardrobe both flattering and stylish – hippy and braless will not work second time round!

My theory is that looking like mutton dressed as lamb is more exciting that mutton looking like mutton, where's the challenge and excitement in that??

isme

phase eight

Shades of purple should feature in all wardrobes, you don't need to be any particular age, but if you still fee sure you are past trying...read on!!

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

by Jenny Joseph

A red hat that will suit from Holly Young Hats! 

www.princeshousecornwall

Colour Me Beautiful Products

To make it easier for you to purchase your "Colour Me Beautiful" products on-line, I have created a specific site which caters purely for these products.

Hopefully you find this an easy site to use and I welcome any feedback!

All other services you will find business as normal on my main website at www.looksmagic.biz

Here's the new link:

ColourMeBeautiful

Keeping Your Cool

Keeping your ‘cool’ at work can be a challenge during these hot and muggy spells, but you still need to be aware of the impression you create. While the South West is blessed with the opportunity to dress down a bit, be careful not to look like everyday is POETS* day!

So check out this list of potential no no’s!

Don’t forget that too much flesh on show is never appropriate in the business world, medical or teaching professions. Forget what you have been told, a cover-up job is now essential! It’s a sheer waste but you now need to layer up those lightweight fabrics! Strapless is a definite no-no and, generally, a short sleeve rather than no sleeve will ensure propriety.

Legs should be kept under wraps, so slightly above the knee is as far as any skirt should be allowed to creep and the flabbier or more abundant the flesh is, the more it needs to be harnessed! While young flesh is more sightly, it can still be quite distracting! Getting cheeky with clients or colleagues will not be tolerated. While underwear these days is both attractive and practical, the name defines where and how it should be worn. Any flesh that decides it has it’s own get out clause, should be firmly dealt with, extra fabric, fastenings and layers called in as reinforcements.

Flip flops tend to be a call to your bodyboard rather than the boardroom and too obvious a fake tan could look like you are faking it until you make it and spending your time downing the shots rather than calling the shots.

Jangly jewellery will ensure that fellow workers lose their cool so keep it simple and eyecatching not noisy. And finally, hosiery! The given rule is to wear at all times, but I take a more lenient approach! As long as your legs have a bit of colour and it is not immediately obvious that they are bare, then you may just get away without!

Enjoy the sun while it shines!

*Poets - piss off early tomorrow’s Saturday!

The perfect sunless addition to your cosmetic list

www.arbonneinternational.co.uk ID 441090402

Be Seen and Heard

As the recession filters more and more into every aspect of our daily lives, businesses are increasingly under more scutiny, as are you and your role.  Your profile and visibility become even more important, whether as a team member or individual pioneer.  Now it’s imperative to stand out and deliver.

My motto is “Be Seen and Heard”, set the scene, don’t follow the herd! This message is all about branding yourself or business in such a way that you have the impact and presence that attracts people to YOU! With every enterprise, this takes into account that you need to attract the appropriate business that benefits you and your customer/client base, it is a case of mutual attraction.

It is vital that you engage people in a positive and vibrant way. If you fail to recognise that it is human nature to identify with success rather than failure, your business is doomed! So, whether your business is booming or feeling the hideous drain of a dragging recession, you need to manage the perceptions that others have of you.

Look like a failure, you start to feel like a failure and the spiral will surely whirl downwards. Look great and feel great and suddenly you engage with a more positive energy which in turn attracts more visibility and engagement.

Whether on a more personal or professional level, you need to be seen, be consistent with who you or your brand is and make sure that people like what they see! This of course means that you have to be seen to be proud and enjoy what you are offering. One of the biggest lessons that it is worth reminding ourselves, is that if we don’t like ourselves, why would we expect anyone to like us. Put that into a business model and learn to love every aspect of your product, even if that means you. Then you have some chance of sharing this love with a world that needs you and what you have to offer!

Clare delivers “Be Seen and Heard”  life coaching and personal or business branding sessions so that you can develop an authentic, attractive and visible profile.

Choosing the right colours and styles creates your most flattering visual effect!

(Photo George Greene @phaseeight Truro)

Get the "F" Factor

In the many years that I have been an Image Consultant, I have enjoyed the privilege of browsing through many women's wardbrobes. As well as discovering what the thought process has been behind some fabulous purchases and some overwhelming disasters, there has been some consistency.

As an abiding rule, despite many attempts to revolt and express “ourselves” we have been inspired or held back by our mothers and close friends/partners and, secondly, no matter what our budget, we simply love to bag a bargain!

My “bargain-hunters” are just as likely to enjoy a hefty bank balance as they are to be restricted to a stringent allowance. The beauty is that looking great need never depend on how much you paid. How often have you received compliments in an outfit that you bought for peanuts in the sales or on ebay and felt smug that it didn’t even cost a fortune. Charity shop finds have become the latest in true fashionista shopping and refashioning items is an upcoming trend.

The joy of shopping successfully is all down to knowing how to wear clothes that suit you and suit their purpose. Whilst I appreciate that well tailored clothes in sumptuous fabrics with design and detail will dazzle and and delight, the “D” factor can easily be diminished by the powerful “F” factor.

The Frugal Fashionista is finding her place by securing fabulous pieces that still fit, flatter, feel great, function and add fun. So remember ladies, it is not about what you spend, it is about what you buy! A bargain is only ever a bargain if you would have loved it at full price and every purchase must have a place in your heart before it is worthy of a place in your wardrobe, whether it cost five hundred or a fiver!

Clare can show you how to identify the gaps in your wardrobe or create them if you need to declutter! Contact her at www.looksmagic.biz or clare@looksmagic.biz

Photo taken at a recent event at Phase Eight, Truro.

 

The Demise of Shopping

Having celebrated that fact that I had filed my tax return , an annual dread and chore, I decided to enjoy the luxury of spending the afternoon in town, well the big City of Truro, that is! Living so close and shopping for clients, rather than myself, I spend surprisingly little time popping in and out just for a peek.

Luckily, I had the perfect excuse, as I was going round delivering invitations to our launch at Princes House Cornwall in Truro on 7th February. So, armed with a pile of invitations and reasonably comfy boots I headed into one of the few snowless towns in the UK!

Timed with yesterdays’s announcement ,on the news, that Christmas hadn’t heralded the shopping revival, as first predicted, this proved an enlightening experience!

Let me first take you back a bit! Do you remember what Christmas Shopping used to be like before the advent of the internet! Perhaps you remember it as I do, with the bustling excitement of anticipation, the cheerful lights, the buzz of frantic shoppers and the joy of playing and prodding and poking! Or, are you the person who remembers the cold, or freezing, conditions, shops packed full of coughing and sniffling and argumentative people, the battering of other combative shoppers armed with their loads and then the struggle of getting on the bus or carrying it all back to the car?

Of course, depending on which of these shoppers you are will have determined whether you spent your time on-line or out in the colourful, real, touchy feely world of shopping! I think you know which kind I am!

It is true to say that on-line shopping has taken on such a mantle that Parcelforce has increased its workload immensely, and, it would appear that, on the whole, people get what they expected and return no more of their internet purchases than their “real world” equivalents! By 2016, it is estimated that at least 25 percent of all shopping will be on-line, but talking to retailers and friends, I am surprised we haven’t already hit that figure!

So back to the lovely high street retailers! I am sure Truro reflects many towns across the country. I visited shops that are new, shops that have been around for 25 years and shops that have been family run for over a century and all of them were reflecting how quiet things are for them. I talked to people whose hours have been cut, who don’t know whether it is worth them reinvesting, who don’t know how to read shopping moods any more and who have changed their buying patterns in anticipation that they will have that vital something to offer! I even walked right past the recently closed Jessops whose curtains have already fallen which was the reality check and will be for all those retailers walking past the boarded up facade.

It is true to say, that some people seek out ideas on-line then head to the shops to feel and test the items, whilst others feel and test the items then head home looking for an internet bargain, at the expense of the retailer who has to account for stock.

The world is a changing place and judging by the feedback on the High Street, they are all feeling deflated, nervous and reticent to invest, which, of course, will not boost the economy!

What will life be like if we lose our towns to boarded up frontages, broken glass windows and tatty facades. Where will we meet and mooch? Shopping is a whole social experience of touching and feeling and conversation and aspiration and engagement and I, for one, hope that the “Real World” wins and that Truro and all the beautiful towns, villages and cities survive to enjoy a more vibrant future.

www.simonburtphotography.co.uk

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Come to the Grand Launch of Princes House Cornwall...my exciting new location!

Princes House, the Grade II listed Georgian townhouse on Princes Street, Truro is currently being renovated in time for a grand launch event on Thursday 7th February, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Princes House Cornwall will be host to the best Bridal and Image Services in the South West and that includes "Looks Magic", my image and colour services. The building is being transformed to bring out its character and beauty, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to deliver for every bride; the real red carpet treatment. For anyone planning a wedding, Princes House Cornwall is THE place to start.

Of course, all my normal Image Services will also still be available! We're giving away some exclusive prizes at the launch, including a makeover, photoshoot,and vouchers so make sure you book your place to be in with a chance to win.

The launch is open to members of the public from 6pm on Thursday 7th February.

To book places phone 0844 272 0338 or email princeshousecornwall@gmail.com or let me know at clare@looksmagic.biz