MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

Most of us have a cardie in the cupboard.

They have many purposes.  We keep one on the back of our chair because the office airconditioning means we often need to wear something long sleeve despite how warm it is outside; we carry one with us in case it cools down while we’re out and about and we use one to cover our arms if we’re wearing something with no sleeves.

But did you know a cardigan can also be worn as a top?

You can either wear nothing under it, wear a camisole or as I often do, a tank top/singlet.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, challenge yourself to wear your clothes in different ways.  You’ll find if you do this you don’t need as many things in your wardrobe as you thought you did.

TIP: If you’re big busted experiment with styles that have v-necks, narrow sleeves and high armholes.

*Take care of your cardies.  Don’t just throw them in the wash with your towels.  Read the washing instructions and follow them.  Some require hand washing and some can be washed in the washing machine on a gentle cycle.  If the fabric starts to get small balls on it gently remove them with a de-piller,  (See here) or if you’ve had it for a while and it’s looking tired, consider whether it’s time to let it go and replace it.

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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

For those who are not familiar with the Mamamia site it has been described as “Australia’s leading independent women’s website”.  Launched as a blog in 2007 to coincide with the release of Mia Freedman’s book, Mama Mia, it has grown so much and is so popular that it now has more than 500,000 people (the majority being women) reading it every month.  On Mamamia you might learn what the latest trend in lipstick colors is, get a run down and summary of the Federal Budget or have the opportunity to share your opinion on the circumcision debate.  There’s always a thought provoking, often controversial topic to enter into a discussion about.

Back in February I received an email from them asking me if I would participate in a new project they were launching which was to be titled – Wardrobe Week.  All I knew was that Wardrobe Week would feature “Real Women Wearing Real Clothes” and what they would like me to do was submit photos of a week’s worth of outfits telling them what I was wearing.  It didn’t matter if it was a ballgown or if it was my PJ’s.  Just me being myself in my every day clothes.

Despite the fact that I was experiencing just a tad of hesitation when I first read the email –  picturing myself on a website where I might be seen by thousands of women who would very likely scrutinise how I looked, was scary  – but within 30 seconds of receiving the email I responded with a – yes.  It was a good opportunity for people to learn about me and what I do and it was also a challenging exercise. I’ve always been camera shy at the best of times, let alone on this type of platform.  Waaay outside of my comfort zone. Which is good right?

My strategy, when putting together the outfits was that I wanted to be authentic to my own style and look just like me.  I didn’t want to get my makeup done or my hair blow waved.  That’s not me.  I could have borrowed clothes, or I could have dressed up glamorously – but I didn’t want to do that.  I wanted people to see the normal, average, real me and realise that I didn’t dress in Prada or Chanel every day.  Sure I like nice things and I have the odd designer piece, but I’ll mix them up with some Kmart, Big W or Target.   In this picture below I’m wearing a pair of pants I bought in Paris, with a Cotton On men’s shirt.  To me, dressing this (high/low) way is more interesting and creative than dressing head to toe designer.  As I’ve told you many times before, I find “Chic on a Budget” shopping fun and often rewarding.

I want to say a great big thank you to my two lovely friends Carol and Sarah for taking time out of their busy schedules to shoot some pics of me (& tell me to stand straight, pull my shoulders back, smile, fix my fringe and put some more lippy on) and thank you also to the team at Mamamia for giving me this great opportunity.

For anyone who hasn’t see the article and the photos you can do so here.

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You can read what styling services I offer here