Has your body shape changed post pregnancy?

So we all know that it takes a while to lose the baby weight after giving birth, as commonly quoted “9 months on, 9 months off”. In fact many women really struggle to lose the weight full stop and no wonder given what little time we mums have to regularly exercise, eat at the right times, prepare healthy meals etc.

However there is another factor to consider and that is changes to your actual body shape. Weight gain isn’t always distributed evenly on the body and so styles which flattered your body shape pre-pregnancy may no longer work for you. For example it’s very common (and hardly surprising!) to store fat around the belly even if it wasn’t previously a problem area for you. Also you may find that more weight is stored around the hip and thigh area making you a Pear shape where previously you may have had an hourglass figure.

Please bear in mind that if you’ve had your baby less than 9 months ago your body shape may still be changing. If you are stuck with a stubborn jelly belly then exercises really are the only way to make changes but you must ensure you are doing them correctly! Did you know that certain techniques for sit-ups will actually give you a more rounded stomach?! This is a good website for clear instructions on the right tummy exercises http://www.pregnancy-info.net/topic_other_topics.html

Anyway, I digress! The important thing here is to correctly identify your body shape as it is today. There are 5 key body shapes and you should be able to pick out yours from the descriptions below. When you have found the one that fits click onto the link underneath to read tips on how to dress to best suit your shape.

Pear Shape

·         Your shoulders are narrower than your hips

·         You take a larger size on your bottom half

·         Your hip measurement is at least 5% more than your shoulder measurement

·         You have full hips, bottom and thighs with a smaller top half

Click here for tips on how to dress

Inverted Triangle

·         Your shoulders are broader than your hips

·         You take a larger size on your top half (although not always)

·         Your shoulder measurement is at least 5% more than your hip measurement

·         You have little definition between your waist and hips

·         You may be more angular than curvy

Click here for tips on how to dress

Rectangle

·         Your shoulder and hip measurements are roughly the same and you have an undefined waist

·         You have no obvious curves and your bottom is usually quite flat

·         Your waist is less than 25% smaller that your shoulder measurement 

Click here for tips on how to dress

Apple

·         You have balanced hips and shoulders

·         You carry excess weight around the tummy and upper body

·         You have no waist definition

·         You have an average to generous bust

·         You have rounded shoulders

·         You have shapely legs 

Click here for tips on how to dress

Hourglass

·         Your shoulder and hip measurements are roughly the same and you have a defined waist

·         You wear the same size top and bottom

·         You are curvaceous rather than angular

·         You have an average to full bust

·         Your hip and shoulder measurement differ by no more than 5% and your waist is at least 25% less than these measurements 

Click here for tips on how to dress

Copyright © Alice Treanor 2010

What is it about Boden? Do you love them or hate them?

They are a very successful clothing company and with good reason. They sell colourful, good quality clothes; have great marketing; excellent customer service and yet women often make a face at the mere mention. (Not Mini Boden for kids though as people universally seem to love their range).

I’ve been trying to understand this reaction better and have come to the conclusion that Boden is too distinctive. Being distinctive is often a good thing; for example you’d be happy for people to notice the red soles on your shoes and recognise them as being Christian Louboutin (if you’re lucky enough to afford them of course), or to give another example a handbag from Orla Kiely – very obvious to everyone where it’s from but in this case it’s not a bad thing.

Boden however is not quite up there with other brands in terms of people wanting others to know where they’ve bought their dress, handbag etc They seem to be considered by some to be a bit middle of the road, an obvious choice and therefore unoriginal, despite the fact that in my opinion they sell a lot of nice things – jackets in particular at the moment. (www.boden.co.uk)

 Certainly where I live in South London Boden is very often seen worn by mums waiting at the school gates and that’s what seems to put a lot of people off. I guess that clothes either need to be an obvious brand that people are keen to show off or have an air of mystery about them – Boden doesn’t seem to fit into either category, hence “the face”!!

Alice Treanor 2010

Style Workshop

Last week I ran a Style Workshop with Made Easy 4 U Events (www.madeeasy4uevents.com)  for a group of ladies interested to learn more about how to dress to suit their body shape and personal colour characteristics.

Such good fun (is this really my job?!) and very interactive including practical colour and body shape analysis and lots of visual examples of celebrities getting it right and wrong!!

One lady in particular looked so great in a vibrant shade of red that everyone gasped! (If you too look good in bright red then I’d recommend the Red Button Back Trench Coat from Wallis http://bit.ly/b2YZ0F.) It really is true that when you wear what I like to call a “wow” colour the affect can be dramatic.

You know you are wearing the right colour if:

—  Your face appears to be lit from underneath

—  Your skins appears smoother, fresher and younger

—  Your eye colour is enhanced

—  You notice YOU more than the colour

One of the ladies was a slim pear shape and was wearing a cowl neck top much like the one shown here.

The style of it meant that her narrow shoulders were emphasised and so by default her hips looked wider. When lifted up and pulled across the width of her shoulders in the style of an off the shoulder top (like the one shown below) her shoulders immediately appeared broader thereby bringing the width of her hips into proportion and creating an hourglass silhouette.

It was a great example of how clearly style affects our appearance and how minor adjustments to the way in which we wear our clothes can quickly make significant improvements. No need to buy a whole new wardrobe then - you just need to be creative with styles, accessories and how you put outfits together.

The morning ended with how to effectively declutter your wardrobe – not just chucking stuff out that you haven’t worn in the last year but being really thorough so that when you open your wardrobe doors you love everything you see! Some of the key advantages being that:

·       -  Never again will you arrive at work and/or social function and wish you were wearing something else

·        - You will always look great as anything that doesn’t suit your body shape or personal colour characteristics has been removed

·        - No longer will you waste time or become stressed by trying on countless outfits

Next time you open your wardrobe have a think about how it makes you feel. Are you happy with your clothes? Do you really know what suits you? Do your clothes make you feel confident? If not then perhaps it’s time to take some advice....

© Alice Treanor 2010

Does Anyone Look Good in Nude?

I know it’s on trend at the moment but does anyone actually look good in it? 

Penelope Cruz, universally recognised for being stunning, certainly doesn’t. 

Ok, so she’s hardly a monster but look how much better she looks in emerald green.  The colour of her eyes is brighter and more apparent, her skin has a warmer glow and her hair colour appears richer.

Colour should enhance your assets not dampen them down. Your eye colour should always stand out whatever you wear as this is the area of focus when holding a conversation. If a colour doesn’t do this for you, and nude very rarely does, then forget it. 

Sorry, you won’t catch me wearing nude this A/W when there so many more flattering colours out there.

Looking Your Best Every Day

I have a toddler and a newborn and so probably have a good excuse to leave the house looking a complete mess! Whenever I do though I always regret it, even if it’s just dropping my toddler off at nursery in the morning and coming straight home again. 

I feel less confident and spend too much energy hoping I won’t bump into anyone I know. Made worse by the fact that one of my neighbours is so good looking it’s almost laughable (it’s ok, there’s no chance he’ll read this although my husband might - love you darling). Not a great way to start the day then!!

I guess what I’m trying to say is that whenever possible make an effort before leaving the house and you’re likely to feel the benefit. Much better to start the day feeling good about yourself and actually feel happy at the prospect of bumping into someone you know because you look so great!

©Alice Treanor 2010

ASOS Swimwear to Suit Your Body Shape

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Inverted Triangle:

http://bit.ly/bfEbhe

http://bit.ly/bsMnA5

The necklines will help to enhance your bust and detract from the width of your shoulders. The amount of material around the hip area will add a bit more width to create the illusion of an hourglass silhouette.

(NB. If you are short beware of costumes which are cut too low down on the leg as this will make your legs appear shorter.)

Triangle (Pear Shape):

http://bit.ly/aJnPpW

http://bit.ly/bObzkx

The small amount of material on the bottom half of these bikinis will help to minimise the hip area and high-light your slim waist. In both cases the design around the shoulders helps to broaden them in order to bring balance to your figure. 

Rectangle:

http://bit.ly/bxqatx

http://bit.ly/bhsVCH

The femininity of these bikinis help to create the illusion of curves.

Hourglass:

http://bit.ly/drIoSx

http://bit.ly/aEqFbE

These costumes show off your curves and keep your shoulders and hips in proportion.

Round (Apple Shape):

http://bit.ly/biaBFC

http://bit.ly/dnQYFD

These costumes help to create the illusion of a waist whilst slimming other areas.

Alice Treanor © 2010

Dressing for a Slimmer You – 10 Top Tips!

1) Rule number one has to be keep it simple!

Wearing excess material, big buttons or large pockets can interfere with the clean lines which are so slimming. This doesn’t have to mean boring, you can still use colours and styles creatively, just don’t go overboard with unnecessary details which add bulk to your frame

2) Have a slimming hairstyle

Talk to a professional hairdresser but bear in mind that certain styles, like a bob, will add pounds to your face but upswept hair is usually quite flattering.

3) Use vertical lines

Vertical patterns on fabrics draw the eye up and down the body which helps to create the impression of a slimmer figure. Avoid horizontal patterns on fabrics in areas you want to slim – although they can be useful if trying to balance out a pear shape or top heavy figure. Also look out for vertical weaves in fabrics which are less obvious but can also have a slimming affect. Skinny scarves worn hanging around the neck and down the body can also help slim your frame as it draws the eye up and down the body.

4) Have good posture

This is probably the easiest way to instantly lose pounds. Stand tall, pull your shoulders back and lift your head up for an immediate result!

5) Wear structured and supportive underwear

Control pants, minimising bras, all-in-one shapers can all help create a good foundation for your clothes. The choice out there is endless  – ask the advice of an underwear shop you trust or a good department store.

6) Chose the right fabrics

Very thick fabrics add bulk while fabrics which are too clingy can be unforgiving. Try to find fabrics which provide structure and skim over problem areas rather than enhancing them.

7) Wear a slight heel

Even if you’re not a fan of heels try to wear a slight kitten heel and avoid square-toe or rounded styles. If you are quite large be wary of very delicate styles as this can bring unbalance to your frame. Also make sure you choose a shoe which you easily walk in – there’s nothing worse than an ungainly and exaggerated walk (or looking like it’s taking all your concentration not to trip up!)

8) Use colour wisely

On the whole darker colours are more flattering but this doesn’t mean you have to wear black!! Dark shades of any colours will also have the same affect  - take care to choose colours which suit your complexion, hair and eye colour.

9) Scale the print size

Tiny prints simply emphasise a fuller figure as do patterns of contrasting colours. Wear subtle patterns of an appropriate scale for your figure and avoid horizontal lines as well as very busy, swirly or rounded patterns.

10) Wear the right size!

Don’t be tempted to buy an item because of its size label – wearing ill-fitting clothes is a sure way to draw attention to your imperfections. Wear well fitted clothes and please please please buy the right size!!

Alice Treanor © 2010

Some Great Summer Scarves

Are you loving the summer scarves around at the moment? They are a fantastically easy way to glam up the plainest of outfits.

Here are my top 5 favourites:

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1) Gap - http://gap.us/9EfC2z

Love the way they have mixed these patterns. This link is to their US site but it is available in UK stores.


2) Boden - http://bit.ly/apYtfj

Great selection of colours to chose from and being Boden you’re assured of good quality.


3) Boohoo - http://bit.ly/8Zqc05

An unusual purple/blue colour and a great price!


4) ASOS - http://bit.ly/cnVeJa

Very sophisticated and glam – love it!


5) ASOS - http://bit.ly/btMDGO

Lovely rich colour for a summer scarf which looks particularly great when worn against a plain colour (like white as shown in this picture).

Do You "Get" Designer Clothes?

I was having lunch with some friends recently and one of them said to me “I just don’t get designer clothes – I mean I just don’t GET them. What makes an item so much more expensive than another one?”

I replied that, other than quality, I thought it was the way a really luxurious designer item makes you feel when you wear it. We started talking about how certain clothes make you feel like a million dollars and pretty much guarantee you’ll have a good day and she said that she didn’t think she had any clothes that made her feel that. I found this really surprising as she is very well presented and it even made me feel a little bit sad.

Of course few of us can afford to buy many designer items but I definitely think it’s worth investing in a few pieces which make you feel amazing – chances are you will wear them more often and over a longer period of time too.

Designer clothes, on the whole, are well cut and made from fabric which is superior to high street clothes but this only partly accounts for the higher price tag. A significant proportion is as a result of the designer label – does this make wearers of designer items superficial?

I don’t know the answer to this question but I do know that some designer items can make you feel on top of the world. My general conclusion is that it doesn’t matter why. Whatever it takes – we all deserve to feel great!

Wedding Guest Dresses (to suit your body shape)

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Triangle (or Pear) Body Shape

Dresses which help to:

1. Broaden the shoulders and add balance to the hip area

2. High-light defined waist through tailoring

3.Slim hip area

Option One: http://joythestore.com/Louche-Folded-Neckline-Dress.html

Wear with bronze clutch and bronze heels. Heels should ideally have a v-shape at the front or open toe to elongate and slim the legs

Option Two: http://www.lkbennett.com/clothing/dresses/DRDELTA616COTTONMIX

Wear with black clutch, black heels and sparkles!!

Option Three: http://www.selfridges.com/en/Womenswear/Categories/Dresses/Evening/Corseted-prom-dress_227-83037373-CT15538457/

Wear with baby pink or nude clutch and heels

Inverted Triangle Body Shape

Dresses which help to:

1. Draw the eye away from the broadness of your shoulders (due to shape of neckline)

2. Give balance to hip area to create illusion of hourglass figure

3. Define waist

Option One: http://joythestore.com/Satin-Tape-Detail-Dress.html

Wear with black and sparkle

Option Two: http://www.lkbennett.com/clothing/dresses/30513VIOLET

Wear with black or silver (sparkle optional)

Option Three: http://www.coast-stores.com/GARDINIA-STATEMENT-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224688639

Wear with silver or baby pink clutch and shoes

Round (or Apple) Body Shape

Empire-line dresses which help to:

1. High-light the slimmest part of your body

2. Slim your silhouette generally and create the illusion of an hourglass figure

3. Show off your shapely legs!

Option One: http://www.coast-stores.com/SYMPHONY-SHORT-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224683560

Wear with black, silver (or even deep purple) clutch and heels. Best to avoid stilettos and go for a slightly chunkier heel in order to add balance to your overall shape.

As it’s sleeveless it’s most suited to a slimmer round figure.

Option Two: http://www.very.co.uk/stripe-satin-dress/698645594.prd?browseToken=/b/1661/o/2/r/100&prdToken=/p/prod2190745-sku3329631

Wear with plain, understated, black clutch and heels

Option Three: http://www.very.co.uk/contrast-tie-occasion-dress/627774722.prd?browseToken=/b/1661/o/2/r/100&prdToken=/p/prod1941697-sku2982463

Wear with black clutch and heels and sparkles!

Rectangle Body Shape

Dresses which help to:

1. Add curves through feminine detail and tailoring

2. Define waist to create the illusion of an hourglass figure

Option One: http://www.coast-stores.com/VERONA-TIPPED-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224689770

Wear with black patent clutch and shoes.

(most suited for slim rectangle figures)

Option Two: http://www.coast-stores.com/MYLEE-ONE-SHOULDER-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224686184

Wear with black or silver clutch and shoes

Option Three: http://www.coast-stores.com/MERENGE-DUCHESS-SATIN-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2143402870

Wear with black clutch and heels

Hourglass Body Shape

Dresses which help to:

1. Emphasise your shapely figure and show off your waist

2. Maintain balance between hips and shoulders

Option One: http://www.lkbennett.com/clothing/dresses/30500LOTUS

Wear with grey or silver clutch and heels

Option Two: http://www.coast-stores.com/MERENGE-DUCHESS-SATIN-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2143402848

Wear with black clutch and heels

Option Three: http://www.very.co.uk/bow-front-dress/658508978.prd?browseToken=/b/1661,4294958681/r/100&trail=1589-1655-1661-4294958681&prdToken=/p/prod1583195-sku2366315

Wear with black clutch and heels

Clothes Shopping On-Line vs In Store

I have a friend who’s an E-Bay addict, let’s call her E-Holic.

E-Holic buys 80% of her clothes from E-Bay (usually designer) and anything she doesn’t like or that doesn’t fit she re-sells on E-Bay – often for more than she paid for it.

Please note that E-Holic is a shopping demon, and slim with an hourglass figure, so luckily for her she can get away with a wider variety of styles than the rest of us. She also knows her own personal style very well and rarely makes the wrong choice.

E-Holic uses a bid sniper service - I forget which one. In case you’re not familiar with them they are often low cost and put in a bid for you at the very last moment ensuring no one else has a chance to make a subsequent bid. It helps prevent against a bidding war as well, meaning that you are likely to win the item at a lower price.

E-bay, and on-line shopping in general, works well for E-Holic but not everyone is so lucky. I find it a hassle to re-sell on E-Bay and so unless you are selling high priced items personally I just can’t be bothered. It’s easy enough to do but can be time consuming to take and upload the picture; write the description; wrap and pack the item; queue at the post office etc

Shopping on-line can be good for the wallet if you know what you’re looking for but find you get easily distracted in stores. So if you’re on a budget, and a mission(!) then on-line could be the way to go. Beware though that if you’re buying something for a special occasion you’ll need to allow enough time for delivery and to find something else in case it’s not right.

A big advantage of buying in store is of course that you have the opportunity to try things on and so usually when you bring clothes home you already know you love them; that they fit properly and flatter you. When buying on-line you can really look forward to them arriving only to be disappointed when you try them on. If you return the item/s and end up with nothing then you can be left feeling pretty deflated.

Also you can’t feel the quality of the material when buying on-line which, if you’re a touchy feely person like me, is a big disadvantage. Your love of an item of clothing can often be strongly influenced by how it feels against your skin and although the on-line description will tell you the type of material (and sometimes you can watch a moving image of a model wearing it) it can still be tricky to know exactly how it will cling and hang on your body.

Most on-line stores are now very good at making it easy to return items and many offer free postage on your returns. ASOS has to be my favourite and in my opinion has got pretty much everything right from start to finish. The layout of their website is user friendly; they have a wide variety of choice (including designer wear); competitive prices; very quick despatch time; excellent delivery service (with my deliveries they often come back at the end of the day if they have missed me earlier); easy to return; free postage on returned items; quick confirmation of returned items and a quick refund.

No, I promise I’m not working on commission - they really are that good!

A lot of other on-line stores have got it right as well and so on the whole there is no reason to be put off by the hassle of returning unwanted items – most of the time it’s no hassle at all.

When deciding to shop on-line on-line or in store it’s worth considering the following criteria:

a) Do you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for?

b) Do you know how to dress for your body shape and what is likely to suit you?

c) Do you know which colours suit you without trying them on?

d) Are there certain on-line stores which seem to cater well for your body shape?

If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions then on-line is probably the way to go; otherwise take at least 3 or 4 hours out of your day to visit your local shopping area. On-line shopping is very convenient; less tiring on your feet and less stressful if you hate crowds. It can also be a great way to cheer yourself up at the end of a difficult day but on balance I would say that nothing replaces a day out shopping with a good friend.

Alice Treanor © 2010

My Trip to Bicester Village (Outlet Shopping)

I still can’t quite believe that part of my job legitimately involves spending the day shopping at, sorry I mean researching, Bicester Village in Oxfordshire! (http://www.bicestervillage.com/en_GB/)

I arrived early and got myself a coffee and muffin from Starbucks (the skinny variety of course) and sat down to study a copy of the Village Directory in order to plan my day. There really is a fantastic selection – around 90 clothing shops and a further 25 shops dedicated to shoes and/or accessories.

The original reason for my visit was to see the British Designers Collective but it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Being a big fan of Erdem in particular (see for yourself http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/catwalk-report/id,8791#) I was really excited to see his selection. I was expecting something a bit more spectacular than an empty shell of a shop with a few rails of clothes in it – a slight exaggeration perhaps but you get the idea.

I think all the good stuff must have gone, or never made it there in the first place, and the shop assistants were obviously dying of boredom. I overheard them talking about how slow it was and how they “sold 2 items yesterday” – not exactly flying off the shelves then!

Luckily the other shops weren’t as underwhelming.....

Highlights:

· Gerard Darel

Classic, beautifully made, feminine clothes. Great fabrics – everything felt luxurious from silks to wools and would no doubt feel fantastic to wear. Particularly well suited to style conscious 40 something’s who want to look great.

· Reiss

Wonderfully tailored suits, especially the jackets. The place to go if you want to feel sexy wearing a suit – sometimes harder than you’d think. Also have tops, blouses and dresses in great colours and fabrics.

· LK Bennett

Amazing selection of evening / occasion dresses. Love the colours and the way they group their clothes according to colour, making it very shopping friendly for people who know the colours that suit them. Lots and LOTS of shoes – really good discounts.

· French Connection

Exceeded expectations as I’ve been disappointed in the past by obvious poor quality. Clothes are very affordable without looking cheap and they offer a variety of different styles.

· Nicole Farhi

Feminine, original and classy. Expensive but still within reach.

· Theory

Fabulous selection of clothes, bright rich colours which reminded me a bit of Boden. Really stylish work outfits and some great classic cuts. Not overly expensive.

Lowlights:

· La Perla

The over powering stench of perfume hit me between the eyes as I walked in and made me want to walk straight out again. It was too strong to be a customer or shop assistant and must have been deliberate. I really can’t understand why it’s done – it gives the overwhelming impression of cheap and nastiness!! ( I’m not that keen on Abercrombie and Fitch for the same reason). Some quite nice silk nightwear though.

· Loro Piana

Something about this shop made me leave after 30 seconds. The range of clothing depressed me, dull colours and styles and I felt like I’d walked into a time warp!! (not least of all because of a very formal, headmistress-type woman who asked me if I needed help and called me madam!). Having since looked at their website they actually have some quite nice items so perhaps it was just the selection in the outlet store, combined with poor presentation.

· Gucci and D & G

Oh dear... in my opinion both are very depressing shops where people devoid of imagination, but with money, go to try and buy a personality! I got the impression that the customers hoped that by spending money there they would instantly become classy and more exciting.

· Alexander McQueen

I expected to like his clothes a lot more than I did. The truth is that I found them tarty and predictable – a bit like Karen Millen on a bad day (but more expensive).

· Guess

One or two nice items in amongst overly glitzy, garish and cheap (but still overpriced) tat!

Best Reductions:

· DKNY – offering a further 50% off already reduced priced items

· Amanda Wakeley – great offers on evening dresses and occasion-wear (have a lovely v neck dress which comes to the knee in various colours reduced from over £400 to around £100). Would particularly suit an inverted triangle or an hourglass body shape

· LK Bennett – lots of items less than half price

· Hobbs – good reductions on all items – great colours

· Jigsaw – lovely clothes for children, particularly girls, which are discounted by 50% or more

· Ted Baker – good reductions on all items – great colours

· Monsoon – some very heavily reduced items

Shops of Interest:

· Luella

Garish but strangely alluring clothes, many asymmetrical styles and probably aimed at the young - the store was full of mums helping their daughters find dresses for special occasions. But if you’re in your thirties, have lots of confidence and a sense of fun it’s definitely worth a look.

· Mulberry

Bags still very expensive, as you’d expect, but they had a surprisingly nice, although small, selection of clothes which were reasonably priced.

· All Saints

I find their clothes really creative, full of imagination and fun. However I can’t help but feel they mainly cater for the young, perfect and beautiful as some of their designs would be quite tricky to pull off. Having said that they have some great tailored jackets and suit which are more accessible to the rest of us!

· Clarks

I was surprised to see Clarks have a presence at Bicester but the shop was packed and it seems to be thriving. The selection is huge and the shoes are very clearly laid out grouped by size making it very shopper friendly.

My Best Buy:

A large, pure wool scarf from Matthew Williamson http://bit.ly/a9G9Aw. The moment I saw it I had to have it – it couldn’t fail to brighten up the dullest of outfits and was £100 reduced from £200. Having searched on-line it looks like this particular one is only available from Bicester Village although there are some serious bargains to be had on E-Bay if you’re in the market for one of his scarves.

All in all Bicester Village is well worth a visit but due to the huge number of shops it’s well worth narrowing down your choices before you start. Otherwise you risk wasting time in the wrong shops, running out of steam and potentially missing out on some great buys.

Alice Treanor © 2010