Wednesday 3 March 2010

Great shop for clothes sizes 18-30 !

I had a great personal shopping day with a client yesterday, trying to find her a mother-of-the-groom wedding outfit. Because my client is a size 18/20, we went to the Watercolours Fashions shop in Beaconsfield, South Bucks (http://www.watercoloursfashions.co.uk), which specialises in sizes 18-30. If you fall into the larger size clothing category then you MUST check it out!

There is a fantastic choice of colours and styles, so whatever season or personality you are, you are bound to find something that fits AND is interesting. It is so refreshing to see such a lovely choice in the large size clothes, which usually tend to be on the boring side - not unlike bigger size cup underwear, which is my bugbear (see http://www.bravissimo.com) for inspiration). There are 25 different designers to choose from.

The staff are very helpful . There is a price range to fit any budget, but if you are looking for something special, you will have to part with a bit more. It is definitely worth it. The shop also offers funky accessories (jewellery, handbags and belts), which are definitely worth having a look at, too. Have fun!

Monday 1 March 2010

Spring Clean your Wardrobe!



Spring is always the best time to clean up. With new fresh energy coming in, it is very effective, and very much needed after the sleepy dark winter. Whether you want to spring clean the house, the body, or the mind - why not the wardrobe at the same time? It is a very cathartic, re-energising experience. You can also tick the box of being kind to the environment by recycling your clothes you don't want, be it at the tip or a charity shop, or even make a few pennies by selling your never-to-wear-again good labels in a dress agency. See Brockhurst Boutique as an example of such a place in Chesham, South Bucks, where you can sell your clothes, shoes and accessories, earning yourself 50% of the sale price, or even picking up a few pieces for yourself!
A good dress agency will only sell garments that are in a very good / nearly new condition. I find shopping at Brockhurst a fun experience because you find things that are not in the shops any more - it's great to be different / original, AND you can find some fantastic bargains of great makes for a fraction of the price. That way I manage to own lovely Chanel, Karel Lagerfeld, Armani, DKNY and other makes, which I couldn't afford new. It is not for the label itself that I like buying designer clothes - indeed I prefer if you can't see the label itself. It is for the quality and originality of each piece that I like buying them.
It is fun to declutter with a friend (an honest one!), or even better, with professional help. Of course it helps if you know your colours and style, because that way you know exactly what to keep and what should go. It is easier to do it with somebody else because they are not attached to your clothes the same way you are - very often we keep hold of a garment for emotional reasons, which shouldn't be a reason to clutter the space... It is most likely to be dated and you will never wear it again, so why gather dust and take up space?
Don't forget the lingerie drawer! Nadine Kazerounian, a fellow colour & style consultant, mentions in her last newsletter a fact she heard from a friend who works in a cosmetic surgery clinic, "the worst sights they saw in the clinic were nothing to do with the bodies of their patients, but rather their appalling underwear!" Even if nobody else can see your underwear, you owe it to yourself that "all your layers" look great ! My mother always used to tell me, you never know, you might end up in a hospital having to undress... Check out www.bravissimo.com for fab underwear in bigger cup sizes. It is those that really suffer from a good choice, often coming in only granny styles. I know because, unfortunately, I am a 32E cup, which is impossible to buy for. Clothes don't fit quite well either ... so you, ladies, with smaller cup sizes, be glad because there is such a great choice of underwear for you, AND clothes fit much better, too!
Naturally, accessories can't escape the clean up - they are the icing on the cake and can either make or break an outfit. Update your drawers with some funky belts, bags, rings and bracelets, necklaces and scarves to spice it all up. Let me know if you need help! Happy detoxing.