Dress With Confidence Style Guide
Dress With Confidence Style Guide
Dress With Confidence Style Guide
Style
Guide
www.dresswithconfidence.com
Look Good. Feel Confident. Every Day.
www.dresswithconfidence.com
Telephone
07938 135 585
Email
[email protected]
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Thanks so much for finding your way to my website and taking an interest in this
free Dress With Confidence Style Guide.
Good style advice lasts a lifetime. My focus is on helping you to look good, feel
confident and know what suits you so you can choose the right clothes in the
future. It really is possible to look and feel great every day.
I love fashion, of course, but believe good style advice lasts a lifetime. It’s so
important to know which styles and colours suit you so you always dress to flatter
your figure and colouring. There is no point in blindly following fashion if the latest
trend simply doesn’t work for you.
Style Coaching™ is all about looking good, feeling confident and knowing what
suits you so that you look great every day. It's very rewarding to see the positive
change in people once they see themselves as they wish to look and can make a
huge difference to their confidence, in all areas of their lives.
• Body Shapes
• Colour
• Accessories
• Wardrobe Decluttering
• Shopping
• Top 5 Common Style Errors
• 10 Styling Tips To Look Slimmer
Kind regards,
Alice
Alice Treanor
Personal Stylist & Style Coach™
The cut and colour of the fabric, type of material, pattern (or lack of it) as well as
accessories can all help to give the illusion of an hourglass figure. Once you know
the basic rules for your body shape, and know what to avoid, selecting the right
clothes becomes much easier.
• Pear
• Inverted Triangle
• Rectangle
• Hourglass
• Apple
People don't always fall neatly within these categories and so it's important to
have a professional body shape analysis to be sure you are dressing to suit your
shape.
You may be one shape bordering on another or you may largely fit into one
category but have a distinctive characteristic of another body shape. Also of course
you may be petite, large or tall in which case there are additional factors to
consider.
If you are particularly self conscious about a certain area of your body you can
focus in on it too much and fail to look at your figure in its entirety. This can often
lead to mistakes when choosing what to wear.
Don't fear, whatever your body shape there are clothes out there to suit and flatter
you. Here are the 5 body shapes and dressing tips for each one.
Your aim is to draw attention to your top half and add structure to your shoulders
whilst slimming the area below your waist. Pear's often have a defined waist which
of course you'll want to show off but be careful that this doesn't cause the width of
your hips to be accentuated.
• You have full hips, bottom and thighs with a smaller top half.
• Wear flat fronted, simple trousers in a dark colour with no pockets (or
pockets sewn up so that they don't bulge) that skim the hips and thighs.
• Chose materials of a medium weight for your bottom half so they don't cling
in an unflattering way. Be careful the fabric isn't too heavy however as this
could bulk you out.
• If you have a larger bottom then try to find trousers with back pockets
which break up the area.
• Low waisted trousers are better than high rise which accentuate the size of
your bottom.
• Avoid clothes which draw a line across your widest point. For example
don't wear contrasting colours on the top and bottom which meet across
the widest point of your hips or thighs. Similarly it's best to avoid jackets
which end at your widest point.
• Wear tops which draw the eye across the body to balance out your hips. For
example horizontal stripes or a boat neck in an eye-catching colour. V-necks
are to be avoided as they draw the eye down the body and will make your
hips more noticeable.
Inverted Triangle
This is a less obvious body shape and can be missed so you may not even have
realised that you are an inverted triangle. Models are often this body shape as
clothes hang very well on their structured shoulders.
Your aim is to draw the eye downwards away from your shoulders and create
curvier hips in order to bring balance to your figure.
• You take a larger size on your top half (although not always).
• Wear V-necks which draw the eye down and away from the width of your
shoulders.
• Wear A-line skirts which accentuate your waist and balance out your hips.
• Avoid tops with detail around the neck line and definitely avoid tops with
horizontal stripes as this will exaggerate the width of your shoulders.
• Trousers should ideally be wide leg and certainly with a slight boot cut to
add weight to your bottom half.
• Skinny jeans should be avoided but if you can't resist them wear with knee
length boots.
Your aim is to create curves in the right places in order to give the illusion of a
more pronounced waist. If you are larger rectangle then you need to be careful not
to add unwanted bulk whilst still creating a defined waist.
• Your shoulder and hip measurements are roughly the same and you have an
undefined waist.
• You have no obvious curves and your bottom is usually quite flat.
• Your waist is less than 25% smaller that your shoulder measurement.
• Flowing clothes and interesting accessories help to soften your figure and to
give the illusion of curves.
• Wrap around tops and dresses emphasise the bust and define the waistline.
• Skirts cut on the bias help to create curves but should be worn with caution
if you are a larger rectangle.
• Trousers which hug the bottom - you must avoid any sagginess around this
area as this will emphasise your flat bottom.
• Pleated trousers and trousers with back pockets can help to create curves in
the right places.
The aim is to maintain your hourglass silhouette and not to send your figure off
balance - mistakes can still be made so remain relatively cautious!
• Your shoulder and hip measurements are roughly the same and you have a
defined waist.
• Your hip and shoulder measurement differ by no more than 5% and your
waist is at least 25% less than these measurements.
• Tailored shirts and suits make the most of your shapely figure.
• Pencil skirts look great on you - make sure you have one!
• Avoid clothes which have no shape and hide your hourglass shape.
• Avoid skirts which are too full as they will make you bottom heavy (unless
you can even out the top half whilst still showing off your waist).
• If you are a full hourglass then it is particularly important that anything you
wear high-lights your waist so that your silhouette goes in and out at all the
right places.
The aim is to create a waistline and slim the rest of your torso, especially around
the tummy.
• You carry excess weight around the tummy and upper body.
• Go for tops with V-neck lines which end below the widest point of your
middle area.
• Wear flat fronted trousers with no pleats or side fastenings or pockets (you
can always sew the pockets up if necessary).
• Outfits which are one colour from top to toe are the most flattering.
• Long tunics that taper at the waist and finish beyond your widest point.
• Avoid horizontal stripes at all costs as this will draw the eye across the
width of your body and will high-light any imperfections.
• Avoid cropped trousers as they shorten the leg. Skirts that end just above,
on or below the knee are best to show off your shapely legs.
• Avoid belts around the waist (unless they are in the same material as the
garment you are wearing) as this will high-light your excess tummy weight.
• Avoid high-neck tops, polo necks and bulky clothes of any description.
The right colours will enhance your complexion, bring out the colour in your eyes
and make you look more youthful and generally radiant. The wrong colours can of
course do the exact opposite, making your skin look dull and grey and often adding
on years. If a colour is very poorly suited to you then you can even look unhealthy.
The colour you choose to wear can not only affect your own mood, state of mind
and confidence but also has an impact on others.
Colours convey certain things about your personality, for example dark green and
brown suggest integrity, maturity and home values whilst dark blues convey
honesty, determination and strength of character. Interestingly red is the best
colour for communication as it holds people's attention.
If you've ever noticed that certain items of clothing always attract compliments,
often general comments about how well you look, the chances are this is because
the colour of the item is a "wow" colour for you. Picking the right items of clothes is
so much easier when you know the colours which are right for you and which
colours to avoid.
Wear one colour from top to bottom. However I don't recommend full length skirts
as these can have the opposite effect. Just above or just below the knee are the
most flattering lengths.
Wear a darker colour below the waistline. If you are a pear then wear with a
brightly coloured top to draw attention to your top half.
If you have a top you love but isn't your best colour try wearing with an accessory,
such as a scarf or bold piece of jewellery, which is in one of your "wow" colours.
The colour worn closest to the face has the most impact.
Jewellery
Believe it or not there is jewellery which compliments your body shape and
jewellery which doesn't. For example a pear body shape could get away with a bold
piece of jewellery which sits high on the neck to draw the eye upwards and away
from the bottom half of the body, but an inverted triangle couldn't.
The jewellery should also be in proportion with your body without emphasising
the wrong attributes. For example very dainty jewellery on a larger lady may not
suit but big round heavy beads would also be unsuitable as they could draw
attention to the wrong attributes.
Shoes
Similarly body shape should be taken into consideration when choosing shoes. If
you are an inverted triangle then you may need a slightly chunkier shoe to balance
you out but if you are a pear (or a shorter lady) then it's best to chose a shoe which
is slightly pointed in the toe and has a V-shape on the top of your foot as this will
elongate the legs.
Scarves
Scarves, either Winter ones to keep you warm or ones that just look pretty, should
also be worn according to your body shape. If you wish to appear slimmer then
wear your scarf long down the front as this guides the eye up and down the body
which has a slimming affect. However if you are a pear body shape then this could
draw too much attention to your bottom half and so it would be safer to wear it
looped around your neck, keeping the eye on the face and upper half of the body.
Bags
Bags should also be purchased with caution. If you would like to appear slimmer
then choose a structured bag as this gives definition to your overall look. If you are
a rectangle then you may wish to create the illusion of curves in which case a bag
made of soft and slouchy material may be a better choice. How you wear your bag
is equally important as it can add unwanted bulk to your top or bottom half
depending on whether it sits on your hip or is tucked underneath your arm.
Remember, a balanced silhouette is the most pleasing - keep this in mind when
making choices on accessories and this will help you enormously.
It's time to stop wasting money and get yourself educated. Ignore that guilty inner
voice that has prevented you from decluttering your wardrobe properly in the past
and stop kidding yourself that you 'might wear it one day'. It's time to let it go,
move forward and make the right decisions from now on. Equipped with the right
knowledge it's really not as hard as you think to achieve wardrobe bliss.
So why do we own clothes we never wear? Possibly because when you bought that
dress you had an image in your mind of how it should look but it just doesn't live
up to expectations. Maybe the style or cut doesn't flatter your figure or the colour's
not quite right or maybe you're not sure which accessories to wear with it.
1. It's a waste of money - but don't feel guilty as everyone makes mistakes and
I can help you to attain the right buying skills so that you don't make the
same mistakes again.
3. Getting dressed for work or any occasion becomes much harder as you go
through the same motions of trying on things that you wish looked right but
don't, before settling on an item of clothing you always wear and are
probably bored with.
• You will make full use of what you own and wear more varied combinations
of clothes.
• You will always look great as any items that don't flatter or suit your body
shape will have been removed and/or replaced.
• Never again will you get to work or arrive at a social event and wish you
were wearing something else.
Once decluttered getting dressed in the morning or for a night out will become an
enjoyable experience. Never again will you be forced to scramble around in the
dirty linen basket or go out in something you don't particularly want to wear!
Wasted time and unnecessary stress when dressing can really set your mood and
leave you feeling negative and frustrated.
1. Remove all clothing which is unsuitable for your body shape, colouring, and
age.
2. Remove all items which are the wrong size (unless they can easily be
altered). Don't be tempted to keep something in case you lose weight or put
it on unless there is a valid reason, like if you've recently had a baby. Even
so still put it away, if you can't wear it right now then it should be out of
sight.
3. Group clothing according to the seasons and put into storage all items
which will not be worn in the current season.
4. Organise your clothes so that items are easy to find. This could involve
categorising according to work wear, evening wear, casual wear etc or
grouping together all trousers, skirts, tops, blouses, dresses etc depending
on personal preference.
6. Find storage solutions to enable you to neatly display all items of clothing,
accessories and shoes.
7. Make a shopping list of any key items of clothing missing from your
wardrobe.
Statistically most women's wardrobes are likely to contain clothes of which only
30% are ever worn! You must be relatively ruthless otherwise you won't achieve
the best possible results. You may be in love with a piece of clothing but if it
doesn't suit your colouring or body shape then take a deep breath and remove it
from your wardrobe. Make yourself feel better by giving it to a friend who will
really appreciate it.
Similarly an item may tick all the boxes but if for some reason you don't feel good
wearing it then isn't it better that you let it go? If will only take up valuable space in
your wardrobe and make you feel guilty whenever you see it. Worse still you could
end up wearing it and feeling unhappy and unconfident all day as a result.
Like most things worth doing planning is essential. Make sure you buy your
storage solutions in advance as well as nice wooden or fabric hangers. For a truly
satisfying result you need to be able to finish your wardrobe declutter once
started. Depending on the size of your wardrobe it could take anything between 2 -
4 hours so make sure you allow enough time.
• Those who buy on impulse and buy lots of clothes which are rarely worn.
• Those who lack confidence and come home with nothing or safe items
similar to those already in their wardrobe.
Most people enjoy shopping with a friend as it's always reassuring to have a
second opinion but if you can have an expert on hand to guide you to towards
clothes which suit your body shape, colour characteristics, age and style
personality then you can ensure the shopping trip is a real success. Not only does it
help for that particular trip but also all future ones as you will have learnt what
suits you and why, ensuring you make better decisions.
Before going shopping it is crucial to make a shopping list which takes into
consideration:
• What's already in your wardrobe, so you buy items which compliment what
you already own and don't duplicate.
• Your lifestyle; for example do you really need another party dress or are
you more in need of casual wear or shoes to go with an existing outfit?
• Your style personality. Have a think about the items you really love wearing
and work out why and what do these items of clothing have in common. You
don't want to be boring of course but if it works for you and makes you feel
good then stick with that style! You can always be creative with accessories
to make the look different.
Do NOT be lured by sale items unless they are things you would normally buy
anyway. If you wouldn't consider buying it full price then chances are it's a waste
of money. There's usually a reason it's on sale so keep your wits about you!
Buy the best you can afford especially when buying classic items such as that little
black dress or black trousers. Clothes which are more expensive are almost always
cut better and made from better fabric, they will stay looking new for far longer
meaning you will get better value for money in the long run.
People commonly think that wearing lose fitting clothes is a good way to hide
any unwanted lumps and bumps. Sorry to tell you, it doesn’t work! It just
makes you look shapeless and larger than you actually are!
Clothes made of the right material and with structure work much better –
remember your aim is to create an hourglass silhouette. Use accessories and
patterns to draw the eye away from the area you are trying to hide.
Sorry, I see this a lot and it makes most people look like an ice-cream cone.
Instead try skinny jeans with a slight boot cut and wear with chunky heels or
tuck into boots to add weight to your bottom half so that you’re still in
proportion.
Make sure they are short enough to make it obvious that they are cropped
intentionally and haven’t just shrunk in the wash! If you’re a shorter lady
please steer clear of them altogether – they will simply high-light your small
stature and add pounds. Cropped trousers should only really be worn by tall,
slim women.
I often see women who are self conscious of their large boobs wearing polo
necks to cover up and it’s not a good look. You’re much better off wearing a v-
neck to open up the area which in turn gives the illusion of a smaller bust and is
generally much more slimming.
This doesn’t mean you have to show off your cleavage – chose a fitted top with
structure for added support or wear a vest top underneath if you want to be
sure you won’t flash anyone!
Stand straight, move your shoulders back and down and you will instantly lose
several pounds. You will also look more confident and attract more positive
attention from those around you.
Wearing excess material, big buttons or large pockets can interfere with the
clean lines which are so slimming. This doesn’t have to mean boring, you can
still use colours and styles creatively, just don’t go overboard with unnecessary
details which add bulk to your frame.
Talk to a professional hairdresser but bear in mind that certain styles, like a
bob, will add pounds to your face but upswept hair is usually quite flattering.
Vertical patterns on fabrics draw the eye up and down the body which helps to
create the impression of a slimmer figure. Avoid horizontal patterns on fabrics
in areas you want to slim – although they can be useful if trying to balance out a
pear shape or top heavy figure.
Also look out for vertical weaves in fabrics which are less obvious but can also
have a slimming affect. Skinny scarves worn hanging around the neck and
down the body can also help slim your frame as it draws the eye up and down
the body.
This is probably the easiest way to instantly lose pounds. Stand tall, pull your
shoulders back and lift your head up for an immediate result!
Control pants, minimising bras, all-in-one shapers can all help create a good
foundation for your clothes. The choice out there is endless – ask the advice of
an underwear shop you trust or a good department store.
Very thick fabrics add bulk while fabrics which are too clingy can be
unforgiving. Try to find fabrics which provide structure and skim over problem
areas rather than enhancing them.
Even if you’re not a fan of heels try to wear a slight kitten heel and avoid
square-toe or rounded styles. If you are quite large be wary of very delicate
styles as this can bring unbalance to your frame.
Also make sure you choose a shoe which you easily walk in – there’s nothing
worse than an ungainly and exaggerated walk (or looking like it’s taking all
your concentration not to trip up!).
On the whole darker colours are more flattering but this doesn’t mean you have
to wear black! Dark shades of any colours will also have the same affect – take
care to choose colours which suit your complexion, hair and eye colour.
Don’t be tempted to buy an item because of its size label – wearing ill-fitting
clothes is a sure way to draw attention to your imperfections. Wear well fitted
clothes and please, please, please buy the right size!
Having Alice around to do a wardrobe de-clutter has been a revelation! For the
past 7 years (since having had children) I’ve completely lost my way in terms of
what clothes suit me. My wardrobe became a nightmare of nothing but black,
shapeless clothes all crammed in!
Alice has shown me what suits my post-pregnancy body shape, as well as what
colours look good. She then helped me weed out all the awful clothing in my
wardrobe – very cathartic! I now feel so much more confident when it comes to
clothes shopping, as I know what will work – hallelujah! I wouldn’t hesitate to
recommend Alice – she makes you feel very comfortable and relaxed and she really
does know her stuff.
That’s all been hugely helpful and I really enjoyed the experience. It’s been just in
time as I have has a few meetings to go to in last while and my organised wardrobe
is so much easier – as well as giving me confidence that I am wearing something
that’s appropriate, that suits me and is in reasonable condition! Similar with Mums
drinks last night where felt much more comfortable than last time.
It was really great, I loved the clothes being put aside and going with certain items
of clothing in mind. I now have a much better understanding of what is best for me
rather than trying a million items on!
Nicole, Surrey
The whole experience with Alice was fantastic, she is great fun and professional in
her approach. Alice gave advice and suggestions on colours and styles which was
really insightful and the whole process from de-clutter to shopping was truly great.
The colour analysis was really great, I found colours which suited me I would
never normally have chosen. It’s really brightened up my wardrobe!
The wardrobe de-clutter was very therapeutic and not at all stressful as I feared it
might be! You were very sensitive about the clothes I found difficult to part with
for one reason and another, although it is now clear that they were wrong and I
have since discarded a lot of them! I have also had some items altered slightly as
suggested and a couple of dresses in particular now have a new lease of life!
“I have used your advice when dressing since then and feel
so much better”
Your session was so useful! I honestly can’t thank you enough – I can see what I’ve
been doing wrong now! I have used your advice when dressing since then and feel
so much better.
I found my session with Alice invaluable. She gave me open and honest advice
which suited my personal style and taste. I can honestly say that I shop differently
now – less clothes returned and more clothes that I love! She also gave advice on
certain designers that I might like and I now have a new personal favourite!
Liz Hatch
I am much more confident in my wardrobe choices since our session. I feel like you
really got my style and revealed the old me who had been hiding behind black for
some time, so thanks so much for your help.
Emma Insley
Personal Shopping
Bring me with you and I ensure you really are delighted with your new clothes. I
will keep you focused on choosing clothes which suit your colouring, body shape,
style personality and lifestyle. After a free telephone consultation, I’ll carry out
research and reserve appropriate items so you can start trying on clothes as soon
as you arrive.
Style Consultation
This is a great introduction to personal styling. You will learn which colours give
your skin a healthy glow, bring out the colour of your eyes and make you look
generally radiant. You will also learn how to dress to flatter your body shape and
understand which clothes make you feel comfortable and confident.
Mum’s Package
Having children is an amazing experience but can often mean we lose our identity
as women and as individuals. If you’re ready to feel like YOU again, have a
wardrobe full of clothes you actually wear, that look good and are appropriate for
your new life then this could be the confidence boost you need.
Total Revamp
Totally fed up with your clothes? Need a complete change? This is it. This is the
whole works from colour analysis to personal shopping; from assessing your style
personality to creating your own personal Style Book.
Style Workshops
I run interactive, informative and fun Style Workshops covering body shape and
colour as well as how to declutter your wardrobe effectively so you enjoy opening
your wardrobe each morning. Everyone will leave knowing their body shape and
which colours suit them. I am convinced that once you know how to dress to suit
your body shape and colouring everything else falls into place.
Thanks for reading this Style Guide. I hope you found it useful.
If you have any questions about my styling services then I’d love to hear from you.
Telephone
07938 135 585
Email
[email protected]
Alice Treanor
Personal Stylist & Style Coach™