I need a makeover, need new clothes :-)

Nicki

My two top tips are:

1 book an appointment with a personal shopper - lots of shops offer the service free - and see what she recommends for you. You don't need to buy all or any of it, but you might get some good ideas and can then shop around in different stores for similar stuff to match your budget.

2. If you hate that idea, think of one or more celebs with a similar body shape to you and google for pics of them and see what does and doesn't look good. Do the same for celebs with your colouring to see what shades are likely to suit you best.

If you are going for a whole new look, try and make it a capsule wardrobe so most of the new tops work with most of the new bottoms and any cardigans or jackets work with everything. Also try and buy things so you only need a couple of different types of shoes, rather than a different pair for each outfit.

osian

I know it's coming up to Summer now, but in the Autumn and Winter I like to wear high boots with skinny jeans. I have flat ones if it's casual or I'm walking a fair distance. I like ones with a bit of a heel if I'm going to the pub or something a bit more dressier than usual.

I also like a sort of short biker type leather jacket to wear with the skinny jeans and it seems to go everywhere. Maybe now is a good time to buy some boots or jackets in the sale for next winter whilst they are out of season.

My clothes, in general I'm pretty rubbish at TBH and I don't really pay that much attention. I'm currently pregnant, so I was looking for something that I could wear 'fat' or 'thin' and I came across a tunic type dress (it's the cat one on this page - link below). Well, it's been really great. I've worn it loads of times to lots of different events and with tights, leggings or skinny jeans. I've only just seen that website as I got mine from 'OUTFIT', so may have another look for similar stuff.

http://www.sodamix.co.uk/epages/es137225.sf/en_GB/?ViewAction=View&ObjectID=15438522&Page=3

I'd like to buy some more summer stuff, so will watch this page with interest to see what others suggest.

browneyedbazzi

osian - great link, i love the 'studded layer ruffle dress' that's an absolute bargain at £10. Only problem is that I have vowed not to buy any more black or grey clothing! I'm desperately trying to colour up my wardrobe lol.

DUKE

Last year I bought some lovely long-ish floaty dresses from M&S (no it's not for old people, I'm 50 & I thought that until recently) in the sales. Also I got some mid calf length dresses from the sale in Wallis, they're the sort that wear well, wash well, & you can jump up & down on them & screw them up, & they don't crease. The dresses I can wear with a long cardi or a short denim jacket. These I call my holiday clothes as I wear them in the evening for dinner when I'm on holz, & I can also wear them in the summer to go out. Buy some good underwear too as this can shape your figure & make you look good in almost anything. A good pair of legging is also a good investment as you can wear them with your shorter dresses for a smarter look, or with a nice top or jumper. I'm at that stage now where I want to look decent but I don't want to look like I'm trying to be young. Good luck - I was always looking for a new image but finally I think I'm comfortable. Don't forget to buy a couple of good belts too. Oh & (don't laugh) take photos of yourself in your new stuff, the camera don't lie. You'll know what really suites then & you can always change it if it's not you.

thehappybutterfly

I'm in my early 40's and yep, jeans, converse and t-shirts for me too! Dead comfy. I love Manta Ray for casuals and summer dresses. They do lovely jersey wrap dresses which I wear to work or out for a meal. Fat Face and White Stuff are another favourite (but only in the sales)and my most favourite is Ness. Girly tartan and tweed and just fabulous! These last three places have small shops in St Andrews which isn't a million miles from me - I could go mad buying up everything.

Sometimes I feel like I should "dress my age" but what's that then? Calf-length skirts, frumpy blouses and sensible shoes? No thanks. I dress young and funky but not like mutton dressed as lamb. I know what suits me and I avoid the fashion traps like fur coats and animal print - I look like a "lady of the night" in them!

To hell with what the magazines tell you. If you're comfortable in what you wear and it's appropriate (I'm thinking make the effort for work meetings etc.) then there's nothing to worry about.

thehappybutterfly

Oh and Boohoo.com and Joe Browns have all sorts of funky colourful stuff. Boohoo's quite bargainous but Joe Browns is another one I wait for the sales!

mummybearx

I may have just put bids on two pairs of Converse

I'm looking at blazer style jackets as we speak though :rotfl:

Chakani

I like White Stuff and Fat Face - only ever from the sale though, or from Ebay.

Skinny jeans with boots is a good look if you feel most comfy in jeans and flat shoes, and you can wear a superman t-shirt or a pretty top equally well with them. Not too far removed from the jeans and Converse, but maybe a bit of a change?

minerva_windsong

Nicki wrote: »

My two top tips are:

1 book an appointment with a personal shopper - lots of shops offer the service free - and see what she recommends for you. You don't need to buy all or any of it, but you might get some good ideas and can then shop around in different stores for similar stuff to match your budget.

2. If you hate that idea, think of one or more celebs with a similar body shape to you and google for pics of them and see what does and doesn't look good. Do the same for celebs with your colouring to see what shades are likely to suit you best.

If you are going for a whole new look, try and make it a capsule wardrobe so most of the new tops work with most of the new bottoms and any cardigans or jackets work with everything. Also try and buy things so you only need a couple of different types of shoes, rather than a different pair for each outfit.

Fully agree with this - when I got my first proper job after uni and had to buy work outfits I booked an appointment with a personal shopper at a nearby shopping centre (I'd rather do that than go to a department store due to having more choice of the kind of brands I like) and took along pictures of celebrities whose style I liked to give her an idea of the type of look I wanted. It was actually really helpful and I came away with some great tips and ideas of what to look for in the future.

Making sure everything works together is good advice as well; I am like that to the extent that when I go clothes shopping I will take my two pairs of 'work' shoes with me to try on with clothes in changing rooms and make sure it all goes

In terms of my own personal style, I wear a lot of knee-length patterned tea dresses, mainly as I find them quite easy to throw on in the morning and to dress up or down with different shoes (court shoes, Mary Janes or flat boots) or jewellery, or wear at different times of the year by adding tights or cardigans/jackets. Sometimes as an alternative I'll wear A-line patterned skirts with colourful plain jersey tops. For a more casual look I'll wear something like a denim skirt and a retro T-shirt over a long-sleeved top, or jeans, a printed T-shirt and Converse.

Where I shop changes depending on which shop's clothes I like at any given time - at the moment I'm obsessed with Oasis as it's full of the kind of dresses I like (although it is quite expensive) and Uniqlo and H&M for basics. I also like Fat Face for summer stuff, and go through phases with New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop etc - sometimes I go in there and want everything, other times I go in there and hate it all.

mummybearx

I do have quite a few dresses, but I'm never sure what to wear with them. I need to get a jacket to wear with my nice dresses. It's okay in the warmer weather when i can just wear a cardigan, but it's definately jacket and hood weather in Scotland today :rotfl:

In fact, I might wear a dress to work tomorrow :eek: