Tour de France

Some Minnie + Ree clothes have gone off on a big adventure. Here is the original wrap paisley skirt enjoying the Alex Katz exhibition mounted by the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in Paris.

Fiji

I am working up in Fiji again this week - mentoring for small-medium sized businesses around Nadi.  The weather is great - a little cool in the mornings and warm during the day. The best time of the day is just before sunset. There's some pics below.  

The work is good AND I'm so warm and relaxed that I've sketched two new designs that I'm really happy with. It will be great to get home and get them made!

Here we go ... sunset photos taken from here:

Image Consultant - which prints are best for you?

This is the second part of the image advice that we are getting from Sherna of Your Style Journey.  you can check out her advice on colour in last week's blog post here. This week it is all about prints, and as you probably know Minnie + Ree love prints!!  

Here's some of our more colourful favourites that we have used over the past couple of years:

Minnie + Ree prints

I really enjoy helping people to choose a skirt or dress in a print, especially when they are not used to buying prints but then find The One that is perfect for them.  Print clothes often take on a new personality when you put them on.  Keep trying them on as there is always one that will look great.  And the right print can conceal a multitude of sins ... read on for Sherna's advice and remember it's all about having fun and feeling great in your clothes ...

Prints

Whatever your taste there is something out there for everyone. Prints include florals, stripes, geometric, exotic, animal, tribal, paisley (an old classic revamped), and garden/vegetable. Not only are there a variety to choose from they also come in a variety of colours from soft pastels to vivid brights.

People can find prints scary and are wary of them for several reasons, the main ones being that:

• they are seen as seasonal buys and therefore not as versatile as a plain garment
• they are not sure if prints suit them or not.

There is no need to be wary, a good print can stay around for a while, so if you find a good print it's worth investing in as you will get the wear out of it over more than one season. If you are not sure if prints suit you here are a few basic guidelines to buying and wearing prints.

• Get the right size for you. A large print on a small frame will look overwhelming even if you do have the confidence to wear it. In contrast a small print on a large frame will have no impact. A useful guideline is to check the print doesn't exceed the size of your outstretched hand.
• Be careful how you wear it. Prints can appear to add volume, for example on large busts or wide hips, so keep prints of 'problem' areas. Prints with lots of negative space will make you appear larger. An overall print can disguise style lines in a garment, the less contrast in a print the more slimming it will be.
• Choose the right design for you. Your clothing should suit your bodyshape and your personality. Angular prints on curvy body will look unflattering. Prints have personalities -bold, dainty, exotic, feminine, conservative, etc. Creative and dramatic personalities will love the more inventive prints, vivid paisleys, geometrics, exotic, animal, etc. To the classic, natural and elegant chic personalities these prints may be too fussy so they will probably opt for smaller, subtle and muted prints. Romantic personalities will love the variety of florals from the soft muted pastels to the south pacific inspired brights and bolds.
• Choose the right colour combination especially if you are wearing it next to your face. If the print is multicoloured ensure the dominant colour is in your colour palette.
• Most importantly you should enjoy wearing it.
• Prints can create a statement in themselves so there is no need to add to it. Complex designs or prints should be worn with simple garments, for example coloured jeans, or a plain skirt. However creative personalities will have no issue with mixing prints and wearing them with confidence.

For more information check out Sherna's website www.yourstylejourney.co.nz.  Or maybe book a consultation??

Image Consultant - what colours are best for you?

As you probably know Minnie + Ree is all about colour.  Example - here is a collection of our skirts:

Minnie + Ree wrap skirts

Choosing the best colour for you is always fun.  But not all of us know which colours are best. Lately I have been doing some work with Sherna Coote of Your Style Journey. Sherna is brilliant with colour and I now know that I need to let my inner green-wearing redhead out - that was a huge surprise!!  And everyone is telling me how great I look. So here's the first post from our guest blogger Sherna...

Colour

Colour is the essence of dressing successfully, it affects how you look, feel and how others respond to you.  Whether we like it or not we will be judged within seven seconds of meeting someone, with 93% of that judgement based on non-verbal communication and 55% of it on our clothing and grooming alone.

This is because colour attracts the eye first.  It is the first thing people see about you and probably what they will remember about you.  So understanding your best colours, will go a long way in creating that great first impression.

Instinctively we are drawn to colours that suit us, as our eye seeks balance and harmony, however we do not always follow our natural instincts.  Colour preferences of our family, friends and culture, and fashion trends often overwhelm our instinctive likes and dislikes.  I can attest to this, as an autumn I look great in brown, but it’s a colour I avoided for years as it was the colour of my school uniform!!  

So a colour analysis is almost like relearning what you know instinctively, thereby sharpening your ability to recognise colours that flatter you best (you also get a personal swatch to aid you in your shopping).  

 

Understanding whether your skintone is warm or cool is key in determining your best colours.  Warm skintones fall into spring or autumn, and cool skintones into summer or winter.  However within each season there are different colour palettes determined by the amount of contrast between your hair and your skintone.  For example even though Shirley Maclaine and Julia Roberts are both autumns, Julia Roberts has much darker hair colouring which allows her to wear richer, and more vivid, and earthy colours than Shirley Maclaine.         

The right colours next to your face will reflect up creating overall balance and harmony, enhancing your natural beauty and leaving  you open to all  those great compliments on how fantastic you look.  The wrong colours next to your face will highlight all those imperfections  (lines, wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, blemishes, uneven skintone etc) and can make your skin look sallow and unhealthy.  Worst of all it can very ageing, this is especially true of black if it is not in your colour palette.  So to give yourself a natural instant facelift, wear your most flattering colours next to your face.

Understanding your colours will allow you to dress with intention.  You choose which colours to wear to convey the statement you want to make about yourself and how you wish to be perceived by others, from your partner to your boss. 

To summarise colour can be magical.  Knowing your best colours opens up a whole world of opportunities:-

• Shopping will become easier (what woman doesn’t want that?!) and you will probably save some money.
• You can build a well co-ordinated and flexible wardrobe. No more standing in front or your wardrobe exclaiming “I have nothing to wear!”
• You will gain confidence knowing the colours you are wearing are your most flattering.

Colour makes the initial impact so find out what colours are perfect for you.

For more information check out Sherna's website www.yourstylejourney.co.nz.  Maybe it's time to book a consultation??

NEXT WEEK - which prints to choose ...