At the beginning of a new year many of us focus on getting fitter, slimmer, and healthier…a new you for the new year. Well, 8 of my styling friends and I want to challenge you to refrain from setting yourself hard to stick to resolutions to lose weight and change, and instead we want to encourage you to use the weapons hanging in your closet to love you NOW. Below are 10 powerful style resolutions hand chosen by the experts that will help you smash the new year with a positive attitude and a ton of self confidence.
Scroll down to see the resolutions we think you should put at the top of your list this year.
TOP 10 STYLE RESOLUTIONS AS CHOSEN BY THE EXPERTS
1/ Be more ethically-conscious – Arash Maziani
There’s still a lot of work to be done by most major high street brands when it comes to transparency over working conditions and who makes their clothes, especially when you have workers writing pleas for help on labels (I’m looking at you Zara). But there are a few things you can do in 2018 to be more ethically conscious.
- Take care of what you already own! Rewear and repair your existing wardrobe.
- Look for clothes swaps, buy second or vintage
- Shop less, buy better quality pieces that are durable and will last, and only choose items you absolutely love.
- Research ethical brands, there are some amazing ethical brands that are affordable, ship worldwide and are just as stylish as any major chain on the high street.
For more style tips from Arash, follow him on Instagram and Twitter, and visit his blog
2/ Shop secondhand – Chrissy Ellis
Don’t forget to shop vintage and charity shops before you hit the high street. Look for on trend items that you can get for a fraction of the price or look for staples. Your style will be way more unique and you can style for you.
For more style tips from Chrissy, follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
3/ Dress the body your in NOW – Sharon Warten
Just call me The Mindful Fashionista! All about working the now to represent the best you every day including today! Don’t wait to feel worthy of a number on a size tag. Every year I hear the same New Year’s resolution of going to the gym and losing weight to look good. I’m here to tell you that the number one secret is in the clothes you choose. You can look ten pounds slimmer just by dressing your body shape and understanding cuts and styles that will work well with your assets.
As a personal stylist, I’ve helped countless women gain respect and confidence in the body they’re in now so trust me when I say you can look ten pounds slimmer just by dressing your body shape and understanding cuts and styles that will work well with your assets.
Starting off the new year on a positive body image will make you feel like a million bucks and help you gain the confidence you need!
For more style tips from Sharon, follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
4/ Celebrate your assets and embrace your curves – Niki Whittle
We spend far too much time focusing on hiding the parts of our body that we’re not totally happy with it’s time for a change! Make 2018 the year that you embrace your assets and curves and stop wasting time on all that negativity. When I’m with a new client I ask them to list the parts of their body that they ARE happy with, it’s a great exercise to do as it forces them to think beyond what they consider to be their flaws. You should try it! If you’re struggling to identify any (and I really hope you’re not) ask your partner or a friend, I can guarantee they’ll reel off a ton of things! Once you’ve identified them start to buy and wear clothes that show them off!
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5/ Ensure that you have the proper basics to build a foundation for a great wardrobe – Shannan Allen
Make sure you have invested in quality basics which help to build your wardrobe and will set the foundation for the rest of your pieces. These style essentials will allow you to mix-and-match looks and play with color and textures. When choosing your basic clothing essentials, it’s important to consider the fit, length, flattering cuts for your shape and making sure your clothes feel comfortable. Here are 10 basics for a great wardrobe to get you started: a little black dress, a blazer, dark wash jeans, a black pencil skirt, black trousers, white button-down shirt, black or neutral pumps, a pair of flats, accessories, and a structured handbag. Every piece in your wardrobe should reflect your personal style, and that includes your basics.
For more style tips from Shannan, follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
6/ Style on the outside can be effected by how you feel on the inside and vice versa so dress in clothing that makes you feel confident. – Darlene Bayley
For example, how did you feel that last time you stood up at the boardroom table to share a brilliant idea, chances are if you were not confident in the clothing you were wearing you may not have stood up at all.
We have the choice to make our outfit work for us or against us each day, clothing can make you look and feel like a million dollars or not… Our lifestyles can change, we take on a bigger role in our companies, become mother’s or father’s, divorce or move to a different country etc. these life changes will effect our lifestyle and so may confuse our style. In order to make sense of it all we need to know who we are, right down to the basics. So how do we take control so we can be confident in our clothing choices:
- Learn about your body shape – knowing your body shape will help you understand which styles flatter your body.
- Consult with a personal stylist for advise on your skin tone and which colours suit you – knowing the colours that flatter your skin tone can make you look 10 years younger
- Post your favorite outfits to a Pinterest board to figure out your style personality – your style personality will give you an idea of the clothing you prefer to wear. This information along with your body shape and colour will give you a great foundation.
- Finally take into consideration your lifestyle, what do you do for a living, do you have a hobby, go to gym, what are the percentages of time in a week you spend on each. Once you have this information then you will then be able to divide your shopping budget appropriately so not to over spend on areas you don’t spend much time in.
Remember if you are not the DIY kind of person consult a personal stylist to do it all for you, it will save you time and money in the long run. Xx
For more style tips from Darlene follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
7/ Ensure proper fit – Sam Ditka
My 2018 fashion resolution really applies to EVERY year: ALWAYS ensure proper fit of your garments. We have all fallen victim to the term “ready to wear,” which is hardly ever, in fact, READY to wear! Unless you happen to be the identical twin of the fit model a designer uses, chances are that an alteration will need to be made in hem, cut, or possibly even a tweak in structure!
When you work with a stylist, she can determine if the cut of the garment works on your shape, if the drape of the fabric works over YOUR particular body and more. I always sit and move around a bit in clothes as I try them on as well. This is a great indicator if the piece will CONTINUE to fit will when it’s worn, or if I should size down or alter. At the end of the day, having a good seamstress on speed dial is critical to ensuring that each item in your closet looks its very best on you!
For more style tips from Sam, follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
8/ Stop comparing yourself to other women on social media – Christina Stein
This is so important: Please please please stop comparing yourself to the latest insta blogger! Not only are our bodies different but you really do yourself a disservice by not being able to find your voice in fashion. You don’t want to look like everyone else, that’s the beauty of the fashion industry as well as the beauty in being a human being. Continue to stand out and experiment with what you love to wear. If you’re stuck, then call a stylist, we will help you become what you want the world to see!
For more style tips from Christina, follow her on Instagram and visit her blog
9/ Be bolder with prints and buy 5 printed pieces this year – Mikaela Pabon
Get BOLD with prints, and add these 5 basic prints to your wardrobe in 2018: Black/white polka dots, nautical stripes, camouflage, florals & leopard. Whether you’re mixing them together or wearing one at a time, each of these is sure to spice up your wardrobe!
For more style tips from Mikaela, follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and visit her blog
10/ Invest in yourself
We cannot stress enough how important it is to give yourself the love and recognition you deserve. If you think back to those moments when you felt good about yourself, I bet many of them were moments when you’d spent time on your appearance or wore an outfit that made you feel like you could take on the world. I know it’s clichéd to say this, but what you wear can have such a powerful and positive effect on your confidence and you are entitled to feel the effects of that Every. Single. Day. But the truth is that many of you don’t know how to harness this power.
Well my friends, luckily for you, Personal Stylists exist and we are not just for the rich and famous. In fact, many of us have little interest in working with celebrities and would much rather make YOU look and feel abso-bloody-lutly amazing!
We understand body shape and we know how to balance your proportions and highlight your assets. We know about how garments should fit the body and understand how to get the perfect fit. And we know which colors will flatter you and which will make you look tired and ill.
All of us here have helped countless clients create a more harmonious life through detoxing their closet, empowering them to shop effectively for their style, shape and lifestyle, and we’ve witnessed each and every one of them become stronger and more confident. So, if you want to harness the power and confidence that comes from dressing well, but don’t know where to start, then invest in some professional help!
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