I’ve been meaning to write this for some time now.  It was suggested to me by one of my lovely clients who suffers from psoriases. when I met her a few months back, she was finding it so difficult to find outfits that not only gave her the coverage she wanted, but that also made her look and feel fabulous.  It was really starting to get her down.   I suffer from Eczema in the winter months, I get red flaky patches on my face, arms and legs and cannot wear ANYTHING with wool in it as this just makes everything worse.  If you've got sensitive skin it can be almost impossible to keep warm and look stylish.  But not completely.  I’ve picked up a few tips over the years and have learnt a lot through shopping for my clients. 

Layering is crucial. Invest in a good selection of cotton tops in a variety of sleeve lengths and necklines.  These will act as a barrier between you and the irritating fabrics that are in abundance over winter.  I find a lot of clients struggle with layering, and to be honest it can be hard to master.  The proportions need to be right, colours need to work together and it needs to flatter your shape.  My advice is keep the ‘base layer’ fairly simple, and if possible, a similar colour palette. For example, if you're wearing black jeans then team these with a black camisole and then start to layer on top. This avoids the different layers looking a mess, creates a column (so can be slimming) and will tie your outfit together. H&M, Hanro, American Apparel and Whistles are all great places to source your layers.

Layering top, Whistles

Invest in a good blouse.  They’re everywhere this season and despite what you might think, there is a style to suit every shape.  It might just be one of the most versatile items you invest in this season.  It can be dressed up for night, dressed down for day, and is perfect for work. Silk is lovely against the skin, it’s soft, loose and so comfortable which is the most important thing if you’ve got sensitive skin.  One of my favourite outfits at the moment, is a feminine silk blouse teamed with a really chunky knit cardigan, it enables me to wear wool without it irritating me.  For work, team a pretty blouse with a pair of wide leg trousers.  And for night try a sheer number over skinnies and towering heels.

Dressed up.  Blouse from Apricot. Image courtesy of PR Shots

Dressed up. Tuxedo shirt from Warehouse.

Everyday. Blouse from Mint Velvet. Image courtesy of PR Shots.

Perfect for work.  Blouse from Warehouse.

Try to avoid wearing red or pink.  If your skin is red and angry wearing red will only enhance this.  Instead, opt for blues, greens or purples.

Invest in cashmere, it’s much softer than wool and doesn’t irritate as much.  Trust me, this isn’t just an excuse to indulge, it really doesn’t irritate as much.  Cashmere doesn’t cost the earth anymore either, try H&M and Topshop for  a less expensive selection.   Some cashmere is even suitable for machine washing!

Wrap up in scarves.  When you can’t wear wool it can be so hard to keep warm, so it's worth having a great selection of scarves to wrap up in.  If you're struggling to find non-wool ones then try doubling up some of your cotton scarves to make them warmer.

Star scarf Oasis, Pasley scarf, TK Maxx

Skull scarf Miss Selfridge, Floral scarf H&M

This huge blanket scarf from Urban Outfitters was such a great buy; it’s so cosy and can be worn umpteen different ways. I bought this last year, but there are some great ones in again this season, see here

I know this isn’t fashion related, but I’m all for supporting local talent and just have to share this with you.  If you haven’t sorted your Christmas presents or cards yet (let’s be honest, who has!?) then you need to get yourself down to Cabot Circus tonight.   

This year, the run up to Christmas has seen over 100 local artists come together as part of ‘Pop-Up Bristol’ - a new initiative from Made in Bristol that has showcased a diverse range of independent galleries and creative talent on the high street for the first time, adding a new dimension to Christmas shopping at Cabot Circus this year. The pop-ups offer the opportunity to purchase quality gifts and one-off pieces by up-and-coming artists.

Tonight, Pop-Up Bristol will be hosting a party to celebrate the one-month countdown to Christmas at 6pm across their three temporary festive galleries at Cabot Circus - Drawn in Bristol, Pop-Upfest  and Smithson Gallery & Gifts. 

The event will offer guests a fantastic opportunity to see and purchase all the brilliant artworks the shops have on offer and will also feature live drawing and music. There will also be a chance to meet all of the diverse and talented artists involved in the project along with some exciting special guests.

I can’t think of a better way to shop for my Christmas gifts this year...see you there!

See www.popupbristol.com for more details.

The Pop-up Shops will be open as follows:
• POP-UPfest: Open now – 24th December (Level 1, Glass Walk)
• Drawn in Bristol: Open now – 3rd December (Quakers Friars)
• Smithson Gallery and Gifts; Open now – 24th December (Level 1, Glass Walk)
• Bristol Creatives: Open now – 24th December 24th December (Quakers Friars)

P.S, I did have a lovley picture to upload BUT BLOGGER STILL ISN'T LETTING ME UPLOAD IMAGES!

Well, this is the final instalment of a three part feature that I pulled together for Andrew Jackson and his Viva Boudoir photography package. In the other two posts I talked about the importance of wearing the right underwear, and about how understanding your body shape and its proportions will help you make informed decisions about which underwear is going to be best for you.

Now I want to take this a step further and arm you with the information to go out there and choose underwear that will not only give you the support you need, but be flattering too.

For this you not only need to take into consideration your body shape, but also your bust shape. Everyone’s breasts are different in shape; some are closer together and some are fuller, so it’s really important that you choose the right shape bra to give you the best support and shape.

Bust shape

Full or heavy breasts that are full above and below the nipple.
Opt for a full cup, plunge or soft cup.  The key is to avoid styles that dig into the breasts and creating bulging.

Long/shallow breasts that are shallower on the top and fuller from the nipple down.
A full cup or firm balcony style will prevent wrinkling at the top of the cup due to it not being filled.

Body shape

Neat column shape with a small bust
Opt for styles that will add curves and softness to your shape.

Bra set Floozie by Frost French at Debenhams

Curvaceous hourglass shape with good sized bust
Opt for styles that enhance your fabulous curves and highlight your waist.

Ann Summers Ava bra and high-waisted brief

Broad apple shape with fab legs and good bust
Choose styles that enhance your waist and broaden your hips.

John Lewis Phoebe Lingerie

Pear shape with a tiny waist and small bust
Choose styles that highlight your waist and make your hips look narrower.

Presence longline bra Marks and Spencer

Accessories and enhancers

Don’t forget, there are plenty of bra accessories and breast enhancers that will help you to create the perfect fit and shape.

Accessories from Marks and spencer

Oh Leopard print, leopard print how I do love thee! Yes, my favourite kind of print is indeed the animal kind, but I know I’ve got my work cut out if I’m to persuade the rest of you to give it a go.
Despite what you might think, animal prints are actually quite versatile.  A pair of leopard print shoes can add some edge to a girly floral dress and a snakeskin bag will bring your LBD stampeding into this season.  But if you’re going to make this trend work for you, then you’ll need to consider your own style.  If you’re a classically chic dresser, then a simple belt will be the perfect way to introduce the print to your outfits.  If you prefer a quirkier style, then mix things up a little, why not clash animal with stripes?

I want to show you two very different ways of wearing animal print while at the same time  push myself out of the orange-brown-leopard-print-rut that I’ve got myself into (I’m always pushing clients outside their comfort zone, so I guess it’s only fair that I do the same to myself). This dress by Biba does just that.  While it’s very much covered in animal print, the colour and style is a little less obvious and dare I say it, sophisticated.

Dress – Biba available at House of Fraser Shoe boots – Hobbs Earrings – Vintage

I know this whimsical jumper from Topshop isn’t technically animal print, but it is a print of an animal so I think it I can get away with it.  It’s a refreshing take on the trend but has it got you reaching for the rail?

Jumper – Topshop Jeans – Topshop Shoes – Converse from Office

Pick up a copy of the November addition of Folio magazine to see this in print.

Image thanks to Ambro. FreeDigital Photos.net

I’m sure you’ve heard the statistics: “around eighty percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra”, but how important is this?  Well, if you’re wearing the wrong bra you’ll not only get terrible back ache and appalling posture but you’ll not be making the most of your figure either.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lifted a clients bra straps to reveal a waist that’s been hiding for years!  Wearing the right underwear will not only be more comfortable but can make you look slimmer too.

So are you in the right bra?  How can you tell? 

• Do the cups of your bra ride up when you reach up?

• Do your bra straps constantly fall down?

• Does the strap across your back ride up?

• Does your bust bulge out of the cup?

• Does you bust fill the cup properly?

If any of the above sound familiar, then you’re not wearing the right size.  My advice is to get yourself booked into John Lewis or House of Fraser for a bra fit. Once you know what size bra you need you can start to think about which styles will work best for you but I’ll talk more about that in part 3!

As a personal stylist I’m always learning and I love sharing my newly discovered tips and knowledge with my readers.  So when I was approached by fantastic local photographer Andrew Jackson to come up with some styling hints and tips to feature on his blog and help his clients look their best for their Viva Boudoir portrait shoot, I couldn’t say no!

It's essential you wear the right underwear everyday as it ensures your clothes fit correctly, and are the most flattering they can be.  But when you’re being photographed in your underwear it’s even, more important that you look and feel you best!

Here's part one of a three part feature I pulled together for Andrews’s blog, to help his clients find the perfect underwear, best fit and most flattering style for their portrait shoot. 

Part 1

Choosing the right underwear.

Thanks to the likes of Gok and Trinny and Susannah, I’m sure you’ve all heard about dressing to suit your shape, and some of you will know how to do this, but if you’re not wearing the right underwear it all goes to waste.  You’re underwear forms the foundations of your outfit.  If you don’t get it right, your clothes will be ill fitting and unflattering.

Before you can start to address what underwear you should be wearing, you need to undress and take an honest look at your figure.  Don’t use this as an opportunity to point out all the parts of your body that you’re unhappy with, instead (and it’s not as hard as you might think) put on a more positive hat and acknowledge your best bits.  For example, you might have a great waist, or fabulous legs. 

Next, look at your proportions.  Are your shoulders narrower than your hips?  Do you have a long body or long legs?  What do you need to do to balance out your proportions and create the perfect hourglass shape?  Once you’re armed with this information, you can start to make an informed decision about what underwear is not only going to give you the support you need, but be flattering too.

I’ll be discussing what underwear is best suited to which shape in part 3, but for now here are some hints to help you determine your shape

Neat column shapeColumn figures are fairly straight up and down.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small bust.

Curvaceous hourglass shape Hourglass figures are curvaceous with a generous sized bust.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small waist.

Broad apple shape Apple shapes are broader on the top half than the bottom half.  The waist is less defined and they generally have fabulous legs.

Curvaceous Pear shape Pear shapes are smaller on the top half than the bottom half.  They will have a small bust and a tiny waist.

In Part 2, we’ll take this information and start to talk about the best fit and how to achieve it

I couldn’t resist sharing this picture of my Mum with you.  She returned home after a lunch out with friends on Sunday and I thought she looked great in her beautiful butterfly blouse and snakeskin sandals.  I guess this is where I get my love of styling from!

I was delighted to be invited to Cribbs Causeway’s fashion show again this season.  I’ve been to a few local fashion events recently and have started to see the same friendly faces.  Working for yourself can get a tad lonesome, especially if you’re stuck behind a computer for a large part of your working day, so it’s great to get out and meet other fashion bloggers.   This time, we decided to meet up for a coffee and a catch up before the show started, it was great to see Gina from MyStreetChic.com, their new student ambassador Harriett and Sarah from Ship Shape.  Hopefully, next time we’ll be able to get a bigger group of us together.   

This season’s show was as I’d hoped - well styled and brilliantly choreographed.  It kicked off with fabulous fashions from John Lewis.  I have to just say at this point, that John Lewis’s fashion department is getting stronger and stronger with each season helped by the likes of Whistles, NW3 and Reiss (I can feel another post coming on...watch this space).  The outfits didn’t disappoint, bold prints, tweeds and coloured tights created a brilliant concoction, think heritage but with a twist.  I loved these burgundy tights teamed with pillar-box red shoes (apologies for the appalling photo – must invest in a decent camera).  The men were sporting tweed jackets and denim, with coloured shoes adding a splash of personality. 




French connection were up next and in stark contrast to the previous burst of colour, we were treated to sharp tailoring and sultry silhouettes.  Dark colours highlighted the sixties shapes creating a striking collection.




Phase Eight embraced clashing prints, a favourite of mine (see my outfit post here).  People are often scared to mix prints, but when it’s done right it can look brilliant.  If you want to dabble in a spot of print clashing then the easiest way is to team simple stripes with a bold star or spot print.  As long as one of the patterns is stronger than the other and there is some synergy between the colour palettes – it’ll work.  Menswear was from River Island and channelled the Nordic trend.  I really liked the clever mix of textures with the chunky knits and oversized scarf’s.




Republic was very much as you’d expect - urban street-wear for men and women that’s practical and on trend.  Not my favourite but I can see that it will have big appeal.  Gillett’s, checked shirts and denim were uniform, with coloured chino’s breaking up the repetitiveness.



Marks and Spencer’s showcased the sixties trend.  Red, black and white was the theme, and patterned tights added a spot of drama.  Spots are a refreshing mini-trend this season, hopefully marking a departure from strips which have filled the high-street for years.  If you’re not a fan of spots then little stars or tiny birds in repeat is a cute way to work this trend.




The fetish trend had been overlooked until H&M took to the catwalk. The models strutted out in not so easy to wear outfits, but looked fab.  The guys looked just as good and sported amongst other items, leather trainers – a great way to dip your toe in the trend.  I love the fetish trend that’s around this season; and will be mixing my leather skirt from last year with chunky knitwear and towering heels as soon as the weather’s gone back to normal.   When working this trend, try and go for real leather if your budget will stretch to it.  Not only will it look so much better, but it will last longer too.  In fact I think Leather looks better the older it gets, the same can’t be said for imitation leather.




Wallis looked like they’d transported their models straight from the sixties. Geometric prints, block colours and mini lengths were the theme.  The guys showcased Burton’s collections and looked trim in slim cut suits with a nod to the mod’s.



Marks and Spencer showcased a second collection, this time it was less sixties, and more forties.



River Island’s collection was a real mix straight from the seventies. Bold prints adorned trousers and dresses and fur trims were on everything from boots to coats.  Prints were clashed and had a real Mary Katrantzou feel to it which as I've mentioned in previous posts, is a favourite of mine.   The men clashed plaid shirts with striped cardigans and rust coloured trousers; totaly autumnal.





John Lewis returned to the stage with colour blocking, proving it’s a wearable trend whether you choose to wear a statement dress or to accessorise with a bold bag.  The starkness of the colour was cleverly softened by mixing different textures together.  The men looked dapper in sharp slim suiting that was set off against bold patterned ties and strong coloured shirts.



This season is set to be a good one.  The shops are already bursting with fabulous autumn collections so why not head to Cribbs Causeway and experiment with your own style.  But of course, if you feel you’d like some direction then get in touch!

Mango, Mango, Mango, oh how I do love thee!  This is one of those brands which never fail to deliver.  They seem to be able to pull together catwalk inspired collections that are not only really wearable, but are such a great price too. 

Up until now, the only places to buy Mango have been John Lewis and House of Fraser, and to be honest while they stock great pieces, they both carry such small collections that you don’t get the full Mango experience.  But things are about to change.  On Thursday 29th September, Mango will open the doors of their first stand alone store in Bristol, and I can’t wait. 

I thoroughly recommend heading down to Cabot Circus to see the new store, and shop the new collections.  I can’t make the grand opening as I’ve had to book a client in that evening (this working for yourself malarkey really is getting a little hectic!), but for those of you who are free you can expect 20% discount when you spend £50 or more, complimentary styling from TIGI Catwalk hair stylists, champagne, drinks, sweets and treats, and if that’s not enough to entice you, the first 300 customers will receive complimentary goodie bags with a purchase and a chance to win a £50 voucher and a year’s supply of TIGI Catwalk products in their raffle!!

Combi fabric suit jacket £69.69

Flared dress, £59.90

Long chain necklace £17.90

Openwork knit sweater £39.90

Straight cut dress, £49.90

Woven Leather shopper handbag, £54.90