Why Color is so important in Fashion

I came came across this great article today about the importance of Color written by  Susan Lockhart a leading Image Consultant in Brisbane. Colour is the first thing other people notice about us, and its impact is immediate and long-lasting. Our fashion color choices say a lot about the image we are trying to portray and how we feel about ourselves.  So what does color tell people? Within seconds of meeting you, others will respond to the 'color messages' flashed by your clothes. It is a fact that different colors can make people feel a certain way. It has even been determined by medical science that color can influence the viewer's hormones, blood pressure and body temperature. Colour also has an impact on: Your apparent shape Your apparent weight Your apparent personality Your emotions Others emotions Other important considerations are how appropriate the colour is for the location, occasion, time of year, your age and of course, your natural colouring. We are all influenced by colour every day, whether we realise it or not. If we're having a bad day and not feeling good about ourselves, we tend to automatically choose clothes in dull neutral colours like black, grey or brown because they match how we're feeling. Just as when we're happy and feeling great we will go for something a bit brighter. Have a look in your wardrobe and see how many different colours you own. Do you have a veritable rainbow of outfits? Or are there just 1 or 2 colours that you wear a variation of all the time? You may find you are stuck in a colour rut. Knowing this, why not experiment with the colours you wear and surround yourself with. The first rule is to always be guided by what suits your natural colouring - that is your skin tone, eye colour and hair colour. Once you know your best range of colours, you can choose different colours for different occasions. Sometimes a certain combination of colours will create the affect, rather than each colour individually. Colours produce different reactions when put together in different colour combinations and when used in different fabrics.  For example, a red jacket worn with a white shirt to a business meeting exhibits confidence and power, but a red jacket worn with a lacy red top may be interpreted as you having other things on your mind besides this business meeting. So which colours are appropriate for what situations? Which colours can help you portray a certain image? Here is a list of colours for woman that are ideal for a whole range of occasions: Blue-based reds: Suggests intelligence and femininity. Yellow-based reds: Energetic colour that keeps conversations going (Men are inherently attracted to yellow-based reds - a great colour for a first date) Purple: Stirs the senses and generates passion - great for creative endeavours Turquoise: puts other women at ease, encourages them to open up Lipstick red: implies strength and authority Medium blues: a calming colour that allows interactions to go smoothly Browns: non-threatening, stable, supportive and reliable (great for meetings with colleagues or clients) Remember, the most important thing is to choose colours that are a good fit for your natural colouring. There is no point choosing a colour that suggests creativity and confidence if it also makes you look washed out or sick. Wearing your best range of colours can have a huge impact on your wardrobe and your confidence. The right colours can make your skin tone appear more even, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles and make you look brighter and healthier. While on the other hand wearing a colour which isn't so good for you, can make you look tired, dull and even ill. A colour analysis with a professional image consultant will sh ow you exactly which range of colours are best for your clothing, makeup and accessories.    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Lockhart

Do you want to feel beautiful? Focus on your best features!

How often do you stand and look in the mirror, only to zone in on your figure challenges? “Ah, my bottom looks so big.” “My tummy is definitely not what it used to be!” “I wish I had longer legs”.

So often we only focus on the negatives, the things we don’t like about ourselves. Sometimes we can even get a bit obsessive about how bad we think our figure challenges are. This can make us a bit depressed, self-conscious, and insecure. It’s a bad cycle.

We are all different, we all have the body parts we try to disguise or camouflage. We have different body shapes. The key to looking good, and feeling confident, is to focus on your favorite features. 

 
Focusing on the positive rather than the negative makes you look at yourself in a different light. We each have features that we like about ourselves, and that’s good, it’s healthy. It’s not arrogant to admit that you have nice legs, or great hair. It’s good to be thankful for the positive things about ourselves.

So, I want you to think about your body. What are the 3 things that you love most about the way you look? Do you love your hair, do you have beautiful eyes? Do you have fabulous legs or a great bust? Each and every one of you is made beautiful. We need to celebrate our great features, and learn how to dress our figure challenges.

Looking great is all about working with your body shape, not against it. It’s all about creating balance, by camouflaging your figure challenges, and enhancing your favorite features. 

 
Color can hugely affect how proportioned you look. Knowing your body shape helps you to know what color to wear on what part of your body.

Here is my color rule: Wear darker, plainer colors on your areas of figure challenge, your larger half. Wear lighter, brighter colors and patterns or texture on your smaller half. The eye will be drawn to the lighter, brighter shades, and skip over the darker shades.

How to wear Merino? not only in winter!

http://www.confidencestyle.co.nz/services/makeover-package

   
I gave a Color Training to the staff of "I love Merino" Boutique in the Mount Manganui last week; and  I was impressed with the variaty of styles and colors that Merino offers! I Love Merino wear is not only for winter season, it can be worn as a basic piece any day of the year! 

Look at Katherine Hiegl’s Spring chic look!   The merino cardigan can be worn over a dress for a more comfy look and even used to replace a jacket for the office. The white shirt goes with everything (skirts, shorts or slacks).  The boots can be paired with a denim skirt or a dress; and let’s not forget the fashionable yellow bag – the perfect way  to add color to any outfit.  A merino cardigan is a great  investment and will, in the end, stretch your dollar by expanding your options. 
With some key pieces in the right colors, tops, scarves, dresses  which can be mixed and matched to create gorgeous combinations that will look great and feel conformable for work or casual.

See below for some examples. 

If you are looking for quality, colorful, merino wear, you can not go past "I love Merino" an exclusive Merino Boutique in the heart of Mt. Manganui with the largest range of merino in the Bay: Fashion merino, Superfine merino basics and Possum merino. Great gifts to send to your family and friends oversees.
I love Merino is situated on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Price Ave, downtown the mount. Open 7 days!

Struggeling to know what to wear? here some tips for stress-free dressing:

Looking good and feeling great means taking care of yourself – both inside and out. So often we are rushed of our feet and don’t really take time out to relax and have some me-time.

Many people today are stressed and need time out. There are so many causes of stress: family pressures, work demands, busyness, and financial pressure. And with all the other stress we have, we don’t need to add our overflowing yet still unworkable wardrobe to the equation.

Does your wardrobe stress you out? Do you feel like you’ve got nothing to wear? Do you go shopping, only to leave empty handed, frustrated and disappointed? You are not alone. It’s a very common problem, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here are some tips for stress-free dressing:

Sort your wardrobe out every season

Clutter = stress. Make it easier on yourself by only having viable options to pick from every morning. If you still have half a wardrobe of “skinny clothes” that don’t fit, you’ll only depress yourself. Make sure that your wardrobe is full of clothes that really work for you – they fit well, they don’t need repairing, they are clean, and they mix and match easily.

Know what suits you

If you don’t know what really suits you, then of course shopping is going to be stressful. Once you know what colours suit you, and what styles suit your body-shape you can shop with much more confidence. Check out our services to see how we canhelp.

Have some no-fail outfits

On those days that you don’t know what wear, you can fall back on your no-fail outfits. These are outfits that you know look great on you, tried and true. This could be a great black dress, or your favourite jeans with a gorgeous top and heels. Throw on some accessories and off you go.

Choose your outfit the night before

This is a great option for those of you who are definitely not “morning people”. Prepare all your clothing the night before, so that in the morning, you can just hop straight into it, accessories and all, and leave the house looking stylish.

 
Shop wisely

You can make shopping so much easier on yourself if you follow a few simple guidelines. Make a list of what you want. Only buy items that go with 3-4 other things you already own. Wear clothes that are easy to take on and off.