MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

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Do you put as much thought and effort into decorating your outfits as you do decorating your home?

If you love your home chances are it’s because you’ve surrounded yourself in beautiful, handpicked pieces that are special to you and that reflect your taste.  (Art, cushions, vases, rugs, lamps, frames, etc, etc)

Treat your wardrobe like you do your home.  Decorate your clothes, as you would your furniture.

Gather together great accessories that reflect your individual personality and then wear them – don’t just collect them.

These are some of my belts.  I’ve had a few for decades, a couple I made, several I picked up in op-shops, a couple are vintage and one or two were discovered while I was travelling.  The one thing in common is that all of them are flattering to my shape and all of them are my style.

The key is to make sure the accessories you own and wear are your style – not someone else’s.

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For more inspiration for how to decorate your clothes check out my “Accessorising” Pinterest page here

Details of my personal styling services (Including prices) here

Get to know me and my style on Facebook here

..& Instagram here

While I think the chambray shirt is always fashionable it is particularly “in” at the moment. As we head into spring and summer in Australia you’re likely to see it everywhere. So if you have an old one lurking at the back of your wardrobe, pull it out now and start thinking about how you could wear it and what you might need to buy to wear with it.

When things are “in” it’s important, if you choose to partake in the trend,  that you put your own spin on it so that you don’t look like everyone else.

In these photos I’m showing you mostly how chambray can be worn with denim, but there are so many more possibilities.

Depending on your personal style, you can team a chambray shirt with a sequined or brocade pencil skirt or with a pair of flattering tailored shorts. You can wear it open (like a cardie) over a long striped maxi dress or with a pair of patterned cropped slim pants.

However you wear it, be sure to portray your own unique style and dare to be different.

For those wondering and so you’ll be ahead of the pack if the question ever comes up at a trivia night, the main difference between denim and chambray is in the way that the fabrics are woven.   Basically, denim is heavier and woven diagonally (producing a tougher material), while chambray is lighter and plain-woven .

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If you haven’t noticed, the lengths of pants are going up.

But not up to that ugly, unflattering three quarter length (remind me to write a post about that)  but just to where they graze the ankle – a la vintage Brigitte Bardot.

Like all styles, it won’t work for everyone, but give it try and see what you think.  Showing a hint of ankle bone can be incredibly flattering.

Are you embracing your inner French girl and the cropped pants trend?  (As I’m sure you can imagine, I certainly am)  

TIP Keep in mind long pants can be altered and made shorter or even just rolled up.

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Because of my size, shape and proportions much of what I buy has to be altered.  I could just buy something that sort of fits and think, that’ll have to do, but ill-fitting clothes do not look stylish.  And ill-fitting clothes can make you think that your body shape is different to what it really is.  If you have not had anything altered to fit you perfectly, you will be amazed what taking up, down, in, or out, a centimeter here or there, will do for the overall appearance of your look.

A sleeve that is the wrong width for your arm can make you look like you have no waist,  a dress or skirt hem the wrong length can make your legs look shapeless and pockets can make your bottom and thighs look bigger than they really are.  And we don’t want that do we!

For example, I bought this top pictured above recently from Country Road.  Despite putting in some good searching time, I had not found a peplum style top that sat in the right place at the waist, until I came across this one.  I loved how it fit me….everywhere but the length.  Because it was not sitting at exactly the right place on my hips it was making my torso look longer than it is and my legs look shorter than they are.   But I knew when I bought it that having it taken up to where the most flattering length was, would be easy, so I factored in the cost of having it altered by my tailor.

If you try something on from your wardrobe and it doesn’t feel quite right consider whether it has anything to do with the fit. Look over it from top to bottom.  Do the shoulders fit right… the arm holes, the sleeves, the waist, the back, the length, etc.

Pay attention to the details.  Trust me, when something fits you just right, it will make an enormous difference to how stylish you look and therefore, how great you feel.

If you have some things in your wardrobe that you’re really not sure about the fit, keep in mind I can help you determine whether it’s just right or not quite right. (& explain to you why) This is something that we cover in the Wardrobe Overhaul

Click here to read about Fab Finds & Favourite Things where I share what I’m buying as well as what my clients are buying.

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Read what styling services I offer here