True Colours Image Consultancy Blog Posts

Early Christmas Shopping Event, 4 November

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:09:52 +0100

Yes, it's coming up to that time of year again and we're really looking forward to our favourite event of the year! Lots of lovely unique presents at great prices - Wick and a Prayer candles, funky bags, different styles of jewellery, cards etc. Plus why not try out something new from Jane Fardon Cosmetics and get some expert make-up advice at the same time?. We'll have our speciality spiced apple and mulled wine on the go, and this year are doing winter soup at lunch time*. Where and when? 4 November, 11-3 and 6.30-9pm at 4 Caxton Road, Broomhill, S10 3DE (in the big house next to our Studio) We'd love to see you and please bring your friends too! Refreshments sold in aid of Sheffield's own City Hearts charity - helping women overcome serious life issues and addictions.

Key Pieces for Autumn/Winter

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:46:03 +0100

Sheer and fur

Mix sheer and fur on the top half (think fur gloves or collars, and sheer sleeves on blouses)
Blouses are embellished for a modern addition to the usual ‘bare all'
Think fur shrugs and scarves, useful if you want to accentuate your shoulders.
Just keep it toned down, it's minimalistic this season.

Above the knee
Whether it's a skirt, coat or blazer lines are above the knee this season
Skirts are in a range of materials with velvet and cotton popular in jewel tones.
The skirt shape for the season is the pencil, however if you aren't straight up and down the tulip and A-line designs are a good choice

Jackets
This season there are two types of jacket shape; the fitted forties-style with a clinched waist and the boyfriend.
YSL & Chanel did vintage Chanel tweed jackets and Gucci & Galliano also chose the fitted jacket, this look is great for a classic look at work.
However boyfriend was also popular, with Stella McCartney making the dinner jacket casual. This look is great with a touch of sparkle at parties this winter.

Pattern
Pattern is big this year, with many designers returning to the orient, with both geometric and more curved designs.
There are two things to know about pattern before you buy it; the 1st is getting a pattern to match your shape. To do this you must always remember that a more geometric pattern will suit angular shapes, while floral, more rounded patterns are best suited for the curvy.
The second trick is check it has a lead colour. If no colour that stands out more than the rest, then there is no lead colour, then it's a much harder a pattern to work with

Leather
Last but by no means least, is the bizarre and unexpected leather fetish designers appeared to have this season. Dresses, skirts and trenches were leather, PVC, or rubber on the catwalk this season.
An interesting extra to the mainly classic glamour of this season. Leather is an expensive fad, so if in doubt invest in a bag or gloves - black or brown are always safe.

Isabella Hawkes

Key Spring/Summer Trends

Tue, 17 May 2011 14:35:03 +0100

Over the last few weeks we've been posting these easy ways to wear this years Spring/ Summer Trend on our Facebook page - Why not like us on Facebook so that you can keep up to date with all our latest advice and news - it's free and fun! Here's the link http://www.facebook.com/pages/True-Colours-Image-Consultancy/159772000725562

As usual there's lots of choice from 50's, 70s, tailoring to pretty florals and it's a case of choosing what you like and what suits you - in terms of your body shape and personality. Fashions change so if you go for a very current look e.g. 70s, our best advice is just buy a few pieces, enjoy them and wear them to death before they go out of date!

Colour blocking
This season's catwalks were full of clashing neon orange, purple and green and if you really want to go for this look, you need to choose contrasting blocks of colour and dress to make a statement.
Easier ways to colour block are to choose the bolder, contrasting colours from within your own season. It's easier for Winters and Springs who suit contrast so well, but Autumns can also use their brighter colours too e.g. Autumn - lime, orange and yellow, and Summers - pinks, blues and jade.
If you want to go for neon, the best one for each seasonal palette will be Winter - purple, Summer - pink, Autumn - green, Spring - yellow.

Lots of Stripes
We can all wear them somewhere! The key question to ask is always, "Where?"
You might have seen some recent articles in the newspapers debating how stripes work visually, but it's still generally true that vertical stripes tend to lengthen and narrow and horizontal stripes tend to shorten and broaden. Sections of striped pattern will draw the eye; so think about where you want to make the focal point on your body. There are a few exceptions to these points, so please give me a ring if you're not sure how it works for you.
Also think about your scale when choosing striped garments and make sure that the stripes look like they belong on you. Too big and they'll swamp you, too small and you'll lose their impact.

Midi length skirts
You'll either love them or hate them! Avoid if you are below 5'7 because the longer length of skirt will shorten your legs.
And don't forget that, the longer the skirt, the more you need a heel.

Wedges
Talking of heels we love this season's wedges, a really comfy way to wear a heel. Why not go for a bold colour and do a bit of colour blocking at the same time?

Work it with Accessories
I know we're always going on about them, but the easiest way to pick up the fashion trends is still with accessories - so why not go for a bright belt, striped scarf, denim bag - whatever takes you're fancy, so long as you enjoy it, and it doesn't cost the earth.

Clothes shopping - do you love it or hate it?

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:42:19 +0100

Clothes shopping is a bit like marmite! It can divide a room of women; those that enjoy it and those that don't! How does the prospect of a morning clothes shopping make you feel? Do you have friends who always manage to find really nice ‘stuff' when you seem to come back empty handed? Or, do you end up buying something that wasn't quite what you wanted but ‘it will have to do'? Maybe you're the one that finds those hidden treasures, catches the bargain and is the envy of all your friends!

Some people are naturally good at shopping. I don't mean shopaholics that do it all the time; I'm thinking of the people who, when they do go shopping, are very good at it. What do I mean by being a good shopper? I guess for some it simply means being satisfied with what you have bought, but I think of it in terms of spending your money on clothes that fulfil their purpose, flatter you and are of good quality. If you generally manage that when you go shopping, you probably don't need to read any further - you might as well plan your next shopping trip! If, however, you have mixed feelings about shopping or even hate it with a passion, you might want to settle down with a coffee and read on.

Our shopping is affected by a number of things, both internal and external and it can become a very emotive activity for us.
There are some factors that affect how we approach shopping, and left unaddressed shopping can leave us stressed, dissatisfied and guilty. Not a good scenario, but all to familiar to some. I'm going to look at a few factors that affect us and give you some tips so hopefully we can make shopping more fun and more effective.

Lack of confidence when you're shopping for clothes
It can be very daunting and overwhelming to go shopping if you are not sure what suits you, either in terms of colour or style. I cannot recommend strongly enough the value of getting a professional colour/style/make-up consultation. It will give you the confidence you need to be able to shop more discerningly and be much more targeted in your approach. If you can't afford it at the moment, a short-term solution is to think about the clothes/outfits that always bring you compliments. What are you wearing when people say... ‘You look well' ‘Have you lost weight?' ‘You look lovely'? Make a mental note of what you've got on. Something about your outfit is working well and you want to repeat it (or do something similar). It may be the colour, style or both. If you can work out what is working, you will be more confident about what to buy.

Time & Money
These are two of the biggest external factors that affect our shopping and although that sounds obvious now, we often don't take them into account. If you have lots of time and money, and you are confident about what suits you, you should be able to be an effective shopper. However, most of us are short of one or the other and at times have little of either!
Generally, if you are working with less money, you need to allow more time when you're shopping. This will allow you to hunt thought the ‘reduced' rail, or compare prices/quality/fit across different shops. Just because you have less money to spend doesn't mean you should lower your expectation of getting a good fit, reasonable quality and finish, but it will take longer to find it.
One of our consultants is what I would call a very effective shopper. Her strategy is to look for what she wants in the better quality labels, make a list of what she has seen in what store/colour/size and then wait! She waits for it to be reduced. The moment it is, she buys it, or if it's not come down to the price she is prepared to pay she waits for a further reduction. You do need have to have a ‘win some, lose some' approach for this strategy and not mind too much if you miss out. It also requires time...and a bit of planning.
If you have more money than time, the danger is you could end up buying whatever you can find (you don't mind about the price) and therefore not being as ‘fussy' about quality and fit as you should be. My advice for those that are tight on time is to do your research at home, online. Get an idea of which shops/labels have the styles/colour/items you are looking for and then plan your shopping trip accordingly. You can snatch bits of time at home to do your on-line research. If you are not prepared and don't know where to look but don't have much time, you could be in danger of buying a ‘make do' item - never a good long term solution!
I want to just say a bit about price and quality here. Buying cheap quality is a false economy. It never lasts, doesn't wash well and rarely fits properly. You need to remember that:

Good value = Cost of item (divided by) Number of times you wear it!
(Note to Editor, can we use the ‘divide' symbol here. I don't have one on my computer!)

Therefore a t-shirt for a fiver that is worn a few times and then shrinks in the wash, costs quite a lot per wear. But a more expensive t-shirt that wears and washes well, is worn a lot of times, ends up costing less per wear.

An occasion
Shopping to buy an outfit for a wedding or other such important occasion often ends up in purchases being made that are then never worn after the event. What a waste! We feel the pressure to get something, anything, for the looming event. When you are shopping for an occasion you have to be really strict with yourself and ask the question "will I wear this again and if so when?" I have seen so many ‘wedding outfits' hanging un-worn in wardrobes!
Ultimately we want to end up with a wardrobe that is equipped to meet every occasion so we don't need to do any more panic shopping. If I was invited to a wedding tomorrow, I have something in my wardrobe that I could wear. I may feel like buying something new, but if I do not find anything I like I still have a good option hanging in my wardrobe.

A few shopping tips
1. Go shopping without your money - honestly! If you can, make some time to go shopping purely to look, try, experiment and learn but NOT to buy. Because you know you can't buy anything, there is no pressure to make a decision. You will look at clothes/outfits in a much more objective way and it will make you a much better shopper in the long run (and you often find what you're looking for when you're not looking!)
2. Different colours are available at different times of the year. Shop when you see your colours are in.
3. You'll soon learn the shops are good for you (your style/colours) and the ones that aren't.
4. If you are just going shopping to ‘look and try' it can be great to take a friend, especially if they are more confident than you. They may suggest things you would never have thought of. But I would always recommend shopping to buy, on your own. You will be able to think quietly and clearly about whether you like it or not.

There is so much more I could talk about on shopping, how to enjoy it and do it well. But for now remember to try and shop when there is no pressure to buy, that mistakes happen and if you can't find what you are looking for it's the shops that have got it wrong, not you!

Like us on Facebook

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:15:46 +0100

Keep in touch with us and follow our latest posts on Spring/Summer trends by going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/True-Colours-Image-Consultancy/159772000725562

Colour blocking - key summer trend.

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:54:47 +0100

Colour blocking with bright colours is a big look this summer but because it involves being very committed with colour it can feel a bit nerve wracking.

It's not - it's actually a very easy look to put together. Simply put plain and contrasting colours together, for example tops and bottoms. If you feel too self conciousness to do that, or feel it that cutting your body in half with colour isn't flattering for your shape, just add the blocks of colour with contrasting bags, shoes or bold accessories.

Nicole Scherzinger is going for contracting colour with her dress and cardy, and then ties it together with a black hat, bag and shoes. To use a colour to link the outfit, like black, is a really good way to insure you keep your look stylish and on trend rather than messy!

Next True Colours Evening with Georgia Hall from Bounce Busters, 21 March

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:51:30 +0000

Our next free True Colours Evening - with Georgia Hall from Bounce Busters, is on Monday, the 21st of March, 8.00 to 10.00pm at our Broomhill Studio. There'll also be an update on spring/summer trends, Jane Fardon Cosmetics to try and free P&P on any Kettlewell tops ordered on the night. It'll be informal and relaxed with drinks, nibbles. Should be a great nightPlease come along if you'd like to find out more about us - and bring your friends too!

Christmas wishes!

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:59:24 +0000

Jane, Adelle, Cath, Faye, Lisa and I wish you all a...

Very Happpy Christmas

and a

New Year full of hope and joy.

Another £200 raised for Claudine! Thank you.

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:02:51 +0000

A big thankyou to clients and friends who helped us raise another £200 towards our sponsorship of Claudine Ingabire. Claudine is a young Ruandan woman who True Colours and our clients sponsor to learn sewing so that she earn an income and support her family (all victims of genocide.)

We raised the money selling refreshments at this month's Christmas Shopping event which was so well supported. You've told us how much you enjoyed it, and we've got lots of ideas to make it even better next year!

Christmas Shopping Event, 12 November

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:15:51 +0100

Yes, it's coming up to that time of year again and we're really looking forward to our favourite event of the year! Lots of lovely unique presents at great prices - candles, funky bags, different styles of jewellery, cards and Fairtrade gifts. We'll have our speciality spiced apple and mulled wine on the go, and this year are doing winter soup at lunch time*.

Where and when? 10-3 and 7-9pm at 4 Caxton Road, Broomhill, S10 3DE

We'd love to see you and please bring your friends too!

*refreshments sold in aid of Caludine Ingabire, a Ruandan woman who we are sponsoring to learn sewing skill so she can support her family.

Red lips - a key look for 2010

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:36:38 +0100

Red lips are set to stay a key look for 2010. The look is achieved by creating beautiful skin, paired down eye make-up and defined red lips.

While our clients love being shown which lipsticks suit them and how to wear them, most of them run a mile from the red lippy! But there is no need to be terrified of red lipstick, everyone can wear it and look great. Here are a few easy steps to help you get the WOW! factor from your red lipstick.
1. Create a beautiful base. Most of the time for this look will go on getting your skin looking natural and radiant. When your lips are red they are in contract to your skin therefore your skin needs to look great. Always use a primer Silk Foundation Primer £15, 30ml before your foundation. It will not only help your make-up last all day, but it will create a much more even texture to you skin, making foundation much easier to apply and look great. (If you are having a bad day with your skin - don't wear red lipstick as it draws attention to other red areas on your face). I would also recommend using JFC Shadow Lifting pen just around the eye area to brighten up your eyes.
2. Prepare your lips. Use the primer over your lips to help prevent bleeding. Red lipsticks are notorious for ‘bleeding' or ‘feathering' - it's all to do with the pigments that are used. Outline you lips using a brush and then fill in still using a brush and work well into the lips. The brush will get the lipstick into all the creases in your lips and it is far less likely to bleed. If you apply lipstick straight from the stick it simply sits on the surface and is more likely to spread or rub off. If you want to add gloss on top, wait a good ½ hour to allow the colour to stain your lips. Then you can add the gloss without fear of it making the lipstick bleed.
3. Choosing your red. This is the part that puts most people off! Looking at a sea of reds and knowing which one to pick - and because red lipstick is quite a statement if you get it wrong is obvious! Use this guild to help you confidently choose the red that is right for you:
If your skin tone is yellowy, olive or sallow pick a slightly cool red. Cool reds from Jane Fardon Cosmetics include Cranberry (bright), Fiesta (light and bright), Cherry (pinky red) and Burgundy (deep).
If your skin tone is honey or pinky, or if you have red hair, pick a warm red. Warm reds from the Jane Fardon Cosmetics range include Rudy Red (deep), Flame (strong), Fiesta (bright), Poppy (light and bright). Garnet Red is a great ‘safe' red for all skin tones.

Master of IFIC or MIFIC!

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:26:38 +0000

Jane C and I (Jane F) are both thrilled and relieved to have just completed (and passed!) our masters qualification in Image Consultancy! We are now among only 40 or so in the world to hold this qualification! Yippee!

Exciting news, Adelle Aderhold will soon be able to offer style consultations and workshops along side Jane Chapman and myself.

More exciting news, we have a new consultant joining us, called Cath Livesy. As well as soon being able to offer style consultations and workshops she is also qualified in Myers Briggs personality profiling. She will be a great addition to the team.

The keys to this seasons look. Spring/Summer 09

Fri, 01 May 2009 10:24:47 +0100

As you shop for spring and summer, remember that true style is about putting your own individual twist on the current fashions. Mix your wardrobe ‘staples' with one or two of ‘on trend' items. Have a read through the keys to this season, and see what takes your fancy.

Key colours
Blue -electric, royal (both cool colours) and cobolt (a warmer blue, with a hint of teal).
Raspberry
Mango
Nudes/blush

How to apply it to your season?
Winters you're lucky, electric and royal blue and raspberry are great for you so make the most of these colours being available!
Summers, tone down the strong cool blues by putting it with soft pink or greys. Raspberry is good for you too. Remember a colour looks softer if the fabric is textured.
Autumns, the cobalt is great colour for you. You can also do the nudes well, but teams them with something stronger or you may disappear.
Springs, mango is great for you and the nudes could be good teamed with some brighter colours. If you want to do the blues, you will need to tone down the cobalt or go for a light royal blue. To check the blue is working, make sure it sits well with your warm red and your warm greens.

Key garments.
The ‘see through tops' are still with us. Go for a sheer fabrics with a great colour underneath.
Jumpsuits are back form the 80'S! This is great for the young and slim, but if you want to revisit it and you are neither of those, you will need to go for a smarter style made from good quality fabric.

Key body parts!
Shoulders are still in focus this season often by using asymmetric detail; on one shoulder and off the other, fitted on one and full on the other, detail on one and plain on the other. Shoulder pads are back too, another revisit to the 80's!

Key detail.
Ribbon and fringing.
Lots of satin ribbon that gives linear detail around simple jumpers, jackets, and dresses, adding dramatic contrast. Fringing on all sort of things.

Key looks.

Nautical - red, white and blue plus motifs and accessories.
Tribal - use accessories with an African theme and leather strappy sandals.
Relaxed tailoring - slouchy jackets and trousers in fluid fabric, clinched at the waist. Slouchy bags
Sporty - lots of zip detail and large pockets give a new twist to the sporty look. Parachute silk gives it a luxury feel.

Next True Colours Evening - 26 of March

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:40:56 +0000

Our next free True Colours Evening will be next week on Thursday, the 26th of March, 7.30 to 9.30pm at the Studio.

To kick off the evening, I'll be giving some Top Tips for Beating the Credit Crunch - easy ways to save money, shop better and get the most from your clothes. Plus, for those of you who couldn't make our last evening there will be the chance to try out Jane Fardon's fabulous cosmetic range.

As usual, we'll keep things informal and relaxed with drinks, nibbles and plenty of time to chat! We're also happy to answer any questions you have or give style advice - given that we're talking about how to save money, you might even want to bring along an outfit you can't get to work and we'll see if we can suggest some new ways of wearing it.

True Colours Evenings are regular events which we hold for our clients and friends. If you're visiting the website and are interested in coming along, just let us know - we'll give you a warm welcome. And remember, there's no obligation to buy or book anything when you come - the reason we have special events like this is so that we can see you, not your purse!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:05:55 +0000

All of us at True Colours and Studio One would like to wish our lovely clients a very merry Christmas.

If you decide to hit the January sales, don't forget it may be a bargin, but it still has to make you look and feel fantastic, i.e. suit your colouring, style and personality - otherwise it's just another garment that's going to hang in the wardrobe and 'look' at you!

Have a truely blessed holiday,

Love from us all. xx

Fashion Show in aid of Cancer Care charity (with pictures)!

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:18:47 +0000

A team of True Colours consultants and I, had an amazing Sunday that involved well over 40 make-overs! I had been asked to use Jane Fardon Cosmetics to do the make-up for a fashion show in aid of Caner Care. We had ‘real' women of all ages and races that had volunteered to model the clothes. The fashion show came at the end of ‘Working Woman Expo', an exhibition that celebrated women in enterprise held in the centre of Sheffield at the Mecure St Paul's Hotel. They had a vast room full of stalls and businesses all aimed at women and, in smaller rooms off the side, various talks were being given. Siobhan gave a talk on ‘Taking the stress out of getting dressed', and Faye and I manned the stall selling make-up and doing mini make-overs. It was a marathon! It opened to the public at 10am and from 2- 5.30pm we did the make-up for the fashion show models. To say we were dead on our feet is an understatement! We did have fun though and there was a great atmosphere. Click to see some pictures .

Ethical Fashion?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:09:56 +0100

Last week I went to London to a seminar on Ethical Fashion. It is nice to know that at last the fashion industry is getting a conscience...well beginning to. There are some sobering facts for you:

in 2000, 1 trillion dollars was spent on fashion, and 1/3 of that was in Europe?
1 million tones of clothing is put in land fills every year and the figure is growing.
When you take clothes to a charity shop, 1/3 is sold in the shop, 1/3 is put in land fill and 1/3 is bought by an exporter who sells it in under-developed countries.

So what can we do to be more responsible? Two ideas for you:

Take the clothes you are bored with (but are still in good condition) and swap them with someone else. When lots of people get together to do this, it's called a swishing party. Watch this space as we shall be having some!
Take an old garment, or two, and make it into something new. If you are not confident at sewing, ask a freind to help you. If you want some inspiration go to http://www.junkystyling.co.uk . They do some very funky re-designing, as it is called.

If you have a favourite shop that you love shopping in but you don't thing it's ethical, rather than feeling guilty, ask them what they are doing to be more responsible. The retail trade know that happy customers is good business, so tell them that you care about where and how clothes are sourced. Keep telling them, they will have to listen eventually!

I can away form the seminar realising that feeling guilty and never buying another piece of clothing (as if I could manage that!) is not what it is about. It's about everyone taking small steps and making small changes that they can stick to, or as a friend of mine says, 'You eat an elephant one bite at a time!"

Client Evening: Clothes Swop

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:46:02 +0100

At True Colours we love to stay in touch with our clients. We want to hear how you are doing with developing your own unique style and are always happy to answer questions and offer advice. One way we do this is through regular, free client evenings.

Our next Client Evening is on the 9th of July, 8pm at the Studio and we're linking it with a Clothes Swop because so many clients have said that they have good quality clothes in the wrong colours or styles which they want to swop.

The Evening will be informal and relaxed with drinks, nibbles and plenty of time to chat! What a great motivation to review your wardrobe and have a clear out!

If you're just visiting the website and thinking I'd love to come but I'm not an existing client, then you're invited too. And feel free to bring a friend.

We hope lots of you can make it on the 9th, it should be a really good night. Please let us know if you are coming and whether or not you are bringing clothes to swop.

All the best, Jane C