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The warmer weather brings out the best in fashion. There is always a lot of colour, florals and a mix of neutral and minimal styles that start coming through. It’s the perfect time to have a look at your current wardrobe and give it a bit of a revamp for the coming season, with a slight update to keep up with the Spring trends. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to dress in Spring and Summer trends for your body shape.

Determining your body shape

The first step is to determine what your actual body shape is. We all have a perceived idea of what category we think our body shape may fit into, but in reality it is not always the right type. Here’s a detailed body shape guide to help every woman establish what category they fit into so that they can determine the type of clothing that will work with their body shape:

Now that body shape is determined, it makes it easier to look at the current trends and see what will work best for you. Don’t follow trends to a tee – always consider your shape, and whether or not the current trend will do more harm than good.

When dressing for a new season, or revamping your wardrobe, always ask yourself if it will suit your lifestyle. This is key – it allows you to determine which style of clothing you should invest in as wardrobe staples.

Once you have determined your shape and your lifestyle requirements, here are some simple and easy to achieve tips on how to make the latest Spring trends work for you.

Trend: White on White

White on white is a great trend for the warmer months. Not only does it look stylish, but white and neutral tones suit many women. Women with fair skin often worry that white tones may wash them out, but this is not the case. It’s actually the off-whites and cream tones that you should be careful of. Pure white tones radiates light and brightens your complexion. It’s also a slimming colour when worn in the right fabrics. It may not be the most practical colour, but works well with a structured piece to take from the office to a day out.

Trend: Utility

Another key trend this season is the utility trend. Both the high fashion and high street stores have jumped on board and brands such as Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and Nicholas K have taken this trend to their runways.

A major part of the utility trend is khaki, followed by key features such as D-rings, army and military patches, deep square pockets and, of course, aviator sunglasses – all making a comeback this season. The below image showcases the utility trend to suit every woman’s shape.

Trend: Denim

Denim is a trend that will work all year round. This Spring in particular it can be found and styled in many variations: double denim, light denim, white denim, denim dresses and even denim overalls.

Denim works well on everyone, no matter what size or shape. Look for pieces that you feel comfortable in wearing and that works well for you. The cut and style of skinny jeans, wide leg jeans or shorts may not work for everyone.

Trend: Japanese influence

There is a noticeably strong Japanese influence this Spring, with brands such as BCBG, Marni, Alexander McQueen and Aganovich showcasing a clear Japanese influence in their Spring/Summer 2015 collections.

The trend focuses on Kimono style dresses, tops, oversized sleeves, floral and digital prints as well as beautiful silks and Japanese belt ties. When styling this trend an important tip to keep in mind is that there are a lot of oversized pieces and loose fitting styles so pair with a structured pant or jacket to bring structure to the overall look.

This season brings a variety of trends to the table, and no matter what size, shape or style there is something that everyone can look fabulous in.

All images in this article courtesy of Kash O’Hara, Founder of The Style Doctor

Kash O’Hara
With a long held interest in fashion and styling, Kash O’Hara, founder and head style doctor at The Style Doctor, gained extensive experience within the Australian fashion industry and became heavily involved in styling work. Kash has worked as a fashion designer, personal stylist, editorial stylist and celebrity stylist for the likes of Danni Minogue, Lizzy Lovette and Lynette Bolton.

With her experience in styling and fashion design working hand in hand, Kash launched the diverse offering of The Style Doctor in 2015, the online styling expert which is the first of its kind in Australia.

“What’s in a shoe?” I hear you ask. Is the height of the heel in direct correlation to the extent of a person’s ambition? What about a flatter heel? Does footwear comfort equal comfort in addressing senior management, new clients or team members?

Clothes maketh the man, so what do shoes say about women?

Jodie Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey, and her team gathered data nationwide to find out the shoe habits of women in each state.

“It’s interesting that despite a relatively homogenous fashion offering around Australia in high street stores, there are clear distinctions in preferences for different heel heights and shoes between the Australian states. Each state definitely has its own shoe identity”, she says. “The average preferred heel height is declining around the world – down to 8.1cm from 8.9cm in the last two years”.

“The global decline in average heel height can, in part, be attributed to the fact women can now choose a heel height that suits them”.

Jodie is quick to point out that, due to the rise in popularity of customisable fashion, women are now choosing heel sizes that suit them, rather than relying what’s available in stores. “But certainly a much wider range of heel heights are now considered just as fashionable — shoe-lovers who still want high-end fashion, with a few customised tweaks to a traditional high heel, can get the perfect solution,” she said.

So, on this, our Red Heel Day, let’s take a look at how we stack up nationwide:

Australians wear above global average heel height

Globally, the average heel height is 7cm, but Australian shoe lovers wear, on average, an 8.3cm heel.

West Australian women wear the highest heels on average of all the states

South Australians and Canberrans wear the lowest heels.

Queenslanders are most likely to choose flats

Women from New South Wales like their heels high

They are the most likely to choose mid-height heels (7cm) and second most likely to choose high heels (10cm). They are least likely to choose flats and kitten heels (5.5cm).

Victorians are the most likely to choose high heels (10cm)

South Australians are most likely to choose kitten heels (5.5cms)

Canberrans are the least likely to wear high heels

Thank you to Jodie Fox and the rest of the Shoe Gurus from Shoes of Prey for their insight and images.

Trying to decide what to wear to the office this winter? As the mercury drops and we automatically start to pile on the layers, we’ve asked Sydney-based Australian fashion brand Blooms Design what we should be looking for to add to our work winter wardrobe to stay stylish in the cooler climate.

Supporting executive women for over 20 years, every garment and accessory has been created and chosen by the Blooms team with a genuine love for modern sophistication and fashion.

Here are five top trends to incorporate into your work attire this Winter season:

1. Cobalt Blue – the colour of the season

This season’s stand out colour is Cobalt. A bold and elegant shade of blue, adding a splash of cobalt to your wardrobe (whether through a scarf, dress, cardi or accessory) will not only keep you on trend but have you projecting natural peace and calm, perfect when working in a busy or stressful office. It also suggests stability, great for locking in that deal with a new client.

2. Winter warmer favourites

Are you more of a neutral person? Soft greys, browns and burnt oranges remain a popular staple this Winter taking inspiration from the natural Australian colour palette. Team soft greys with black, charcoal or brown with pops of burnt orange or copper colours to bring more warmth into the office. Also works well with soft, natural fibres – cosy!

3. Monochrome graphics

Monochrome is always a winner for the work wardrobe, but this winter print placement monochrome is the way to go, adding edgy graphic elements to your outfit. Try a jacket or dress which incorporates monochrome graphics like geometric shapes over bolder block colours to take your outfit to the next level.

4. Stripes

blooms-design-4

Thick horizontal stripes this season are designed to make a statement. These stripes are great in a jersey dress or top, connecting comfort with high fashion trends to give you movement and flexibility. Anything geometric will work, especially if they are larger.

5. Winter coat

Keep warm while you travel to and from work this winter while looking great by adding a long collarless jacket to finish your look! Use simple monochrome techniques matching your colours and pieces to create a timeless look that can take you from day to night in the cooler months.

This article was written in collaboration with Blooms Design.

Blooms Design has been celebrating the style of Australian women in ready to wear apparel for over 20 years. Beginning with the original founders of the Blooms Design label, the team has evolved and grown with each generation of customer, adding a fresh contemporary interpretation to every original Blooms creation.

Visit www.bloomsdesign.com.au to check out more Australian designer trends.

Appropriate cosmetics to wear around the workplace is a tricky business. For many, it may feel like there’s a fine line between “natural” looking makeup application and no makeup at all. There’s also that delicate balance between “enough makeup application to look polished and professional” and “Saturday night makeup”. Here, makeup artist Carly Lim gives us her 5 makeup tips that will help you nail a polished work look.

1. Use a good Primer

Gone are the days of a heavy over-powdered base. A good primer, used together even just with tinted moisturiser or concealer, will give you a long lasting, healthy and polished base for work.

Top 3 Primers

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: Gives a silky smooth satiny feel, minimises shine and gives foundation longevity.
Laura Mercier Radiance Primer: Has a lovely creamy gel like texture that is lightweight and feels soothing. Instantly feel radiant and fresh!
Stila One Step Correct: This one colour corrects and brightens your complexion in one step. A weightless, serum-type primer

Tips

After cleansing and moisturising, wait about 5-10 minutes to let the moisturiser sink in. Take a tissue and split their layers, so you are left with one ply. Place this over your face and gently press and pat all over. Thich helps to remove any excess product
Apply primer, a pea size or less will be plenty for your face
Apply your foundation/tinted moisturiser/concealer. An efficient way to do this is to pat all over with fingers blending roughly and then using a clean brush to polish and perfect the blending
If you have dry skin, you can skip powder. Otherwise, set with translucent powder, but only on T-zone (forehead, nose, sides of nose, chin)

2. Take Care of your Brows

Invest the time and money in a good brow specialist. Nothing presents a polished look better than a good set of brows. If you are time-strapped, a good brush will help too.

Tips

Using a spoolie, brush all the brow hairs in the opposite direction and down. Then brush upwards and outwards at a 45 degree angle. Repeat this, brushing them back and forth a couple of times.

This is the standard guide for achieving your best brow shape.

Top 3 Brow Products

Tweezerman Tweezers: Pricey for something so basic, but the difference in quality and ease of use is astounding
MAC Eye Brows: A great mechanical brow pencil: ultra thin, easy to use and good range of shades available
Eyeko Brow Gel: For those blessed with naturally full brows, a quick swipe of this in the morning keeps them polished and neat. For those of us less blessed, this product helps ‘plump’ up the brow hairs

3. Use Mascara

Applying mascara is the quickest way to look awake and polished for work. You can forgo any eye shadow with a good application of mascara. Before applying, it is important to curl the lashes too.

Top 3 Mascaras

Rimmel Wonder’full Mascara with Argan Oil: This formula is slightly wetter, and gives the effect of fluffy, separated lashes as a result
L’Oreal Million Lashes: This has a formula which is creamy and black, providing lots of volume and length
Lancôme Grandiose: The swan-neck shaped wand helps the shakiest hands get into every lash

Tips

Before jumping in and applying straight from the tube, it’s a good idea to remove excess product from the applicator. Scrape the applicator at the opening to do so
If you have good bottom lashes, apply mascara here first. If your eyelashes are sparse here, just skip this step
Always apply first to the roots and avoid pulling through, at first. Deposit as much product as you can at the roots to achieve the illusion of fuller lashes
Following this use a zig-zag motion while pulling through for your second coat of mascara

4. Use a good Highlighter

A good highlighter (also known as an Illuminator) makes accentuating your bone structure easy, and keeps you looking fresh and polished throughout the day. The most important thing to look for is a very fine pearl or shimmer. Anything with large particles of glitter might be okay for evening but is an overkill for the office. For the best, no-fuss results, use a fan brush to apply.

Top 3 Highlighters/Illuminators

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder Candlelight: Despite being a powder formula, this provides a gorgeous skin-like finish with the right amount of glow
Benefit Watt’s Up: An easy-to-apply highlighter in stick form, with a handy built-in sponge applicator to help blend your product onto the skin
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pressed): This is available in four shades, and again it’s a great powder formula that offers a natural glow. A light hand is recommended, however

5. Invest in Lip/Eye/Cheek Palette Sets

A palette that offers coverage for your eyes, lips and cheeks is great to keep at your desk, or in your handbag for any important work events that crop up at the last minute.

Top 3 Lip, Eye and Cheek Palette Sets

Charlotte Tilbury FilmStars on the Go: A luxurious two-step product in lovely satiny cream formulation
Benefit Sugarlicious Kit: This provides coverage for cheeks, lips and eyes – all in one nifty set
Too Faced Natural Eyes Collection: A collection of work-suitable eye shadow colours in a beautiful, portable tin

Featured image courtesy of Carly Lim.

Carly Lim

Carly is a freelance makeup artist currently based in Brisbane, working primarily in fashion and advertising. Soon after finishing university she realised a career behind the scenes was what she craved most. Her regular clients include Universal Store, Beginning Boutique, Dissh and Style Keepers Boutique. For more of her work please visit www.carlylim.com or follow on Instagram @carlylim_makeup.

Whether you’ve been naughty, nice or somewhere in between, you deserve to treat yourself to something – anything! – this Christmas. For many, 2014 has been a year of growth and development, for others, a battle beyond belief. You may have switched careers, started families, changed family dynamics even, but whatever it is that happened to you this year, when December comes around, it’s a time for reflection and assessment.

Here’s our Christmas Gift Guide to help you get productive in 2015 … and beyond!

LifeProof cases for Smartphones and tablets

Prices start from $79.95. Stockists found nationwide. For more information visit www.lifeproof.com/en/

If you’re a complete klutz, these are just the thing for you. These sleek cases for smartphones and tablets offer full functionality and interactivity under any condition, whilst still staying stylish. Juggle work, play and even sleep and keep your techo-bits life-proof with LifeProof!

LifeProof offer protection for Apple’s range of iPhones and Samsung’s range of Galaxy phones. Choose from the following two styles:

LifeProof nüüd: with screen-less technology, the nüüd case lets you touch the actual screen whilst still keeping the phone waterproof

LifeProof free: with a build-in scratch protector, the LifeProof free; case completely safeguards your touchscreen, so you won’t have to worry about any nasty scratches across your phone screen.

LifeProof cases for Apple and Samsung

Acer Notebooks and Tablets

Priced from $199 to $1,999.

This range of handy notebooks and tablets are techie toys that are out of bounds for the kids and your partner. No, not because they’re for both work and play, but because they are just for YOU.

Choose from any one of the following notebooks or tablets below:

Acer Iconia One 7 Tablet: This 7 7-inch tablet, with Intel® dual-core processor, is the ultimate device for anyone who wants to enjoy mobile entertainment in a stylish device with multiple colour options. At $199 rrp, it’s perfect for those on a budget.

Acer Iconia One 7 Tablet

Acer Aspire Switch 10: This device offers both notebook and tablet capabilities, with 4 flexible modes for touch, typing, viewing and sharing.

This two-in-one device is perfect for those looking for style, substance and flexibility in their gadgets. The magnetic detachable Acer Snap Hinge™ has two hooks to firmly connect the tablet to the keyboard and a two-way connector holding the tablet for convenient two-sided viewing. Priced at $599 rrp.

Acer Aspire Switch 10

Acer R13 and R14 Series: Both models are designed for those who don’t want to give up a traditional notebook design, but are seeking greater flexibility and bang for their buck. The R 13 Series features Acer’s unique Ezel Aero Hinge™ that allows the display to rotate into six different positions, while the R 14 Series features a 360 degree dual-torque hinge that allows it to be used in four usage modes. The R13 Series is priced from RRP $1,999 and the R14 Series is priced from RRP $799.

Acer Aspire R13

Acer Aspire R14

MacBook Impact Snap

Priced at $99.95 rrp for MacBook cases, and from $39.95 rrp for the iPad Mini

Tech21’s MacBook Impact Snap cases and iPad Impact Mesh cases are ideal for those who are looking for a stylish yet light and practical case not only for their office, but also for when they are travelling or commuting for work or holidays. Featuring a layer of Flexshock and D3O impact material, these cases absorbs, dissipates and repels the shock away from the device when it is accidentally dropped or bumped.

Both the MacBook and iPad cases are sold exclusively at Apple stores or via the website at https://www.tech21.com/apple-macbook-cases and https://www.tech21.com/apple-tablet-cases.

MacBook Impact Snap

iPad Impact Mesh

Wireless Plus

Priced from $219 for the 1TB and $279 for 2TB . Stockists: Dick Smith, Harvey Norman, JB Hi Fi, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Big W and http://www.seagate.com/au/en/store/ .

Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to access and enjoy your files while you’re away on business or holiday. That problem flies right out the door with a Wireless Plus gadget, featuring its own Wi Fi network. Wirelessly stream your files to your laptop, tablet or smartphone on the go, as well as bring your files stored on Dropbox or Google Drive with you and sync them without the need for a connection. Featuring the Seagate Media app, you can easily navigate and enjoy your content across up to eight devices, and with 10 hour battery life you can carry it in your bag and efficiently work wherever you may be.

Wireless Plus

Check out Get Your Life Back ebook by Kasia Gospos, founder of Leaders in Heels, on how you can streamline and automate your business and life so that you have more time for what you really love.

Featured photo credit: JuditK via photopin cc

Erica Enriquez

Erica is a Sydney-based writer and digital marketer, and can often be found pounding away on a keyboard, writing about everything from travel, lifestyle, well-being and anything in between. When she is not writing, she is STILL writing, developing copy and content for websites and marketing collateral. Erica is passionate about film, literature and culture (high brow and low brow), as well as pro-social causes supporting cultural engagement (counting travelling as one of them). In her spare time, she loves nothing more than to curl up with a good book, go for a nice dinner with friends or spend time with her partner.

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment” Lao Tzu

One of the upsides of being a Behavioural Profiling Consultant is not only do I learn about how others tick, I learn lots about myself. I have learnt why I do things, what I’m good at and not so good at, and, more importantly, what I need to do to improve in those areas where I feel I need to develop.

I now understand why I’m so tired when doing particular tasks (and it’s not because I had a late night!) and why, at other times, I’m in the groove and kicking goals left, right and centre.

So I thought I would share with you a few tips on how to develop yourself in areas you feel you’re not so strong in but would like to be. I’m a spontaneous, gut-feel, big-picture person and at times have trouble with detailed work, so let’s start there.

To be more detailed:

Read philosophy, history and other books explaining logical processes
Collect all possible data relating to every task you do and every decision you need to make
When ready to make a decision, delay making it till tomorrow
Go back in time and analyse why things happened

To be more outgoing:

Do something new at least once a week, like go to a totally new social environment, or wear something colourful and new
Regularly change things in your office
Make an effort to call at least three new people every day
In large social gatherings, force yourself to start discussions of new topics and try to discuss with every participant
Make your daily habits include as little routines as possible
Make sure people, no matter where you are, notice you
Ask your colleagues to give you topics of which you need to make a 5 minute speech

To be more forthright:

Continuously learn new and practical ways of doing things. Select anything you like as long as it is useful and goal-oriented. It doesn’t matter if you have no idea how you should do it.
In meetings, focus on agenda and meeting goals. Make yourself a rule that you never leave a meeting room without an action plan for you and the rest of the participants. The plan needs to be concrete and include a schedule.
Seek out situations when you can exercise these new ways of doing things – do not just plan – do.
Observe the positive side of forthright people and repeat what they did
Ask for feedback from these people.

To be more calm and steady:

Keep a diary and make notes at the end of each day of what happened
After each meeting, review all the material & topics covered
Spend long periods in meetings without participating, just listening
Try to learn at least two possible risk factors in every new idea
Try not to show excitement when you get excited about something
Always come up with at least one optional plan
Make an effort to do things as others ask you to do them

I’m a great one to say, focus on your strengths and outsource your weaknesses where possible. You might need to adjust your management style depending on the situation. But sometimes you just need to improve your skills in particular areas – either to do the work yourself or understand how other people tick.

Good luck and let me know how you go.

Featured Photo Credit: Kris Krug via Compfight cc

Glenise Anderson
Glenise is the Chief Confidence Chick at Self Confident Women, a personal development company helping women around the world create a better life. She is also the Director of SR Group Pty Ltd, a training and development consultancy assisting corporate companies with coaching, training and technical writing.

Download the 8 Fail Safe Tips to Self Confidence FREE from her website at www.selfconfidentwomen.com.au