My mother is a natural red head, she told me as a child she was teased as about her red hair and freckly skin. It took her a long time to embrace it and enjoy the fact that she stood out. I always thought her hair was so beautiful, especially in comparison to my boring mousy shade. When I was allowed to dye my hair as a teenager my first choice was of course red!
This year I've been fortunate enough to go on two cruises! One was a three night comedy cruise out of Brisbane and the other was a four night cruise out of Cairns to Airlie Beach. On both cruises I spent the whole time eating, sleeping, eating some more, drinking and then more sleeping. Due to this I would avoid tight fitting clothing, so my tummy could expand unnoticed, haha!
From my cruise experiences I've discovered the must have items to pack! How to be a Speedy ShopperHave you ever been asked to an event and realised you had nothing to wear? Welcome to my life! The reality for me is most of the time I do have something to wear, but I want something new. For example, this week I decided that I wanted a new dress to wear at the races, even though I have 25 dresses that would suit the occasion (I literally counted them).
This left me with the dilemma of finding a dress two days out from the event. It isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last! My husband always tells me I wouldn’t get anything done if it wasn’t for the last minute. Thankfully I have become very skilled at finding the perfect outfit in a limited time for clients and myself. If you are short on time and need to speed shop below are my top tips! A few years ago my husband asked me why I had so many cruddy undies. This could have meant a multitude of things. I panicked and started thinking was there a hole I didn't notice or worse, did I not use enough NapiSan the previous month!
I asked “What do you mean by cruddy?”. He replied “All your undies are beige”. I informed him the correct term is nude. It’s the perfect non-colour for under any piece of clothing. Then he said “There’s nothing sexy about nude knickers”. At this point I wanted to punch him! I snapped back “I buy everyone’s undies in the house, I look for specials at Target and Best & Less. Why do the colour of my undies even matter? Would you rather me spend $20 on a pair from a lingerie shop?” To that he simply replied “Yes”. Then it hit me, like a ton of nappies.
For many women shopping is an escape, just like fishing is for men. It is seen as a leisurely activity, a chance to relax and socialise with friends. Afterwards men lie about the size of the fish; women lie about the price of the dress. For both sexes, most trips end in disappointment. Surprisingly though, whether you love it or hate it, you keep going back for more. You’re hoping for the catch of the day, that elusive one in a million piece that makes you feel like you rule the world.
While fishing men may tackle sharks, get their fingers caught in hooks or become stranded in the middle of nowhere, but what women face is far worse… Do you rule your wardrobe or does your wardrobe rule you?
As a personal stylist I have seen every type of wardrobe you can imagine. Over the years I noticed a familiar pattern with all of them. I discovered there are three main types of wardrobes. The size has no effect and some people's wardrobes can be in between. Which one are you? For Mother’s Day this year I decided to giveaway an awesome makeover to a deserving mum. Choosing a winner for a makeover is no easy feat, there were countless entries and everyone that entered was so deserving. To be honest every mum I know deserves a makeover! However, I could only pick one. There was one mum, Jo who stood out. Instead of listing all the reasons why she deserved a makeover, she simply wrote “I could do with a bit of special”.
I was aware that a few years ago Jo’s daughter Xanthe was diagnosed with Leukemia. Our daughters were in the same grade at the same school. As a mother to three healthy children, I couldn’t even begin to understand what Jo and Xanthe had gone through. I made the heartfelt decision that Jo would be the winner, she deserved a ‘lot’ of special. Jo was so excited when I announced she had won, in fact Jo said she has been a big fan of mine for a long time. She even admitted to having one of my decade old articles pinned to the inside of her cupboard door. (Unexpected and flattering at the same time haha). Our styling session began like most, with Jo explaining all the reasons why her style was the way it was. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad, it was somewhere in between. Jo explained to me how on the 26th of January 2011 (Australia Day) was a day she’d never forget. The hospital phoned and said Xanthe is very ill, pack your bags for three months, you are both on the next flight to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. #endbodyshaming
I’m incensed at the recent body shaming incident involving Playboy model Dani Mathers. Dani took a photo of a naked women in a gym bathroom and posted it on social media with the caption "If I can't unsee this then you can't either."
Dani’s joke backfired and she is now rightly being vilified for what she calls “an accident”. Unsurprisingly she now has a life ban from the gym L.A Fitness. This upsets me on so many levels. Not only was it a breach of privacy but morally it was a disgusting thing to do. It pains me knowing that this happens on a daily basis in particularly to women. Creating an authentically dressed you!Why is a powerful question, I always ask my clients ‘why’, particularly when going through their wardrobe. Why did you choose this piece of clothing? The most popular replies are; “It fit”, “The sales assistant liked it”, “I was desperate” or my favourite “It was on sale”.
Why you choose the clothing you do, determines the outcome of your overall look. If you buy things ‘just because’, your wardrobe will end up a mix of mismatched, uninspiring pieces. This leads to resentment of your wardrobe, and sometimes yourself. It’s easy to blame your body when the clothes don’t fit but remember, it’s always the clothes fault! No wonders so many women begin to loath shopping. For many it ends up feeling like a depressing chore. |