HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT OUTFIT FOR YOUR BIG NIGHT

It’s the time of year to plan the biggest social event of your life and you want to look your very best. This can be challenging though, because there are literally hundreds of colours and styles to choose from when it comes to planning your outfit and hair- style.

I am sure you are all very ‘clued- up’ about the latest fashion trends, and certainly want to look trendy on your big night, but also still want to feel like ‘you’ at the same time.

The biggest trick is to find a look that combines your own personal style with some of the latest trends, as opposed to trying to look like a fashion model, or even worse, wear something that your mom/friends recommended to you because they liked it. This is a night you will remember forever and it is your chance to look totally unique and feel 100% confident with what you are wearing.

The first step should be to decide on a style to flatter your body shape and personality. If this is a tough one for you, have a look at the quiz below. This might help you clarify your natural style. Remember almost everyone is a combination of two or more styles.

Developing/Refining your natural personal style: quick quiz                       

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you totally clueless about what your own style is?
2. Do you tend to buy whatever you can find in shops, without considering whether the look is really you?
3. Are you a fashion victim who buys a whole new wardrobe each season and spend you entire salary on clothes?
4. Do you hate shopping and tend to wear whatever is in your wardrobe, until it falls apart?
5. Do you feel uncomfortable in your own skin?
6. Are you forever trying out new styles and colours while none of them really seem to fit?

If you have answered “Yes” to one or more questions, read on!

The following visualization exercise might help you to analyse your natural style:

1. Find a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed.
2. Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
3. Visualize the thing in life you like to do best.  This might be something that excites you, or relaxes you – you decide.  It might be work-related, a hobby, a social event, a social event, etc.
4. Visualize your own behaviour: what are you doing and saying?
5. Now look at what you are wearing.  What styles and colours, accessories, make-up and hair-style?
6. Lastly, but most importantly, analyze your feelings.  Do you feel happy/relaxed/excited?  Do you experience any form of stress?
7. Open your eyes.

This exercise provides us with a lot of information.  The very activity you’ve chosen as your favourite, tells you something about the real you.  Whether you prefer to feel relaxed or excited, is also significant, as well as the kind of environment you choose to emerge yourself in.  The feelings elicited provide very important clues.

However, our main focus here is analysing your natural style.  Your favourite activity is usually one which allows you to use your natural talents and skills and is something you feel passionate about.  Therefore what you are wearing while engaging in this activity, should feel comfortable and should also be an extension of the real you.  If you feel confused at this point, repeat the exercise.  Be honest with yourself.

Of course, some of us are required to wear uniforms, or adhere to company dress codes.  Unfortunately, we can’t change that.  If during your visualization exercise you felt comfortable wearing the above, fantastic.  It could mean that the uniform/dress code is in line with your own natural style.  If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated while wearing it, but thoroughly enjoyed the activity you were engaged in, we need to look at ways to put your own “style stamp” on your uniform/dress code.

So, what style am I?

There are many different styles and most of us combine two or more styles.  However, some of us are not consistent in the way we do this and we allow ourselves to be dictated to by the latest fashion trends, whether or not they suit our personalities or body types.  Others wear what their spouses/partners/friends etc. tell them to wear.  Some of us might even develop an intense aversion to shopping as a result of this!

Here are some of the most common style categories.  Note that these often (but certainly not always) go hand in hand with certain body types and personality types.  We are holistic beings, but also unique individuals. In order to express ourselves fully, we need to celebrate our uniqueness.  Read through the following and decide which one you can identify with.  Remember your natural style should ideally be an extension of your real self.

Now that you have identified your style, start paging through magazines/ books to find pictures that match your preferred style. You might find the perfect one and use it just like it is, but more than likely, you will have to look at quite a few and make some changes to it, before you take your sketch to the designer/ dress- maker. Alternatively, you could ask them to recommend a style for you, but it is a good idea to arrive there with some ideas of your own. Remember, this is YOUR night and you need to feel 100% comfortable in what you are going to wear.

The next step is to choose a colour and fabric. Of course you would like to wear a ‘trendy’ colour and fabric, but first ensure that they flatter your skin, hair and eye colour, as well as your body shape. Remember that the texture and print of a fabric can make you look taller/ slimmer, or shorter and wider. Shiny fabrics/ bold prints/ light and bright colours would make you look bulkier. Dark colours in matte fabrics would have a slimming effect.

The fashion colours of the moment might not be your most flattering, so always ensure that you hold up a piece of fabric in front of you in natural daylight, in order to establish whether it is your best or not. The first step in this process would be to establish whether you have a warm/cool skin tone. This is something I could help you with.  

Next you would have to find accessories to match your outfit. It is a good idea to wait until your outfit is finished, or at least planned in detail, otherwise you might end up with the wrong style shoes, or a necklace that is too dainty/ bulky. Guys, you need to take the size and style of your shirt collar into account , before choosing a tie ( if you are going to wear one).

Lastly you need to plan your hair- style and make-up. Most importantly, it should flatter your face shape and compliment your hair type. It should also compliment the style of your outfit. Again, do not choose a style that is not YOU, you would end up feeling self- conscious all night. The same goes for your make-up. You need something that would enhance your natural beauty, not something that would turn you into a complete stranger!

If you are still in the dark, contact me for a personal image session. I will help you with the  following :

1. conduct an individual colour analysis
2. help you determine your own most flattering colours,  by identifying your best colour category
3. explore the power of colour in our lives and the psychological messages associated with different colours
4. conduct a body and face shape analysis 
5. explain how to use colour and style to flatter your face and body
6. help you identify your personal style, which reflects your real self
7. help you break out of your ‘style mould’, adapt current fashion trends to your  personal style and avoid looking like a ‘fashion victim’
8. conduct a personal wardrobe assessment and show you how to save money and get maximum use out of your wardrobe
9. compile a digital catalogue of your favorite new wardrobe combinations (optional)
10. accompany you on a shopping trip, in order to find the outfits which reflect your real self
11. take your old, tired clothes off your hands (optional)
12. de-clutter not only your wardrobe, but your entire home (optional)

Remember that a winning image starts with a good self- image. What you wear is never as important as who you are! However, your external image does indeed reflect to a very large extent, the way you see yourself and feel about yourself. Many of us carry around an image that does not positively reflect the messages we want to convey to others. This could happen for various reasons: we may not be interested in fashion trends, have little time for ourselves let alone time for shopping, we may feel that we don’t know what suits us, or we may simply not love ourselves enough and end up neglecting ourselves. 

Although a negative self- esteem needs to be built up from the inside, improving your external image, will certainly help you change the way you see yourself. Imagine how good you will feel, every time you look into a mirror and can say to yourself: not bad!
If you know you look great, you are likely to radiate more confidence. This, in turn, would have a positive impact on the way you are treated by others.  

I will help you expose and eliminate the superficial and often unrealistic images that are created by the expectations of others: the fashion world, corporate world, media, etc. I will help you to understand why you keep on pretending to be who you are not. You will learn how to trust your instincts and express yourself freely: often we know exactly how we would like to look, but are insecure about taking that first step towards breaking out of our old style moulds.

COST: For more information please contact Yolandi Wiese: Cell: 0725467750 email: yolandi@stylelavie.com