STYLEWISE - Spring

by Tracey Berry

Spring is my favourite time of year. With it comes the promise and anticipation of new things. For me, the mere mention of spring invokes feelings and memories of happy days. Like hearing the word "lemon" or "pineapple", when your mouth reacts and starts to water almost immediately, just the thought of spring excites and motivates me. Even "spring cleaning" actually seems okay.

The word spring in the Bible translates as a source of water issuing forth, the bright open source, fountain, well, prosperity and blessings. There is nothing like the feeling of a fresh new season.

Even though we can't quite put away all the winter woollens just yet as our mornings and evenings can still be a little chilly, just the thought of a few less layers is thrilling.

The very first glimpse of a bright green bud or the warmer, longer days may be just the motivation you need to come out of hibernation to remove the cobwebs (literally!), re-arrange furniture, style a room, swap your thick winter coat for a lightweight cardigan or paint those toenails that have been hidden away in your winter boots...it might even be the season to consider changing your hair back to it's natural colour!

So, with our new-found energy and enthusiasm for a personal spring clean, let's look at a styling faux pas or two:

Whitney dressed as Britney
Or the old saying "mutton dressed as lamb". Time to throw out the boob tubes and mini skirts, and what were you thinking with those extremely short shorts? Go for 3/4 pants, a knee-length skirt or a fabulous dress. Think of Audrey Hepburn, (you know she's a favourite style queen of mine) always sophisticated and elegant. You could never accuse her of seeking the wrong kind of attention. Which is another point to consider as one of God's women.

The same can be said about Britney dressed as Whitney. To all young women, enjoy and embrace your youth. Dress according to your age, it is a wonderful time in your life.

Underwear
VPL is visible panty line. With the huge selection of underwear to choose from, this should never be an issue. Boyleg hipsters are the answer, especially if you want to avoid one of the biggest offences in fashion - the G-string as a fashion statement!

Then there's the G-string under thin tight fabric....what are those extra lumps that suddenly appeared? When wearing white, forget white underwear as skin colour is the only choice, always.

Please, please, please do yourself a favour and have a professional bra fitting. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Your silhouette and your clothes will look a million times better (you'll find I'm not even exaggerating!)

Know your body
Make the most of what you've been given by understanding the proportions of your body. Are your legs shorter than your body? If you wear the same shade or colour shoes as your pants, your legs will appear longer. Also avoid cuffs on pants, as they tend to cut length from your legs. The worst faux pas here is to wear white shoes with black cuffed pants...you'll have stumps for legs! The same goes for your tops and jackets, don't wear them past your hips.

If you have a short waist, choose hipster pants, long tops and a belt around your hips. Your jackets should be longer too, so best to avoid cropped jackets. Wearing long necklaces will also elongate your torso.

Size 0
What's that all about? Does it mean if you are a Size 0 you don't exist? Clearly the wrong messages are being sent to all women.

One of the most important things I can tell you is to wear the size that fits you. Don't let the thought of buying a "large" or a 10 when you are obviously a 12 sway your judgement.

Remember, no one can read the label INSIDE but they sure can see that muffin top billowing out of your new jeans! Not even that thick woollen coat you've just packed away will be able to hide it.

Let me say to less "petite" women: love your size and shape and show off your waist. No more hiding under those oversized dresses and shirts. After all, God created you "WOMAN"!

This spring, breathe fresh life into the your personal styling by changing just a few things. Sometimes this will mean adding or subtracting items. In fact, this is also a great tip to remember when styling your home. It is said " A room is complete not when the last item is added, but when there is nothing else to take away".

Talk to you next time about styling your summer home.

Happy Spring!