The Truly Blog - How to Wear It - Tips & Tricks To Getting Dressed

Summer Hats - Will This One Suit Me?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:58:00 --1200

Hats not only shield our beautiful faces from the harsh sun (and reduce the need to be so vigilant about sunscreen) they also cover up a "no go" hair day and add a bit of nouce and polish to your overall look.

If you don't normally wear a hat, it can be a little daunting, so knowing that a particular hat is going to look great on you definitely helps your confidence in donning one.

This wide brimmed hat from www.sequinsandsand.com.au is a real winner as it will suit most face shapes.>

A long face and a round face will benefit from the width of the brim, while a [More]

Swimwear For Your Body Shape

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:13:00 --1200

It is that time of year again, and for me I need a new swimsuit as I have been wearing the one that I used during pregnancy - the cups are now woefully empty!

If you are a small busted woman then add some oomph with a swimsuit that has some type of detail at the breast such as stripes, patterns or a tie front. Strapless tubes can just squish anything that is already there, so stay away from those, but keep an eye out for swimsuits with built in padding for that extra bit of a boost.

Built in support is available in many swimsuits, so larger busted women can rejoice. Avoid anything with unnecessary details such as stripes, or ruffles - but small patterns are good. [More]

How To Wear Jewellery

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:00 --1200

Too much jewellery can ruin an outfit and the lack of it can be just plain boring. An outfit can go from yeah to OH yeah by adding the perfect necklace or earrings.

But with so much jewellery to choose from how do you start? Firstly it is important to know what face shape you have and what sort of proportions your body is, because these two factors along with your overall colouring will pretty much help you narrow down your choices based on the shape and the colour of the jewellery along with which part of your body it is going to draw focus to.

Shape

So say you have a round shaped face and quite large bones. Ideally steer clear of any round shaped necklaces that are delicate, you would be better to choose something a bit chunkier and with some length on it, so it creates a long interesting v shape. Necklace shown is Storm by Kagi www.kagistyle.com

Colour

If you are of warm colouring you would want to choose something in gold as opposed to silver and the opposite if you are a cool toned person.

Focus

Personally I don't think my hands are a great feature, so I tend to avoid rings and bracelets as these are both going to draw attention to an area that I would prefer to camouflage. but if you have great hands, or wonderfully slim wrists or arms, then both braclets and rings are great.

Truly is a website that makes choosing fashion a little easier if you aren't body perfect. At www.truly.co.nz we can make sure that all this knowledge is applied to your clothing choices and body shape without you having to think too much about it.

By answering a few simple and fun questions about your general body shape (no tape measures required) Truly will then use the rules of proportion and perspective to select and present to you actual garments that will be flattering to you. Making it easy to head to the fitting room with garments that are Truly you log on now and check it out for yourself www.truly.co.nz

What To Wear To Make You Look Taller

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:44:00 --1200

Height is often linked to status, and many studies have been undertaken that look at the impact of being short or tall and how society reacts. Some of the studies hypotheses include "taller people earn more" or that "short people are more likely to be the victims of bullying" to read more take a look at Wikipedia under "heightism".

So the theory is that we all want to look taller because then our path through life will be made a little bit easier by those around us.

Throughout history various devices have been used to achieve this particularly in the form of hats. A Top hat, a Bishop's hat or a Princess's cone all extend the wearer's height making the wearer appear really tall and therefore reinforcing their higher ranking in society. To wear a really tall hat might appear a bit weird in today's society, but there are other simple devices you can employ to make you appear taller.

Top to toe the same colour is one of the simplest ways to achieve height, so weirdly enough a pantsuit should make you look great, but that said it depends on the waistline which is why most people have difficulty pulling a pantsuit off. If you are going to wear a different colour on the top and the bottom, then try to ensure that your shoes match the same colour as your bottom half.

Lines running vertically i.e. up and down your body will also make you appear taller, even if it is a seam or other similar device. This tunic dress from Kooky is the perfect example of how an inset panel of colour unites the silhouette and lengthens.

Obviously high heels will also achieve some height, just be careful that they don't make you walk funny. I watched the first episode of Stylista on TV and was amused to see the stunning blonde editor emerge from her car almost lame as she limped very carefully into the office looking down the whole time as her shoes were so high she was scared of falling over.

Oscar night is a night where the stars are all attempting to outdo each other and thereby increase their status (along with their bank balances) by perfecting their look. Consequently they all do their best to appear tall, so out comes the full length dress in one colour coupled with the high heels - take note next time and see if you think it makes them look taller.

What To Wear When Travelling

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:11:00 --1200

Possibly it is the opportunity to relax that encourages normally presentable people to turn into slobs when theya re on holiday, but a holiday should equal an opportunity to relax and feel good about yourself. So with a little bit of planning it is easy to achieve both.

I am about to go on safari in Africa and right now safari themes are really current, but I am doing my best to avoid packing anything with a leopard print or a zebra stripe as it just seems too literal. But what do I pack when I need to go on the plane, go out for dinner, sit by the pool, go in a jeep and have hot days and cooler nights?

For starters I am not packing anything more than I need. I have pre-planned all my outfits including shoes and accessories so that not only do I know what I am going to wear each day, but it means more room for shopping.

Comfort does not unfortunately mean the old bum bag + t shirt + sneakers combination. If you don't have great legs or shorts aren't your thing there are other options such as Capri pants, skirts and light pants, plus these more covering garments mean less sunscreen and in many countries would be considered more appropriate.

Think carefully about your shoes as you will need a comfortable pair, but really beautiful sandals with a small heel can be both comfortable and stylish enough to wear to dinner. A pair of Haviana's take up so little room and are great for wearing too and from the pool so you can avoid verucas and other nasties.

At home a day out and about normally calls for a handbag, so don't let the notion of being on holiday mean that you need a backpack or huge bag to lug all sorts around. Instead opt for a bag that is big enough to fit a towel, but still suitable to take out to lunch.

Do pack a kaftan, a pair of well soled sandals, a pretty summer dress, a hat, sunnies, cardi for cooler evenings, a pair of light pants and a bathing suit - unless you are going skiing!

What Hat or Hairstyle To Wear With a Heart Shaped Face

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:56:00 --1200

A narrow chin is the major feature of a heart shaped face, coupled with a large forehead and often strong cheekbones.

Celebrities with a heart shaped face include Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Marilyn Monroe and Helen Mirren.

To create the illusion of the "perfect" oval face you want to create fullness at the chin and narrow the forehead. With a hairstyle this could mean a sweeping fringe to narrow the forehead and with volume at the chin achieved through layers or a chin length bob. Avoid lots of height on top of the head.

Hats for a heart shaped face need to be small, like flowerpot hats. They can be worn high on the head with a short or small brim. Avoid large heavy shapes which may make your head appear top heavy.

How To Create a Waist By Fooling The Eye

Tue, 05 May 2009 11:30:00 --1200

Has middle age spread resulted in your innards pushing your waist out into a box? Or maybe you were always just straight up and down? Either way there are a number of little tricks that can fool the eye into believing that it is seeing a sexy waistline.

The first step in the illusion is to let the eye see the outer lying areas such as the shoulders and boobs up top and the hips below. Just to scare you, it means that you want these to look bigger. So broaden your shoulders with boat necks, structured shoulders, v necklines etc. and broaden your hips with a full skirt or wide leg pant.This then allows your waist to appear smaller, because everything on the upside and the downside is larger.

Belts are an obvious device and can be worn higher like an empire line through the smallest part of the rib cage, cunningly re-interpreting it self as the natural waist line, or V belts are great, particularly if you are short waisted. Also wearing a belt off centre can work wonders too.

Some garments have built in shape such as structured jackets that have a nipped in waist, structured shoulders and seams that curve in at all the right spots – making life super easy. Other garments include the illusion in their print or the way the colour blocks are put together.More extreme measures can include wearing a corset, or a milder offering that is particularly useful for special occasion are control undies, essentially squeezing your innards back to where they used to be!

How To Wear Stripes. Fashion Crimes

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:02:00 --1200

Horizontal stripes are in all the shops, but the truth is that they can really only be worn by the super skinny, or over the parts of your body that you want to make look bigger. So if you are small on top then go for it, but if you have a large tummy or big boobs avoid stripes over these parts of your body at all costs!

Tops with stripes worn under a short top or cardie can be a good look, but not if the stripes emerge from under the top and circle right around the widest part of your hips and butt. Tiered skirts can do the same thing, the "stripe" is where the fabric is joined together.

Stripes circuling the circumference of bigger arms and legs is probably an even worse crime because it is really easy to just skim and cover these problem areas rather than risk making them into a "feature". Avoid stockings with horizontal stripes, only the skinnies tof pins or those under twelve years of age can carry that look off.

If you love stripes, go for vertical ones instead. You have been warned...stripes have the ability to make you look like the Michelin Man if you aren't careful.

Fashion Crime of Boots With Capri Pants

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:18:00 --1200

When temperatures drop it is great to use boots and skivvies to extend the wearability of items from your summer wardrobe. However there are pitfalls that you should be aware of and one of them that occurs frequently is wearing three quarter pants (capri pants) or skirts with boots that don't quite meet, leaving a gap of skin.

This gap of skin adds an extra layer to your silhouette, which effectively "chops" you up and looses any illusion of height that may have been created, as well as looking cluttered.

The answer is to either invest in longer boots, or to wear the same coloured stockings to link the two items together, creating a unified silhouette. The example below features some three quarter pants, but the same rules apply to skirts too.

Tips on How to Dress For the Flat Chested

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:33:00 --1200

Dressing well is all about refining the art of distraction and illusion. You get that right, and you have overall image balance. Lets admit it; breasts are a major focal point (men to the point of blindness), so if your lacking a bountiful bosom, read on.

Accept what you have. Chicken fillets, wonder bras and surgery anyone? Well you could make something out of nothing, and receive a few bonus scars for your efforts or embrace the idea of deferring the attention from your chest.

Thank goodness for celebrities. They are as varied as you and I. Clare Danes, Kate Hudson and Keira Knightly are my fellow flat chested companions and prove you can still cut it without much. Take note of what they wear.

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It Looked Better on Her. How to Find Your Own Style

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:15:00 --1200

Learning to accept yourself for what you are is a process, but when you get there it really is a nice place to be…

I have very straight hair, but as a teenager wanted nothing more than to have loads of super curly hair and would always look at other girls with curly hair enviably, so much so that I tried to emulate them and got myself a spiral perm… What I learnt is that as a teenager it is forgivable (and almost a rite of passage) to try out trends and fads in an attempt to find your own style, but as an adult you hopefully have figured out that some things work for some people and others definitely do not.

Colour

One of the big ones I think to get right is to figure out which colours work or don’t work for you. Learning about what colours are going to work for you or not, is about figuring out if you are a cool or a warm and then seeing what sort of intensity of colour you can wear next to your face. To read more on colour click here http://www.truly.co.nz/home/info/index.cfm/2008/11/12/Short-Cuts-to-Getting-Dressed-Are-You-A-Warm-or-a-Cool Once you have this sorted, you may see someone who looks fantastic in mustard, but realise that she is a warm red head hence it looks good, but if you are ivory skinned with black hair it probably isn’t going to work for you, so just don’t go there.

Cut and Style

If you have a large chest and broad shoulders and insist on following the latest trend for ruffle fronted shirts and big bows, it just isn’t going to look good. Certain styles and cuts work better with different body shapes, which is why often shopping with a good friend often doesn’t work. If your friend has a different body shape to you, she has trained herself to look for certain styles and will inevitably find it difficult to re-focus her thinking to what would look good on you. Learn what works for you and use a wardrobe consultant to help you work out (or Truly) what your basic rules to follow are.

Balance and Size

A woman I helped style was about a size twenty, with a huge personality and gorgeous salt and pepper hair cut in a short funky crop. She carried off these wonderful huge pieces of costume jewellery, coupled with funky coloured eye glasses with aplomb – why? Two fold, one her frame was large enough that it was all in proportion and secondly her personality revelled in the loudness and attention. The same jewellery and glasses on a petite, delicate woman would just look all wrong, so look to others with similar body shapes and personalities as you for inspiration.

I think that in the future we will see magazines that are more customised to not only showing you clothes that are in your price range, but that also reflect your colouring and body shape…as sometimes when I see a lithe young black woman wearing a $2,000 pair of pants I just can’t relate! This is where we hope to head with www.truly.co.nz in that when you log in, it will be prioritising the styles and garments that are going to look good on YOU, not somebody else.

All the garments shown above are available via Truly. Truly is a website that makes choosing fashion a little easier if you aren't body perfect. At www.truly.co.nz we can make sure that all this knowledge is applied to your clothing choices and body shape without you having to think too much about it.

Which Sleeve For My Body Shape?

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:51:00 --1200

Choosing a sleeve length is a combination of what the weather is like and how great your arms are, or aren't.

www.truly.co.nz is a website designed to be your fashion short-cut by selecting and rating garments specifically for you. You create your own body profile by answering a few simple fun questions about your body shape. For example the following answers are provided about how would you describe your arms?

A. Toned

B. Average

C. Yes I prefer to keep them covered

D. They are large and can wave "goodbye"

If you chose A, then lucky you, pretty much you can wear anything you like, most sleeves will look great on you. If you are a B again you can pretty much wear what you like, but you may need to be wary of cap and or puff sleeves.

If you are a C or a D you are restricted in what styles you can wear, generally long sleeves, three quarter sleeves and half sleeves are your friends, with cap sleeves, sleeveless tops and even t shirts not being great options. The following is a low down on what tends to work and why:

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Fashion From The Couch

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:26:00 --1200

Fashion in movies is a really easy and fun way to get some inspiration for dressing up and some of the outfits will take your breath away.

Here are some of my favourite fashion moments on film, if you haven't seen them then put them on your list of must sees:

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Pants for Your Body Shape

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:45:00 --1200

As the mother of a two pre-schoolers I often find that skirts aren't all that practical when you are sitting on the floor playing with toys, or running around a cafe attempting to stop your child from running out of the door, so pants are often the best choice.

Great pants are always DIFFICULT to find as you need to fit them perfectly on your butt, your waist, your tummy and your thighs, not to mention taking into account your height.

www.truly.co.nz is a website designed to be your fashion short-cut by selecting and rating garments specifically for you. You create your own body profile by answering a few simple fun questions about your body shape. On Truly you will be asked questions about your waist, your tummy, your thighs and your butt, with all the answers amalgamated to help select the best pants for you.

The following are the types of questions and answers on Truly about how you would describe your butt along with a basic overview about how each answer would be interpreted when choosing pants for you:

I WOULD DESCRIBE MY BUTT AS:

A. Small like the planet that was pluto	Lucky you, pretty much you can wear most pants but you may want to add some pockets, embroidery detail etc. to add some oompf if you need it. Wide leg pant by Grace
B. Average	Again you can pretty much wear what you like, but you may need to be wary of anything that is overly detailed on the butt, such as pockets and embroidery. If you are also of average height think about how you can use colour to make you look taller. Straight Leg Pant by Catherine
C. It is a Bit on the Ample Side	Beware of tapered pants, you are better off in classic straight leg trousers and if you are tall enough you can go for something with a slight flare to off-set your butt. Avoid pockets side and back like the plague, but do look for pants with a yoke or waistband that cuts across the widest part of your butt . Dark colours are also your friend. Jeans by Alibi
D. Yep it is a BIG Feature of Mine
E. It is So Flat People Ask to Play Table Tennis on It	Look for pants with back pockets, preferably the ones with flaps and domes such as the Nes ones shown here. Any details such as embroidery on the butt won't hurt as you can do with adding "interest" to this area.

Other factors to take into account are whether you are short or long waisted. If you are long waisted ie. Lots of room through your torso you want to make your legs look longer so wear a higher waistline to make it look like your legs are way longer. If on the other hand you are short waisted try to wear a lower waist to make your body look longer.

If you are really tall it can be problematic finding pants long enough, both Tall By Design and Jeanswest do ranges that come in extra length, so when you fill in your profile on Truly make sure you enter your height details correctly and the pants that fit these options will show up for you.

At www.truly.co.nz we can make sure that all this knowledge is applied to your clothing choices and body shape without you having to think too much about it. By answering a few simple and fun questions about your general body shape (no tape measures required) Truly will then use the rules of proportion and perspective to select and present to you actual garments that will be flattering to you. Making it easy to head to the fitting room with garments that are Truly you log on now and check it out for yourself http://www.truly.co.nz/truly_my_style/

Fashion Crimes: When To Strip It Off

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:47:00 --1200

Winter coats are a big offender here – you actually do have to remove the label that is attached to the sleeve. Use a seam ripper or a small pair of scissors to remove the label. The reason why they are so easy to take off is because they weren't meant to stay there in the first place. A vent at the back of a coat that has been tacked together also needs to be cut open, so you can successfully sit down.

Sheer – See Through

Sheer clothing that has the care label sewn into the side seam also should be carefully removed, as this looks cheap when you can see it through the garment "dry clean only" isn't what you want people to be focussing on.

Don’t Hang Yourself

If the top you have just purchased has a hanging loop and you don't really need it to keep the garment hung in your wardrobe, then cut if off, rather than risk it as being left out accidentally. [More]