MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

If your new jacket or coat (or skirt) features a *vent, then generally you’ll find two small threads in the shape of an X (securing the vent) that need to be carefully snipped and removed before you wear it.

The vent stitch is designed to keep the garment from getting wrinkled and creased during transportation to a store and while it’s hanging on the rails or in storage.

If the stitch is still in place once the jacket’s on the body, it can prevent the garment from fitting and falling the way it’s supposed to. (i.e. It might make it pull across the hips)

*A vent is a vertical slit at the bottom hem of a jacket, coat, or skirt to allow for ease of movement. (e.g. Back in the day they were designed to make horse riding easier.)

**It’s easy to forget. I’ve done it myself and I’m sure to do it again. ?

You can see in this pic, that the vent stitch here is yet to be removed.

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I aspire to be half as stylish and elegant as Italian born, Vogue contributor, Costanza Pascolato, when I’m 80.

We can take a lot of inspiration from seeing how Costanza dresses and styles herself.

She keeps the canvas very simple – generally in slim black pants and a top – then adds great jackets, lovely shoes, statement jewellery (Did you notice her skull ring?), and oversized sunglasses. And then, of course, there’s her signature coiffed hair. 

About aging, Costanza was quoted as saying..

“I am a lucky person. All women in my family were strong and positive. They taught me to accept aging. But of course, they were intelligent, elegant, and my mother was very beautiful. The new generation follows their examples: my daughter Consuelo is 50 and looks great. And Alessandra is 48 and looks much younger than her age. We all have a sense that life is a privilege. So we treat our bodies (and souls) gracefully. I do a lot of exercise, eat well etc., but I do not try to look much younger than I am. I only want to look the best for my age, and that, happily, makes me stay away from anxiety.”

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I might take two girlfriends shopping – both of them could try on the same dress and decide to buy it.

One would wear it to work with a blazer and pumps, in her classic style and the other would wear it casually to meet her friends at a cafe, in a pair of flat sandals and her denim jacket.

It’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it.

For example, a simple white shirt can be worn in many different ways. (Demonstrated beautifully by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy above) As can a pair of chinos or a trench coat. A scrunch here, a fold, or a button up there. Even a little tweak, can make an impact.

It’s up to you to interpret each piece of clothing from your wardrobe in your own way.

Wear it so that it shows your personal style (and personality)

Wear it with accessories that feel authentic to you and your style

Wear it with an unexpected color or texture

Wear it in winter, as well as in summer

Wear it to work, and then wear it casually on the weekend

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In the past couple of weeks two of my regular clients have asked me to help them find something “sexy” to wear.

One contacted me saying “Help! I’ve got a wedding to go to and I need to look hot. My ex-husband is going to be there with his new girlfriend” and the other was ready to start embracing her curves, by accentuating her lovely figure and wear something less conservative than she was used to.

The first thing I asked both of them was – When it comes to clothes, what makes you feel sexy?

(One, after some prompting from me knew what it was, and the other had no idea, which meant we had to do lots of sampling of different things til she figured it out).

Everyone has their own idea of what sexy is and what makes you feel that way when you’re wearing it. For some, it’s a pretty soft flowy dress with just a subtle hint of skin, for others it might be a figure hugging and/or revealing (perhaps Kardashianesque) outfit and for others like me, it’s my favourite perfume, pretty lingerie, a great pair of jeans and heels.

(And for some, it’s not important at all…)

Whether it’s “funky”, “edgy”, “trendy”, “cool” or “sexy”, that you’re wanting to achieve, you need to figure out what that word means to you first. Keeping in mind that it’s not just about how you look, but more importantly how you feel. Because when you feel it, you’ll also exude it..

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