Dressing up when feeling low.

I've been in leggings and the first top I could lay my hands on for days. And that's perfectly fine, if that's your style space. But that's not in keeping with my style personality. I'm a dresser-upper.

So, why the dress-down days? Dental problems... one little hole that's given me jip!
"So what?" you might ask (given this is a style blog!)

I'll get to the point quickly: I decided today to do me and that means I've put on a dress. And it's helped me to feel better. Not well, but better.

For some it's wearing make-up, for others it's the comfort of pj's for a day. But, whatever it is that makes you feel better. It matters. Do that.

It's why an organisation like (the incredible) 'Look good, feel better' does what it does.

In and off itself, what you wear on your face or body, isn't going to heal you physically but the process of doing your thing can distract you and boost your mood, which in turn will help the production of happy, healthy self producing body chemicals.

But, as I said, do you.



Today, I'm doing 'feeling shitty but trying to look pretty'!

Hope you're well!
Denise x

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My summer holiday style by number!

My summer holiday 1-2-6!

Holiday dressing and shopping is something I find a pleasure. I love the hotter weather, but dressing for the office in hot weather is sometimes a challenge so let's face it, in the UK I don't get to wear my shorts and sunnies that often (as weekend sunshine isn't guaranteed)!

This year was no exception, I loved planning my summer wardrobe and packing before my holiday, and shopping in Spain. So...
...Here's my 1-2-6 of this summers holiday style:

1. My make up bag travelled with me, but I really only used one item - my new "Oh my gloss" Rimmel lipgloss. It's rather lush - bright but subtle, not too sticky and stays put!

2. I seemed to do my accessories in two's* - I travelled with two hats (though only one mate it back sadly), two pairs of sunglasses, and brought two bracelets to match two rings, and two rings (not to match the bracelets!)
*I didn't stick to the two accessory rule when it came to shoes mind you!

3. I brought three new dresses: I hadn't intended to! I do always like to buy one dress on holiday as it's nice to have something that nobody else is likely to turn up wearing at a summer wedding! However, this time around I couldn't resist three beauties - one sassy, one sweet and one oh so-easy-to-wear. You can decide which the one below is...

One new dress, in white. With white sandals. Hair up, fringe back.

4. I seemed to wear four colours predominantly: red, pink, white and black. Picking colours in my palette that I could mix and match made dressing easy especially as my printed items could all be co-ordinated with one of these. It really helps with packing to focus on a few colours.

5. Shoes* are my packing nemesis - I need flip flops and trainers for practical reasons, but being petite and needing a variety of heel heights to make certain outfits work makes taking any less a challenge... for me.

On trend tropical print. Worn with hot pink. One pair of heels, out of 5 pairs of shoes.

6. My hair - I wore a curly ponytail which meant I could wear a full ponytail, a shortened ponytail and a full updo... add to that my fringe au natural, straightened or plaited and those six variations meant a whole range of 'hair-do's'

What's been your 2016 summer style by numbers, so far - make up, accessories, clothes, purchases? Let's hope we don't have to pack it all away too soon, so...

...Here's to a warm September!
Denise x

PS - More pics may follow.

How to: Stay stylish in sunshine or showers!

All change... with the weather! 

With the weather being so changeable at the moment, it can be a bit of a challenge to know what to wear from one minute to the next.

If, like me, you need to keep dry when it rains and warm when it's cool, here are a few of my tips:

Keep your feet in:

Ankle/shoe boots or at least closed in shoes like on-trend brogues are the thing for now. If you must wear sandals or cute heels, carry them with you or keep them under your desk.

(Note: I am not 'natural' enough to condone the 'wear your trainers to work' trend!) 

Get a big bag out:

Pick the right one with these tips (http://damsonbelle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/im-bag-lady.html) but remember, whatever else it is, it'll need to be big enough to carry everything you might need including...

...My number one accessory of the moment:  An umbrella, obviously. Go for a bright one as you'll probably need it to cheer you up in the rain!

I love this one: http://www.shop.masato.co.uk/collections/umbrella-s-by-klair

But, you should carry your sunglasses too, so that you can instantly look more spring-like when the sun comes out.

Layer up

You probably don't want to be wearing your winter coat in May, so go for a shirt under your dress or a light cardigan under your jacket for example, and a wear a scarf around your neck (PS: make it a bright one in the right colour please!).

Bottom half:

Whatever you're wearing on your bottom half, I learnt a valuable lesson this week: Have a pair of socks in your handbag - light to carry and warming in a 'I got soaked coming back from lunch' emergency. 

http://www.mytights.com/gb/miss-oroblu-heroes-knee-highs.html

And finally, just a little reminder to take care of your skin and protect it from the elements... there are lots of them!

Stay warm, cool & dry peeps!

Denise x

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Fashion Fever!

If you know me, you'll know that I don't consider myself a fashion blogger and so try to avoid 'promoting' brands and products. If you read my Twitter account, however, you'll know that I do have a wee crush on the classy, yet affordable, Fever Designs (http://www.feverdesigns.co.uk/) which I came across by accident.

In April I entered a competition to try and win yet another Fever item to add to my collection. The task was to say where you'd wear each dress, and I couldn't help but add the 'how' too!

http://www.feverdesigns.co.uk/blog/2014/04/competition-where-to-wear-spring-edition/

My opening line was a deliberate attempt to get noticed by the universe, even though they said the winner would be chosen at random. And, to my great joy (I kid you not, I was a very happy bunny because I never win anything*), I WON!

On Friday I went to the London store to meet Lauren to decide which dress to get, and though it was a tough choice I chose this one with the help of the super kind and patient staff. I'm really glad I tried them all on along with numerous other things (all lovely), as I might not have chosen this one if I'd have simply 'shopped' on-line. Like all my Fever dresses it's well made and cut perfectly for my petite frame, and the pockets are a bonus! I know it's going to become a staple - I can dress it up with heels and a pretty cardi' or down with wedge trainers and my denim jacket as just two options.

http://www.feverdesigns.co.uk/apple-dress-ink-lime-lemonade.html

Which one would you have chosen?

*I don't normally enter competitions which might account for some of this! Note to self: Enter more competitions to get clothes and save money ;-)

Until next time.....

Denise x

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How to... Wear a Jumpsuit

The shops are full of Jumpsuit love!

I think it is the survival of the onesie that has lead to the revival of the jumpsuit
(and dungarees) as a fashion trend this season. I've worn them in the past
and they can look super cool but there's also the risk that you'll look like
you're wearing a babygrow (especially if, like me, you're not the height of
a supermodel)!

My top tips for getting it right are these:

1.  Make sure the proportions are right, eg does the waist sit where it's
intended to?
2.  If you're going for shorts or cropped legs, make sure they don't stop at your
widest point
3.  If it's patterned, make sure the size of the print doesn't swamp you
4.  If it's a block colour, make sure it's in a colour that flatters you (or at 

least makes you feel fab)
5.  Make sure that the fabric is flattering and that means that it's not too clingy in all the wrong places!
6.  Don't over accessorise it - one of the best things about a jumpsuit is its
relative simplicity.

However, as with everything - don't wear it just to be on trend, wear a jumpsuit
if you find one that makes you look and feel awesome.

Personally, I love my new jumpsuit (even though it's black - a bit odd for me
for those who know me well). It fits perfectly, and it's a bit lacy and a bit racy!
Here it is, ready to be worn with an array of colourful heels and bright earrings.

Thanks Miss Selfridge for this classy petite one!

Jumpsuit love by denise-12 on Polyvore

Miss Selfridge jumpsuits romper

missselfridge.com

Nicholas Kirkwood pointed toe flat

net-a-porter.com

Stella Dot blue handbag

stelladot.com

Stella Dot peacock jewelry

stelladot.com

Gold Love Script

etsy.com

Petite? There's so much more!

A report from the Petite Networking event of...

I connected with Debonita and was invited to do a talk at her petite networking event a few weeks ago. It was great to be in a crowd and feel 'average'. It doesn't happen often, not even at family events, considering that I'm shorter than even my 12yo nephew! 

The first speaker was Jess of "Jeetley Petite" who talked to us about the her petite challenges in finding workwear which lead to the creation of the label, and what goes into getting petite clothing made. I was certainly left with an appreciation of what goes into making petite clothes and that it's not just about using less material. 

We also heard from Rebecca Goodyear about skincare. Obviously, taking care of your skin is not exclusive to us petites, and you'd be amazed at what's gone (going) into our make-up over the years!

Our final speaker was the very stylish Aga of "I A.M the Brand" who went through the trends for the season and which would work for petites.

In between these was me, and the theme of my talk was that "we are not all the same but we are all more than our height" - a 'concept' that seemed to be appreciated. I talked about the rules: what they are, why they exist and - most importantly imho - how and why to break them incorporating style personality and bodyshape. Apparently it was "...epic"! (*Denise grins widely*)

It really was a great evening, and I will certainly be supporting petite brands more to make sure they stay in the shops. 

To sum up:

"Petite ain't nothing but a number, Your height ain't nothing but a thing;

There's so much more to you, That'll never change"

(Sing it to the tune of "Age ain't nothing but a number" by Aaliah"... Loudly!)

Other notes from the night:

As well as the presentations, there were a number of stalls with products not just aimed at, but designed for, petite ladies. Sadly, I'm petite in stature but not shoe size so rather than buy my favourite shoes as a treat, I enjoyed getting my nails done by @NiceNailsBaby instead. Check out the full event details and suppliers at:

http://www.petitefashionweek.co.uk

The shoes* from Petite Shoe Boutique (www.petiteshoeboutique.co.uk)

My nails by @NiceNailsBaby

*Me and my red shoe love: http://damsonbelle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/how-to-wear-red-shoes.html 

Until next time.....

Petite & Proud!

Denise x

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Awards season & Style Personality

What's your style personality?

We've just one month until the Oscars, probably the biggest Awards event in the calendar, but we've already seen lots to talk about stylewise. We've had the SAG's, the GG's and the Grammy's so far and it's been fun to watch with every style personality represented on the red carpet.

This year, I've been looking through my 'style personality' lens at what we can learn from looking at the stars, and one thing that's really struck me is that people do tend to stick to a certain type if you look closely.

It's not science, but let's have some fun and see what your choice might say about you! You've probably got likes, but would you really dare to wear Emma's choice?

So, which outfit would you actually, honestly wear from those above? Your choice is suggesting your style personality, so now read the commentary below to discover more. And it's not just ladies, style personalities applies to the gent's as well, so I've considered them too!

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE? NOW READ ON...

 

Emma Thompson/Pharrell Williams - Natural style personality: 
Comfort is your thing, fuss is not! Emma wore heels for the red carpet for the Golden Globes but by the time she hit the stage they were gone. By the date of the Golden Globes the heels were gone, and comfort won! And despite the oversized hat, it's obvious Pharrell's focus was comfort.

Lupita Nyong/Kunal Nayyar - Dramatic style personality: 
Your choices state "Look at me, I'm here". Lupita has been hitting the headlines with bold, standout colours this awards season. Kunal stood out in colour too - not as bold but it didn't need to be as most other men unsurprisingly wore black.

 

Julia Roberts/Leonard DiCaprio - Classic style personality:

In your style opinion, some things just work and if it's not a LBD, then close to an LBD is a good solid choice! Everything about Julia's style keeps it classy starting with her updo. Leonardo does classic black jacket and bow tie.

 

Emma Watson/Daft Punk - Creative style personality: 
You're not afraid to make bold style choices. You like to be different and quirky - sometimes it works, sometimes too much but it's always interesting. Emma's choice was adventurous, fun and quirky. And need I say more re Daft Punk who take creative to another level!

 

Kaley Cuoco/ Matthew McConaughey - Romantic style personality:
Pretty, floral, floaty, pink - that sort of thing, is your sort of thing! Kaley was totally girly at the GG's and did the whole girly list. How does a man like MM do romantic? - well, wearing a tactile, smooth fabric like velvet is one way.

 

Anna Gunn /Beau Bridges - City Chic style personality
Something about your outfit will say 'this wasn't off the shelf' and you give your fairly classic look a twist often with accessories. Beau's black, but patterned tux and 'different' shoes give him a dapper edge here.

Did your choice reflect your personality? This is just a glimpse at the idea of 'style personality'. To find out more: Book a style or full image consultation with Damson Belle. 

Until next time!

Denise x

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