Healthy inside, glamorous outside

It's all well and good to have a wardrobe full of clothes that fit our shape or skin colour or hair colour... If you don't feel good on the inside great clothes will only carry you so far..With my styling I would never suggest wearing spanx or any other under wear that pulls you in so that you have to be in pain to get away with the outfit.. So a little bit of loving to yourself every day in the way of good food and daily skin cleansing routine, give a day or two of missing it, will take you a long way over time..

So make sure that with your daily meals you have little or no processed food, wholesome bread is ok but in small amounts.. Pasta I know you can't make yourself so that is ok, but keep the crackers and chips to a minimum, use celery, carrot or cucumber instead for dips.. Everything in moderation of the not so good food and plenty of the good food and your skin and waistline will love you..

Then there is water, 8 glasses is a good start but if you can do more then do so.. I don't think anyone ever suffered any bad side effects of too much water.. It's great for your kidneys which flush out your toxins and also for your brain so when you are tired sometimes a couple of glasses of water will give you a good boost.. Also starting the day with warm water with a bit of Lemon in it, is a great way to start your digestion, especially in Winter.. Even if you come back to this from time to time it is better than not doing it at all.

Exercise, can't speak highly enough of it.. I used to do 45 mins of walking and yoga a day and now I do 3 x 30 minute personal training sessions a week and do yoga when I feel too tight and in small 15min sessions as that is all I can fit into my life.. So if you can 3 big sessions of something a week and then fillers during the week when you can.. Whatever you can fit into your life and thus build upon your energy levels you will be amazed at how clear you think and how much more stamina you have.. You might feel smashed the first month but keep at it, the only person who wins from it is you and you are worth backing.. Plus you will feel amazing when that part of your body that you shrink from is something that you are willing to shake in front of the world.. ah so liberating..

Cleaning products for your skin.. Well my family and I live organically and I keep to this with my skin care range as well and there are very cost effective ways of living this way.. Grown is an amazing range and developed by two Australian brothers for their Aunt who had cancer and developed allergies. Their face cream is amazing for after cleaning, Chamomile, they also have an awesome hand cream that make you feel amazing when you have to walk into a meeting you have to put your best effort on for..Aesop is also a good range, less is more with this range as it is concentrated. It is organic and a little decadent but even one thing from this range will make you feel amazing.. A new skin range I am experimenting with Evohe, evohe.com.au, their ingredients are insanely good, including colloidal silver.. Their website has their whole range listed and ingredients of each and it is very impressive..

Organic or natural make up is a good way to go too, as your skin is an organ that absorbs all that you put on your body. So check out Lavera, they are a great German organic make up brand.. Awesome quality and it lasts forever.. There is suncoat, karpatt, or Butter for nail polish or Couleur Caramel for eyeshadows..

Last but not least, good nights rest... My bed is my haven, I love my bedroom and I love my futon.. If I am rested, I think well, I am patient and look for solutions and find them faster..

Thanks and I hope you find something in here that makes your life that little bit more awesome..

Wardrobe Staples

Ok we are going to go through the basics of what should be in every wardrobe..
1. Coat - depending on your climate and your body type.. We have no real need for a trench here in Brisbane but in case you are susceptible to the cold one of these is awesome.. Remember to take into account your body type as this will determine the length that you require.. I like a good short Jacket for our climate and when I did live in cold climates I made sure I had a good short but super warm jacket.. It suits me, the apple..
2. Good knitwear.. you have to have one good knit jumper, its great on the not so cold days and can add more vertical lines if you go for the vneck line and wear with a scarf.. I have a pj jumper and an outdoor jumper.. Love them to bits.. Otherwise go for the turtleneck and that too will elongate the neck..
3. A good cocktail dress, for special dinners, events or just cause you want to be glamorous. There is no such thing as being overdressed and it being a bad thing.. A good black wrap dress suits most body types.. If not black then a solid colour of your choosing.. Also if you aren't a frock girl then go for matching tops and bottoms that look like a continuous silhouette.. This will give the same effect as a frock for those dressy opp's.
4. A collared shirt, I am working on a fun one for the range, white would be awesome as you can always add some colour to it with a semi precious stone necklace or some glam silk scarf..
5. The perfect pants - wide leg if it takes your fancy and you love wearing wedges or chunky boots of some persuasion.. Slim fit, it is always flattering to show your shape off somewhere.. If your thighs are the problem area then make sure your top finishes on the line that cuts in the middle of your thigh and it immediately slims that bump.. Make sure you take an honest pair of eyes with you so that they can give you the shove you need to jump out of your comfort zone.. No colluding..
6. Aline skirt, looks great on everyone and is an easy to match with a tee or tailored top..
7. Bootleg pants - It creates lower body balance and I can not praise this cut enough.. I love my denim rolldown pants and my nina and I wear them both weekly, with clogs or ballet flats..
8. Boots - don't go too high unless you feel confident to pull the look off.. Just below the knee is a good look and works with above the knee frocks in winter or shorts.. Chocolate or tan depending on what will go well with your colour palette for your wardrobe..
9. Handbag - A good quality leather handbag in your favourite neutral colour, bone, chocolate, black, it will go with every outfit and look amazing even you are wearing a casual outfit.. Simple style with one decadent piece.. I love my learther bag that I bought from Francesca Rockette at the Young Designer Markets. I use it every other day.. I have vintage bags for my going out events and they mainly cost me between $10 - $20 and I feel amazing cause I have a variety to choose from..
10. Your own signature piece - something that reflects your personal style. Mine is scarves, I love my scarves, I also love statement shoes.. They are what defines me.. they are what I invest in when I want to treat myself.. Keep your eye out for sales if you are willing to chance the piece you are dreaming of..
Enjoy your day..
http://windandwater.myshopify.com/

Wearing labels in your days

I had the amazing opportunity to know about and go to Uplate in James St Brisbane last night, sponsored and promoted by Grazia. There were goody bags at every store with champagne and nibbles here and there.

There were ladies dressed up and dressed over, photographers, film crews, lights, music and loads of girls getting on with some real retail therapy.. It gave me a great opportunity to check out what the big labels are doing and I kind of feel I am holding my own. I saw a couple of ladies in my frocks, corset and others, so I felt rather chuffed on that front too.. There are some great shops in that area and everyone was having a great night of fun..

When it comes to buying labels don't ever feel like you have to wear it head to toe to be accepted, in or cool. Chanel said always take off the last piece you put on to keep it classy.. We saw plenty of girls labeled up from head to toe and you know what I saw what was lacking was their own slant on how to wear it..

The key is diversifying where you shop.. Buy a little on Etsy, a little at vintage shops, a little at high end stores and buy great staples.. Basic white, black and grey tees, silk cami's, great jackets, cropped or long.. I love kooky shoes, I shop at Wittner - DFO great bargains on real leather shoes, Sole Devotion - James St, or Jean Robe - Emporium.. Of course I am always on the look out for someone new and amazing and that is where the internet keeps me super unique.. There are great shops in the US that send to Australia thank god, and with the exchange rate in our favour for at least a few more months take advantage of that.

There are great little designers out there and it is so cool to support up and coming designers, they work hard, they are passionate and they breathe what they make.. I love seeing labels who have made it and still keep that ethos, Sass and Bide has me excited this season with their take on choral in their range.. FCUK are a little over priced for what they are.. Bettina Liano had some awesome little pieces in there but nothing that I needed.

I did buy a straight leg pair of jeans from Scanlon and Theodore, that is a first for me and I am busting out of my comfort zone by wearing those. I need to wear those with wedges or kitty heels otherwise I look tragic in that.. So after that bit of excitement we went and had our free cocktail from Grazia at the Cru Bar..

That is where we got to do some real people watching, thus coming to the conclusion that little is more and wear for you not for others.. Have fun, keep it stylish and be you, cause that is what you will be the most awesome at.. Those who don't get you aren't for your network of friends trust me hold out for the real people and that is when you will truly blossom.. Style it up..

Petite Body Type

The one defining body trait for this type is that you are to be 5ft 3'"" or shorter.. Within this body type too you can have apple, pear or hourglass, obviously slim athletic doesn't squeeze in here due to the long leg trait..
So, with this one you have address the height and then the characteristics of the other body types as well.. Rachel Zoe, Kylie Minogue and I am sure lots of other stars are short petites as they mostly wear Louboutins and they are skyscrapers and made for women with narrow feet.. He has amazing shoes but they always give me toe cleavage, I know some women can live that but not this one..
Rachel and Kylie never ever go out in flats, rarely, they wear wedges with flowing dresses covering the frock or pant length to give the perception that their legs are longer than they are.. Kitty heels are fine if you are not a heel girl, I find that the kitty or the wedge are a great way to add height without putting yourself in the line for some near misses...

Go for the monochromatic look, it makes you look stylish and adds a slim and tall look to you instantly. It produces a strong vertical line, which is what you always want to be going for..
Go for the crop jacket as it will help make your legs look like they start at your ribs, which means high waisted cuts look great on you too.. The highwaisted pants in the range are made from a silk/linen which is soft and flowy, it focuses on the smallest part of your body at the bottom of your ribs and make your legs look they start there.. Absolutely NO hipsters, throw them if you have them or cut them into short shorts..

You can step out in a short skirt and heels but be careful with this look, the peeptoe wedge would be a safer bet. It makes you look fashionable but also 5f6' which is a awesome ending..

Also short hair looks great on petite as it shows the neck and brings the eye up to the face faster, avoid bulky items around your neck, chunky scarves are not for you. Long necklaces are what will really set your look off.. No chokers unless they are extremely fine, but even then check twice before you buy.

Avoid garment made from stiff fabrics, unless they are a wide leg pant that I find gives you height, they tend to add bulk to the shorter frame. The flowy look with fabrics that have enough weight to cascade down the body instead of clinging to you is what you want to aim for.
Avoid long shirts, if you have them tuck them in.. No top should fall below the hips..
Something you can do without having to purchase any additions is check your posture, keep your shoulders back and head high. No slouching for you, Pilates and Yoga regularly will help you automatically stay upright without tension..
Keep your pieces in proportion to your shape and height. You need to find the balance between proportion, line, colour and texture..
You can wear maxi skirts as long as you have a deep V top with it and wedges.. Just remember conceal your problem areas and add height. Check out the other body types that relate to you and write out your goals with your wardrobe and keep that in your wallet when you are shopping.

Add pieces bit by bit and if you are not confident to make any step in your wardrobe of change just push yourself a little bit and have fun, you just might discover some amazing part of you that has been hiding in the back of the cupboard for way too long.. Enjoy and have fun..

Slim Athletic body type

Ok everyone has a cross to bear and even though others don't see this body type with any issue's, there are ways to perfecting each body type..

This body type will have consistent measurements along the hips, waist and bust.. So the thing we need to do with this body type is give some shape and definition, create the illusion of shape.. This body type tends to have a slight waist and long legs.. I immediately think, basketballer, netballer, those teams have a lot of the athletic type.. Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect candidate for this body type.. Her way of dressing is always to show off her legs or wear long flowing frocks that accentuate that asset of hers. Both ways of wearing these designs give the desired effect, flattering her assets..
Strapless bodice, form fitting shapes and stappy necklines all work for this body type.. What creates shape is pleating, detailing, beading, prints, ruching, silk and knitwear (which the rest of the body types should absolutely run from).
This body type needs tailoring, this cut works great on them. Avoid boxy designs at all costs as this tends to swamp this body type.. Belted jackets are great to give the impression of a defined waist.. Bold necklaces also add volume and draw the eye upwards..
Dress feminine - go for silks or flowing fabrics, a fluted sleeve will also add shape and softness. The bias cut in both skirts and frocks will do wonders for this body type..
Skirts - go for something with lots of pleats or detailing them..
Layering is good for this body type as it creates many horizontal lines which are a friend to this body type..
This shape can wear the skinny jean, the only shape that can wear the skinny jean.. Petite can too but with some serious wedges as most skinny jeans are made with super length to them so that can the only deterrant..
The a-line skirt is magical really, it works a treat on the pear shape and here again it rescues this body type with it's ability to make it appear there is more shape in areas that need it.
Your shoes that you can get away with is greater than most.. strappy flats that go up the calf a short way look great on you and you can wear heels just make sure the straps to them add some detail to it balances out the length that the heels give. I have plenty of tall girlfriends who are athletic and totally rock their wardrobe with heels cause they love it and are comfortable in their skin with their height..
Ok enjoy.. More points will be given on each body types on different entries.. talk soon.