Tag Archives: body shape

Don’t go by trend – your clothes need to fit you properly.. the FIT is crucial!

When choosing a garment, we tend to get excited when we see something that we love. The colour, the style… it is just what you are looking for.
However, what you need to think about is the FIT!
Susan is wearing a beautiful red blouse, she is going by some of her rules for her body and style preference, but is following the trend and not thinking about one of the most important things.. the FIT.

The blouse is way oversized, making her look larger than she actually is.

BEFORE …

AFTER ….

Look at the green blouse, can you see the garment fits her so much better. She looks slimmer! 

Check out all the things in your wardrobe… the FIT is crucial. If your clothes do not fit you properly, you will feel uncomfortable , you won’t enjoy wearing them and sadly, you are not making the best of yourself.  You probably later on, will decide to buy another top because of this, so wasted your money!

How to be confident in 2019

My passion in life is to teach people how to look good, feel confident and be more successful.

The reason I feel so strongly about helping people is that when I was a young child, I had no confidence, my looks were described as ugly, and my success was nil.

A shy, thin, naive girl who had few friends, suffered from alopecia, was bullied by many, and did not have the confidence to have a voice and say no.

As a result, growing up was a challenge, as I had little knowledge of the outside world.  I did everything I could to better myself, to become a successful person who was talented, liked, confident, and attractive.  Along the way, I attracted the wrong people due to my lack of confidence and knowledge.

Thankfully, it all turned around in my forties.  My newfound confidence shifted my world, my career, my health and my relationships.  After years of education, discussion and practice, I would like to share with you my 8 top tips on how to be confident.

1. Be your unique self

This is one of the most important things to get right.  Finding out who you are, is crucial to your look.  We want to show off your personality, your quirks and your style.

We tend to copy others to look amazing, and realise it doesn’t work on us.  Why copy others, when we have amazing traits ourselves?

Write a list of your authentic strengths, qualities and values.

What is unique about you?

To help you do this, ask your close friends, colleagues or family to give you three words to describe your personality.  You probably, will be surprised with what they come back with.  It boosts your confidence with what they come back and say; you will be surprised and feel good.

Another example, would be to be in a room of people go out of the room for 10 mins what would you like them to say about you?

Once you have the words that relate to who you are, you then match them on the outside with your image.  By doing this, you will feel comfortable with what you are wearing and feel confident to be YOU!

2. Realise you are not alone

I have helped hundreds of people with their image.  When I speak to them for the first time, this is what they tend to say

  • I never knew how to look good when I was younger, or how to do my hair and never wore make-up because I didn’t know how to
  • I bumble along, not knowing what to wear or how to look, so I play safe and wear my jeans and a top. It doesn’t matter, as no one sees me
  • I feel stuck in a rut, I need help; I am hopeless
  • I don’t know what to choose in the shops or know what suits me I feel frustrated, and go home with nothing
  • I feel plain and boring – I want to change
  • I want to find out who I am, but I don’t know how
  • I would like to know what suits my body and colouring
  • I hate my body and am not the most attractive
  • I get up in the morning and say to myself “I don’t what to wear”

The majority of people, lack in confidence.  This is due to the lack of knowledge and know how.

What I say to people is “I hear this all the time”.

We were not educated when we were younger on how to apply make-up, how to wash our hair, how to come across, what suits our colouring and how to make the best of our body.

Dont feel upset and lose confidence over this.  We didn’t have the knowledge and education to understand what to do.  We all feel the same.  We all hate something about ourselves, it is normal.

3. Show off your assets

We all have good areas in our bodies.  Have a good look at yourself and make a list of what they are.  To begin with, you will find this difficult, but as your confidence grows, the list will get longer.

For example 

  • If you have good teeth or a smile, let people see and smile more.
  • If you have amazing legs, show them off wearing a lighter colour, make them longer by wearing the same colour shoes as trousers.
  • If you have great hair, make that your asset.
  • If you have a good figure, wear fitted clothing to show it off.
  • If you have gorgeous eyes, let people see them.

Whatever your assets are, don’t be afraid to show them off.  When people notice, this will affect your confidence.

4. Don’t hide

Due to not being confident, the first thing we want to do is hide.  Our confidence will not grow, until we go out of our comfort zone and show ourselves to the world.

This could be wearing baggy clothes, hiding behind our hair and wearing dark clothing.  By doing this, we are not showing off our lovely personalities, faces and bodies.

Let’s think of the basics – wear clothes that fit you well.  Ensure you have cleaned your face and body with a good cleanser and moisturiser.  Wear simple make-up ladies.  Your hair should be clean, cut well, excellent condition and coloured by an expert.

5. Understand your body

We all have unique bodies that are different shapes, sizes and lengths.  To make the best of yourself and to feel confident, you need to understand your own body.

This would be:

  • To know if you have shortness or length and to know how to balance out your bodies to look the best when choosing an outfit.
  • To know your body shape to understand what cuts, fabrics and finishes to go for to make the best of your body.
  • To know where you are going right and wrong with your clothing choices and how to move forward correctly.
  • To know what garments work for your personality to show yourself off, again boosting your confidence.

Having this information has made a massive difference to my confidence.  When you are not confident you are indecisive, which is so frustrating inside.  When you have been educated, and go by your own personal rules, things are much easier and clearer to make decisions.

6. Wear colours that make you look young, fresh and radiant

Colour has a huge effect on our appearance and confidence.  When you wear the wrong colour, it can make you look sad, grumpy and unsure about yourself.  People can run a mile if you are looking aggressive or untrustworthy.

Understanding your dominant colour characteristics, makes a massive difference to your confidence, look and the way you are perceived.

Example 

  • If you have light hair eyes and skin, wear light colours
  • If you have dark hair, eyes and skin, wear darker colours
  • If you have some brightness to your hair and skin wear bright colours
  • If you look muted and soft within your skin wear softer colours
  • If you have yellowy coloured skin, wear gold accessories
  • If you have cool, pinky coloured skin, wear silver accessories

I am giving you the basics of colour analysis.  The best thing would be to have your colours analysed for you to look approachable and attractive to others, as well as feeling great yourself.

7. Body language

When you are not confident, you hold your head low and find it difficult to look at people.

Go out of your comfort zone and try these things:

  • Smile – people like being smiled at, it makes you feel good
  • Eye contact try and look at people in the eye. Maintaining eye contact shows confidence
  • Posture stand with your head held high and straight
  • Handshake  we don’t want a wet fish! A firm, simple, strong handshake is required
  • Walk with confidence

This is all to do with nonverbal communication.  Your choice of colour, clothing and hairstyle are also to do with your body language.

Certain colours can have an effect on your mood.  All these little judgments have an effect on a first impression.

8. Don’t stop

When you have all the skills, you will feel so much better within yourself and won’t be so frightened to try things.

All these little changes will make a massive difference to your life as so many of my clients that I have helped. You will have a light bulb moment where you will realise that actually.

I AM OK!

I AM A TALENTED, UNIQUE, GORGEOUS HUMAN BEING

THAT HAS SO MANY SKILLS

AND I AM READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD

Finally, keep moving forward and going out of your comfort zone.  Don’t forget to practice the steps.

This is what one of my recent clients had to say

Thank you for your consultation with me.  You were so sensitive and encouraging.  I think you have a real gift for the work you do, helping each of us re-kindle confidence and enthusiasm in what can be a vulnerable area of our lives, often kept very private.

Thank you for helping to re-awaken a more playful and engaged connection with my appearance

If you wish to know more, then I would be excited to help boost your confidence.

Your comments on my blog, would be very much appreciated.

style consultation

“Thank you for your consultation with me.  You were so sensitive and encouraging.  I think you have a real gift for the work you do, helping each of us re-kindle confidence and enthusiasm in what can be a vulnerable area of our lives, often kept very private.

Thank you for helping to re-awaken a more playful and engaged connection with my appearance !”

Anonymous client

Why Meghan Markle’s wedding dresses worked…

Meghan Markle looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day, with two amazing dresses.

The first wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, was simple, plain and classic.  It featured long sleeves and a boat neck neckline.  The 16-foot veil made a dramatic entrance. To finish off her accessories, being her tiara, bracelet and earrings matched the simple look and oozed class.

The second dress had another clean look, was more sexy, again lacked embellishments and lace.  I loved the modern high halter neck and the flowing feminine look at the bottom.

Her hair, was in a relaxed up do – she tucked loose strands behind her ears when flowing in the wind, again giving that modern look.

If we look at Meghan’s style, she is in total control of each outfit.

 

Style

They all have a common theme of being classic, clean and modern as well as having some bravery about them.  This could be the handbag, colour, print or the design of the outfit.

Because of this, it was obvious that her wedding dress was going to be simple and understated.

Meghan’s choice of colour with the majority of the outfits are contrasty and bold.  She looks fabulous in cool white, showing off her hair and skin colour.

Colour

Both wedding dresses were white which perfectly complements her hair and skin tone.

Body lines

Due to her straight body shape, the tailor has complemented her shape, following the lines of her body perfectly.

The boat neck widens her shoulders, showing off her petite narrow frame.

Even her shoes complement the lines of her body.

Fabric

The fabric of the main dress was silk cady.  This is like a crepe, but with a crisper feel.  The silk added a little movement.  The perfect fabric for her straight body shape.

Finishes

Both dresses had straight finishes, again following the lines of her body and complementing her  style.

Around her face

What worked so well to finish off, was how the designer chose flattering contoured shapes worn around her face, which looked great.

The focus of the dress being the curved boat neck neckline, which complemented the features on her face.

The tiara and the earrings were a rounder shape.

It was so nice to see her beautiful open neck with no jewellery, focusing on the other parts of her jewellery.

This is such a ‘special’ day for women.  Having the perfect wedding dress is so important.  You want to look amazing, but feel comfortable at the same time.

It is vital that how you look is a version of the fabulous you!  Don’t copy anyone else, you are beautiful in your own right.  The wedding dress on someone else, will probably not work on you.  We are all different!

Ensure that you are making the correct choices to make the best of yourself.  Remember, it is your day… make it count!

If wish to here more tips on how to get it right, then please do follow me on Facebook.

Hourglass body shape

hourglass shape

Crista’s story …. age 51, colouring summer, height 5ft 6inches size 12, short legs, short waist and balanced shoulders.

Crista is giving you an example of her hourglass body shape.  Look how she has curved bones at the top and bottom of her body.  The aim here is to follow the lines of the body wearing fabrics that have stretch in them.

Below we see Crista around seven years ago before she saw me.  Here we see Crista in a beautiful khaki cardigan that is excellent quality, standard jeans and brown angular boots.

IMG_2805

 

Crista was not confident with herself or her body and used to wear beautiful clothes however, the clothes did not show off her gorgeous hourglass body shape and were not flattering her skin tone and made the hip area larger with the style of the jumpers chosen and the pockets.

The jeans could be more modern and fitted and the boots would look better if they were a rounder shape complementing her hourglass shape and a softer shade to go with her colouring.

Crista now … 

Crista afterGorgeous!! Now we can see her fabulous hourglass shape.  Crista is wearing a stunning berry colour to complement her cool, soft colouring.  Notice where the cardigan finishes – on the hip which disguises her short waist and elongates her short legs, but also shows off her great shape.

The jeans are fitted with stretch and are more up to date.  The ankle boots are a soft grey that elongates her height and slims down the hips.

Crista looks happy, confident and up to date.  To finish off the hair – a beautiful mid soft colour and a bob is a classic that works with Crista’s face shape and soft round features.  The make up is natural wearing soft pinks and greys to go with her cool, summer colouring.

What a difference!  Crista looks beautiful!

This is what Crista said about me: 

Maggi is a wonderful role model for women. For a number of years she has been my main inspiration for hair, make-up, colour analysis and style.

Although I had an idea how to dress, Maggi gave me the confidence and knowledge to wear clothes that actually make me look slimmer, more stylish and suited to my natural colour and shape.      

Crista Bramley, teacher, jewellery designer       Beer, Devon

 

 

 

Inverted Triangle – Body Shape

bev inv triangle

Inverted triangle

 

This is an example of an Inverted Triangle.

You are opposite to a Pear. You have a curvy top half and a straighter bottom half. The body is usually smaller at the bottom and larger/top heavy on the top.

To make the best of this body shape we need to balance out the body by making the bottom area larger. The aim is to draw the eye down by adding textures, layers, accessories and pattern.

 

 

 

 

I have chosen a simple deep wide v-neckline top as this will reduce the size of the bust and the darker colour also minimises the top area of the body.

The grey jacket fits the body well following the lines of the body and also reduces the bust with the deep neckline.

These boot cut jeans are perfection for Inverted Triangles because they widen the lower leg and stop you looking top heavy. Also the colour is lighter than the top, again balancing out the body.

Wow look at these amazing red shoes – they will certainly draw attention to your great legs. Ensure that they are the same scale as your body – don’t go too skinny and angled!

 

 

Tip – a lot of ladies want to hide their larger bust by wearing baggy, heavy knitted jumpers.  This is a mistake – your making the top area even larger by doing this.

Wear darker, semi fitted low neck jumpers that have a lighter scale fabric which suits your body.

What is your body shape?

before

before

after

after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more clients I work with, the more I realise how very little women know what their body shape is and if they do know, what to do with their shape?  It is too confusing for women when looking at magazines and tv to find the answers.

Question … Am I an apple, brick, column or a strawberry?

I can tell you that the four body shapes are:

1. Hourglass 2. Pear 3. Straight 4. Inverted triangle.

We are all a variation of the these shapes; our bones on our body gives us the answer!

Julie’s story…

Age 47, height 5,6 colouring – warm, size 8 on top and 10 on bottom.

This is an example of a PEAR

The body is made up of two halves. A Pear has straight bones on the top and curved bones on the bottom. The body is usually smaller at the top and larger on the bottom. This is what you are born with and does not make a difference to what size you are.

To make the best of this body shape we need to balance out the body by making the top area larger. We do this by: layering, scarves, stripes, lighter colours, detailing and accessories. Your eye is then drawn to the top area of the body not making the problem area an issue. Simple!!

What body shape are you?

julie rowe after 2