bath personal stylist -

Wearing clothes that work with your body shape rather than against it is key to looking and feeling great. This week’s focus is the hourglass.

If you watched my Instagram stories yesterday you will have seen that my Style Surgery helped viewers identify if they were an hourglass and gave some tips on what to look out for when shopping. You can still watch it in my highlights here.

Meanwhile, I’ve done an online shop for an hourglass ‘client’ and want to share with you a few key pieces. Of course, we’re all individual, we have different body shapes. You could be a narrow hourglass, a petite, or a tall hourglass. For a bespoke fitting work with me, but do take a look at the full shop on my Pinterest board for ideas.

My Top Three Tips below…

The Trench.

Okay, so first off, it’s raining. We’re in the middle of a storm, but hey it’s the UK, there’s always a shower heading our way. So what better way to stay showerproof and stylish than with a trench coat.

What I love about the hourglass body shape is that you can really tune is to the classic trench cut – fitted, neat, and belted. You can see from my example below, that this style ensures you don’t lose your waist.

Avoid cape style, oversized trench trends. They’ll drown you.

A double breasted Trench Coat currently in Marks & Spencer.

The All Occasion Dress.

There is definitely a trend for dresses with a built-in cinched waist this season that I would make the most of if an hourglass is adding to her wardrobe this season.

Some retailers call it a knot, but you’ll notice a gathering around the waistline and it’s just brilliant for anyone who has a narrow waist, or for someone who wants to create more of a defined waist.

Zara has some great options, but I’ve focused on this design from Hush. I’ve seen this dress in real life and what I love about it for an hourglass figure is that it also has a small print so it won’t overpower the silhouette. Hourglass figures are one of the few body shapes that can wear one colour or print from top to toe, because they have balanced proportions.

Hush, Saskia Twist Shirt Dress.

The Cute Knit.

A wrap style is the easiest top for an hourglass to wear, as long as it’s covering the bust. On the latter point, size up, or use hidden fastenings to ensure you don’t have gaping necklines.

This season, knits are a key look and to narrow it down further, a cardigan is THE piece to wear. The retailer, & Other Stories has introduced a range of soft, fluffy cardigans that are perfect for the hourglass figure. See below, Turquoise wrap cardigan.

Really fluid and effortlessly pretty, this aqua coloured top will softly support those fabulous curves, and, as you can see, works really well with denim. I’d also love to see it with culottes, worn with knee-high boots underneath.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these key pieces. Got the bug to shop some more? Head to my Pinterest board for other ideas. Want more help? Please see my in-person and online services here. I offer a free half hour consultation, so make the most of it and let’s have a chat about your wardrobe frustrations and how I can help. Drop me a line info@notgivinin.com and let me help look and feel great.

Have a great weekend.

Gail xx

Creating a mood board is hands down one of the best ways to finding your own true style identity. If you’ve ever looked in your wardrobe and wondered who the hell is the woman wearing the clothes in it? Or you find that clothes are purchased on a whim only to be hung in the closet for the rest of time, then it’s likely they don’t represent the real you.

Don’t worry, we all get ‘influenced’. It’s super easy to get caught up in following the trends or making rash purchases when you get an invitation to go out. But what if your wardrobe is always prepared, always ready with smart choices that you love and wear with confidence. It can be done. You just need to know your own true style and stick to it.

One way to do this is by creating a style mood board. It acts as a reference point to help you make wise choices, inspires you on days when you’re feeling a bit lost with what to wear, and is a constant source of inspiration to motivate and empower you to express your true self to those around you.

Style Mood Board Tools

So how do you create a style mood board? Personally, I really enjoy using a cork board. I bought mine for a couple of quid from an online shop and it was therapeutic to do a little cutting out and pinning. I have the board in full view in my home office to refer to when I’m not sure what to wear.

Similarly, and great if you want to compile more than one board and have easy access where ever you are, there’s Pinterest. A great app that you can download to your mobile, Pinterest offers oodles of fashion images from across the globe. The options are endless here and it’s super quick and easy to delete and add at your whim.

Collating Styles You Like

If you’re going down the cork board route, start by looking through magazines and pulling out images that inspire you. You might have old mags in a drawer (or is that just me!) that you’ve kept because the looks in it inspire you. Now is the time to dig out any scraps of inspiration you’ve held on to over time. Also, go online and download pics from your favourite fashion websites. You really need to draw together any looks that resonate with you.

4 Tips to Creating Your Own Style Mood Board - Gail Painter - Notgivinin.com

You’re looking for colours, patterns, cuts, items of clothing, and complete looks that appeal to you. But also keep in mind that you are building a collage of styles you can/will want to wear so the looks must fit in with and support your lifestyle.

If you’re stuck on where to start with Pinterest, I would start by looking up your style icon/s. There’s a reason why you love their look. Perhaps you look similar, or love the way she/he wears their clothes. You can then really deep dive into searching for more pieces. For example, I love Victoria Beckham’s style, which led me down a road looking for wide leg trousers.

Re-Load Your Own Style

You can also include pics of yourself. Dig out pictures of you wearing your favourite outfits. My advice would be to look as far back in the photo album collection as you can. You will likely spot a look that has got lost in translation over the years that you need to be drawn back to.

Your Fashionista DNA

Once you have lots of images to hand or pinned to a draft Pinterest board, it’s time to hone down what really resonates with you? Is there a trend appearing? A finite look revealing itself.

From mine you can see that I have a real penchant for denim. Jeans are a big part of my wardrobe, but I didn’t realise how much, they’re all over the board. I also like light, neutral colours, and there is a bias for black too and simple designs. Accessories are a big love too. Handbags have always been really important to me. I change my handbag to work with my outfit, daily.

Keep whittling down the images you have, it’s actually easy to do with a cork board as you only have a certain amount of space. Gradually you will see a pattern forming, aligning with your style at its very core, this is true fashion DNA. Casting to the side images that are on the periphery of what you like really helps to show you how you truly want to dress.

Keep it Handy

Keep your board handy. Like mine, in the office, in sight. If you’re working on a board online, download a screengrab to your laptop, tablet and mobile. Refer to it every time you go shopping and especially before you consider following the latest trends so that you can stick to your fashion DNA.

Sticking to your true style identity when you go shopping can be very handy. Your wardrobe should work more cohesively, a capsule wardrobe could appear naturally, and you won’t be wasting your hard-earned cash.

If you want to, and you’re enjoying getting crafty, you can build more boards to help plan seasonal looks. Try building a board or two for spring/summer and autumn/winter looks. Or, create a couple around the different areas of your life, work (you might have more than one career), life, hobbies, etc.

Happy pinning!

Gail

P.S. If you would like a more personal approach to finding your style I work in Bristol and Bath, helping women and men discover their style and wear it with pride. Find out more about my services here.

Work With Your Body Shape