"The best colour in the world is the one that looks good on you" - Coco Chanel 

Yip for sure Coco but which colour would that be?  Read on for the easy way to work it out and use it to enhance your look and importantly, how to wear colours you love that don't necessarily love you back and still get the benefits of colour.

But I got my "colours done" in the 80's
Yes, but with time our colouring can change so it's always good to do a refresh.

Why bother? 
Wearing the colours that work best for you near your face, will give your hair, eyes and skin a boost and make you glow and look more radiant, (and who doesn't want that?).  It may even give you a few "aha moments" as to why you don't feel good in a certain piece of clothing and how we can remedy that, and it definitely makes choosing which colour when shopping for your top half a whole lot easier.

So if you're curious
Grab a scarf, a piece of fabric or an item of clothing in silver and gold, hold them under your chin in good natural light, (not direct sunlight), with no makeup on and pay close attention.

If you're cool in colouring, (pink undertone), the silver will give you a lift, make your eyes sparkle, your complexion even toned and your chin line more defined while the gold will make the whites of your eyes more yellow, your skin tone uneven and sallow and create, (or enhance), under eye shadows .

Contrarily, people with a warm colouring (yellow or olive undertone), will look more fresh and radiant with the gold reflection. Once you know whether you come under the warm or cool group it's a matter of choosing the shades of any colour that have warm or cool underlying. (Warm hues have yellow undertones while cool have blue).

​From there you can assess which season you fall into:
Cool seasons are - winter - deep jewel colours and summer  - the softer tones of the cool palette.  Warm seasons are autumn - rich and earthy hues or spring the lights and brights of the warm palette.

Pinpointing your actual season takes a bit more work and involves more experimentation or perhaps a session with me, but knowing if you're warm or cool makes a huge difference in itself.

​​How  to wear the colours you love that don't love you?
"But I love my teal trench and can't actually envisage life without it and I'm a cool!"
Don't panic - I'm not here to be a total buzz kill and restrict you, and I too have items I love where it's totally unreciprocated. Here are some ideas on how to wear your less flattering colours while still getting the benefit of your ideal hues:

Wear it on the bottom half - I love terracotta or brick but if I decide to wear it I'll keep it on the down low, and wear one of my cool colours that will contrast  beautifully like silver, pale blue or  navy on the top half near my face and everyone's happy. 
Add a scarf or necklace in one of your best hues - I absolutely can't go past a teal or peacock blue, (also warm colours you lucky people), and I wear them on top but with a contrasting necklace or scarf in one of my best (silver).
Accessorise it - another way to wear colours that aren't in your crew is handbags, shoes or anything else that's not as up close and personal as a top or scarf.
Conclusion:
It's up to you to do with this knowledge what you will or ignore it altogether, but I hope it's another tool in your style toolbox and that you have some fun experimenting with  Coco's famous quote.
Freebie:
You can find the cool and warm palette online or in many books and I have just photographed mine from a book but if you would like your own colour sheet sent to you, email me with your address and which chart you'd like and I'll send it to you free of charge - stylesavvynz@gmail.com - alternatively I can email you the PDF to print.  Your'e welcome!

Wardrobe consultations are available now for June. Contact me to book a free 1/2 hour assessment on how I can make your wardrobe work for you or follow me on the socials for more style ideas and inspiration.​

 Autumn can be  a tricky time getting dressed as the temperature fluctuates - a lot!

It's not quite time to pull out the big guns -  ie full on winter woolies and coats - so you need a wardrobe solution to take you through the next few weeks that's practical, comfortable and still adheres to your personal style - (if you're not sure what this is find out here:    new-post-coming-december-1st.html),- then layering is the answer.

If the thought of layering brings up pictures of the Michelin man or random, mismatched outfits think again -with a bit of thought and creativity you can roll comfortably with days that vary by almost ten degrees by layering some of your summer wardrobe.

Why:

• To be comfortable throughout autumn and not too hot, (donning your full on winter woolies), or too cold (getting about in your flimsies and hoping for the best).
• To be creative, adding a new dimension to your newly organised wardrobe, (see Jan blog),​and keeping your look fresh and interesting in the interim season.
• To prolong wearing some of your summer pieces before they're tucked away for the long haul.
• So you don't your winters out too early and be tired of them by the time it's actual winter. 

Preparation:

• Put away your really high summer items - beach or sun dresses and super light fabrics can look incongruous if paired with layers. 
• Pull out some fine knits, (merinos are ideal), cotton tees (long or short sleeve), jackets and blazers.  Also dig out some tights, scarves, and boots and shoes from wherever they've been stored away for the winter.   

Five simple ideas:

1. Dresses and skirts -  add tights and and boots, a knit and/or a blazer or jacket . Keep a pair of sandals in your bag, or at work and if things heat up during the day remove a layer or 2, swap the tights and boots for sandals, (or just the boots), if things heat up midday.
2. Wear dresses or skirts over trousers - this trend, popular in the nineties is back on board, (not that it ever left for some of us because when executed well it's pretty timeless). Wear cigarette pants or a flare under your dress or skirt and then balance the look with a knit and/or blazer on top.  This works really well with: wrap dresses or skirts, tunics, or sheath style dresses. For an elegant twist a gilet, (long waistcoat) instead of a jacket works well.
3. Wear tees under slip or camisole dresses or tops or jumpsuits: depending on the neckline, a long or short sleeve tee or merino will create a warm layer along with some colour contrast then add a knit and/or blazer for the outer layer.  
4. Play with lengths: Cropped knits: look great over a longer top or shirt and long line cardigans can work with a shorter dress or skirt.
5. Scarves: really come in to their own in layering because there are so many ways to wear them and they're a great addition of texture, colour and contrast, and warmth.
   
   

Example:

​For more ideas : follow me on social media where I'll be posting more ideas for layering throughout April to keep you inspired, (and temperate).

Conclusion:
Layering is a creative way to utilise your summer wardrobe for longer, can be easily added and removed as the temperature dictates, and, is a great way of playing with colours, textures and shapes.  So what's not like?

Have fun with it and I'd love to know how you get on!  Message me with any questions about this or any other wardrobe issues or call to book a complimentary 1/2 hour assessment via phone/zoom or phone call.

For more style and fashion inspiration follow me on social media and keep an eye out for my next blog on " How to make colour work for you".