How To Look Effortlessly Stylish

  Just about every woman who comes to see me says her goal is to look effortlessly stylish. You know the look; relaxed but also pulled-together. For most people, this means looking good without looking like you’ve tried too hard or spent hours getting ready. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that there is in fact some time and effort involved in achieving t...
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What Clothes to Pack Away Now

Leopard print dress
  Keep your wardrobe current It should only contain clothes that you are realistically going to wear during the current season. In this way,  you will be able to see pretty much at a glance what your clothing choices are for any particular occasion. You will also be able to identify if there are any gaps in your wardrobe that need filling. Don't have anything in y...
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Ageing With Attitude

I'm not going to pretend that ageing doesn't have it's downsides. But, let’s face it, it’s a whole lot better than the alternative! We all know that the hormonal changes wrought by the menopause can play havoc with our bodies and emotions but for some of us this can be a liberating time of life. These women know that they have a wealth of expereince and wisdom to offer. ...
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Chic In The Heat

Summer dress and bag
I love the summer months but, like many women of a certain age, it can be a bit of a challenge to not end up feeling like a hot sweaty mess! Here are some tips on what to wear to remain cool and stylish. Fabrics Hot weather calls for lightweight, natural, breathable fabrics such as cotton and linen that will stop you getting too sweaty. Whilst silk is also a natural fabri...
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Quiet Luxury

  The quiet luxury (also known as stealth wealth) trend has been bubbling for a while now but has really come to the fore since Gwyneth Paltrow’s court appearances where she wore a succession of low-key but highly expensive outfits which exemplified the look. So, what is this trend? And, if it resonates with you, how could you incorporate it in your wardrobe with...
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The Key Trends You’ll Want to Wear This Summer

Miny Velvet blazer
I think most of us are probably over feeling the need to embrace every new fashion but it’s always good to keep an eye on key trends to refresh our wardrobe and keep it looking current. Once you understand your style personality (and therefore the types of clothes that will make you feel your best, authentic self) and your shape, scale and proportions, you can filter out th...
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Stylish Footwear Options for Difficult Feet

Court shoe and brogue
I adore heels! At only 5’3” (in the morning, when I’m standing up very straight!), I love the extra height they give. I am aware though that, at my age, I am pretty lucky still to be able still to tolerate them. I know that lots of women have all sorts of problems with their feet which can make it difficult to find shoes that are both stylish and comfortable. In fact, it’s one ...
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How to Wear Wide-Leg Trousers and Cargo Pants

Most of us have  been wearing skinnies for years but it could be time for a re-think. The current trend is for a more relaxed, straight or wide-leg jean/trouser and the stand-out style for summer is going to be the cargo pant. As part of this more relaxed approach, a  drawstring/elasticated waists is another key feature this season. So will this work for you? That really comes ...
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Sally Pellow, Reading

"Nicola, I wanted to report back and tell you how much I appreciated my time with you on 13 January. Since seeing you, I have made lots of simple changes. The easiest one was getting back into the habit of wearing makeup most days, and I am confident again in my technique. I have been surprised that I have gladly worn lipstick daily too - and your advice on using a lip pencil ...
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Niki P, Oxfordshire

"I really enjoyed our session together and can see exactly why you are an award winning consultant! For the first time (and this was my third experience with a consultant) I came away feeling confident, empowered and happy. I rushed headlong into a very busy long weekend with family and friends so haven't had much headspace to digest everything you said, but the "feeling"...
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Why What We Wear Matters

What should I wear?
  I have always enjoyed putting outfits together and choosing what to wear for various occasions is a source of pleasure rather than stress. However, I know this is far from the case for many people. When I was working in the corporate world, an image consultant presented at one of our meetings. The tips she gave seemed pretty obvious to me but for many of my col...
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My Wardrobe Heroes

  Happy New Year! This is the time of year when the shops are awash with so-called sale bargains and it’s all too easy to get carried away and buy clothes that are destined to languish unworn in your wardrobe. Equally though, choose wisely and it can be a great opportunity to upgrade your wardrobe and invest in some classic pieces in quality fabrics that you may not othe...
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Seasonal & Tonal Colour Analysis – What’s the Difference?

Colour analysis mind map
  A couple of weeks ago I was invited to do a Facebook Live with Kettlewell's in-house stylist, to explain the tonal system of colour analysis. For those of you who haven't come across Kettlewell before,  it's a clothing brand for women who love colour and effortless style. Kettlewell are huge advocates of the value of having your colours analysed.  The Live was for...
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Why Your Wardrobe is Like A Garden

Building your perfect wardrobe takes time, effort and understanding; much like creating a lovely garden. When planning a garden you need to assess how and when you will use it, what the basic structure will be and what sort of overall look or mood you want to create. You need to get the hard and soft landscaping in place as well as harmonious colour schemes to provide ye...
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Key Trends for This Autumn-Winter

Thankfully, fashion has slowed down a bit over recent years. With the growing realisation of the harm throwaway fashion does to the environment, there has been a move to a more sustainable approach to dressing, not just in terms of the way that garments are manufactured but also in terms of getting more wear out of what we already have in our wardrobes rather than constantl...
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So, How Do You Like Your Boobs?

  We Stylists have lots of tricks up our sleeves to help you dress in a way that highlights what you're proud of and camouflages what you're not so keen on. When it comes to our boobs, women can have very different attitudes. Some will regard an ample bosom as a blessing and be happy to  show it off whilst others may be embarrassed and not want to draw attention to i...
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Looking Good At Any Age

We live in a world obsessed with youth.  As women, we have it drummed into us that we must do our utmost to fight every sign of the aging process. Nowadays, you can get botox at the local dentist! Or pop into your local shopping centre for a few fillers! Perhaps the fact that I am heading for the big 60 this year has made me reflect on this more than I might otherwise. B...
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Make-Up Made Simple

I've seen literally thousands of women in my studio before and after make-up and I can assure you that every one of them looked better, and felt more confident, wearing a little. Buying make-up can be really daunting though, can’t it? There are just too many products to choose from and too much conflicting advice about which are the "must-haves" and how you should be wea...
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Delia Baxter

" I wanted to say the hugest THANK YOU! I really enjoyed the make-over morning and cannot believe it has taken me so long to do this. You would not believe the number of complimentary comments I have received from friends and family. None of them knew that I had been to visit you, they were completely unsolicited comments on how the colours I was wearing really suited me and th...
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