Archive for September, 2009

Give. The new shopping venture from George Davies

George Davis is opening this Thursday his new shopping venture Give.  He aims to revolutionise the way we shop in stores.  Gone are the days where shop assistants are badly informed and  you have to wait for alterations. Inside every store will be knowledgeable style advisers  who can help you to put an outfit together no matter what the occasion. They will take your payment rather than sending you to till to queue and a team of tailors will be on hand in each store to make  alterations to ensure the perfect fit. His vision to provide clothes to women, which fit their body shape goes in line with our philosophy at Joy of Clothes. We want to help women to find the  clothes that fit their shapes, lifestyle and budget no matter what the occasion.  We designed Joy of Clothes so that you can easily browse through the collections and find fast what you are looking for. George Davis recognises that everyone is differently built and it is about that clothes have to fit us and not that we have to fit ourselves around the clothes. So far their products are not available on Joy of Clothes, but we will keep you updated. In the meantime enjoy the variety of clothes we have on our site.

Here are some of the latest products on Joy of Clothes:


Enjoy more  shopping on Joy of Clothes.

Have a nice day,

Michaela

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

The New Bag League: Bags for Work

Here is your guide to the shapes, styles and labels to know now! Essential attributes of the work bag include plenty of interior pockets, sturdy handles, room enough to fit in a blackberry, A 4 file and laptop/netbook, make up bag and as well room enough for a pair of spare shoes. The new work bag embodies all of these must have attributes plus the new factors like design, personality, status, fashionable and light in weight. Practicality must be matched by aesthetic appeal inside and out- feminine but practical, and reliable for any occasion.

Here are comments and visions of leading designers what the “new bag for work” should represent in 2009/10:

  • ” Nowadays,  a woman needing a new bag is going to think very carefully about its function”. She may well only make one purchase, so it is going to have to fit every area of her life, from practicality at work to looking stylish in the evening. It needs to be decorative and desirable because it is more important than just a carrier for files or a laptop that she would previously have used alongside a smaller designer bag.”

Anya Hindmarch

  • “Discerning customers are looking for value now. They want a long-lived bag they can use day and night that’s practical, light when empty and not dangling useless hardware”

Marlin Yuson ( Cartier’s accessories creative director)

  • “Women now feel they don’t need two bags, but the one needs to be fabulous, as substantial bag that’s functional but glamorous, dressed up yet easy to wear and use. Confident women can find a distinctive bag helps to make an assertive style statement in a plain season. Clothes are reserved at present, so you need one item that’s little less serious , for contrast”.

Stuart Stockdale ( Jaeger’s design director)

  • ” Senior women feel increasingly free to be fashionable and feminine at work while still being taken seriously. A working bag has to be practical friend but a beautiful, highly crafted one is a also a symbol that reflects a woman’s personality and status in competitive world and, even more importantly, a confidence in her own style.”

Samantha Cameron (Smysthon’s creative director)

As always keep your body shape in mind when purchasing your new work bag.If you are a pear stay away from bright colours in your workbag and opt for darker colours. While if you are a rectangle or a column avoid square or boxy shapes and look out for oval shapes or bags, which have curve edges or cuvy details in their work bag. Apples and full hourglasses should be easy on to bulky work bag e.g. doctor style or too many front pockets- if you still go for them then choose them in a darker colour. Inverted triangle are better to choose handbags, cross body bags and if you choose shoulder bags make sure it doesn’t have much fuzz and buzz that would make your shoulers look even broader. As always neat hourglasses have the choice what ever they like to wear.


Click here to shop for the workbag that matches your life style, personality, status and body shape.

Enjoy Anya Hindmarch talking you through her latest bag collection:



Have a nice day,

Michaela

Monday, September 28th, 2009

What Calves size are you?

Dressing your calves requires a strategy, because you need to have an understanding of your build, you need to put the size of your calves in context with your bust, body shape, height and proportion .By modifying the lines of your clothing you can create visual balance whether you have small or large calves.

There’s no such thing as a plain woman. Everyone has attractive points, so my advice is to accentuate your best assets

Dita von Teese

A visually balanced body, regardless of weight or height, always looks most flattering.

Calves come in different sizes and shapes and each variation requires a different styling and dressing guide.

  • Small Calves : You need to add roundness to your calves by adding visually volume to it- clutter is here essential. That means e.g. you can wear heavy pattern tights with UGGs boots, coloured Wellingtons or other detailed boots togehter. Never wear a chunky heel.

    Big Calves

  • Some ideas you can wear this season:
  • Medium Calves: You need to underline the shape of your calves without going over the top- don’t clutter – less is more. That means you can do one trend or style at a time- either you wear patterned tights with pumps or similar shoe style as long as they don’t touch the calf or you wear detailed or coloured boots, Wellington or UGGs boots without any pattern- keep it simple. You are most of time flexible with the size of the heel- depending with what you wear it.

    Medium Calves

  • Some ideas you can wear this season:

  • Big Calves: You need to minimise and lengthen your calves visually. So, never ever highlight your calves or even think of clutter them. That means no patterns at all, stick to dark uni colours and never wear calf boots or any detailed boots e.g. with buckles or laces. Keep it all lean and clean. Never ever to stilletto, kitten or any small heels.

    Small Calves

  • Some ideas you can wear this season:


Click here to read more on calves sizes on Joy of Clothes style guide for calves

Have a nice day,

Michaela

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

The White Shirt- the wardrobe classic!

The white shirt is a must have for this season,  especially when dressing for work.  There is one at every price and one shirt option for every day of the working week . The white shirt makes the perfect investment buy, because firstly it won’t go out of fashion, secondly you always can dress them up or down and last but not least it gives you the perfect platform to accessorise to the occasion and to your mood. The white shirt comes this season in a huge variety e.g.  in silk, with giant bow at the neck, in gleaming white, with or with out ruffles, in oversized sleeves or in classic style, crisp or with puff shoulders, cropped sleeves or in cotton. As always when the choices seem endless the body shape style will narrow your options.

  • Neckties and high collars

These are best for women with a normal to a along neck and great as well for women who tend to be small to normal busted.

  • Long puffed sleeves

These are best for women who have a slender upper half and can take this additional volume to their frame, waist and bust. Not so good for the pear shapes but super for the inverted triangle. Also, it gives roundness to rectangles and volume to lean columns.

  • Short puffed sleeves

Only women with small to normal arms should be wearing this option otherwise bigger arms are only looking bigger. Also, women with a big bust should avoid this option completely, because it adds unnecessary additional volume to the bust area. Women with an inverted triangle shape should also pass on this option, because it will make their shoulders and frame even broader. But great news for pear shaped women.

  • Ruffles around bust or bib style shirts

These are best for women who are small busted and have more of a slender top. Ruffles add volume and roundness to your chest and upper part and therefore should be avoided by those who are fuller on top.

  • Crisp shirts versa softer material

Crisp material is stiff and adds volume to the top, because it doesn’t follow the body line and shape. Therefore it should be only worn by women who are slender on top, have small to normal bust line or need to balance a bigger bottom to their upper part like the pear. It is a bad choice for apples and full hour glass women.

Or find some inspiration from the Chanel 2009/2010 Ready- to -Wear Fall:


Have a nice day,

Michaela

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Dressing for success when conducting business -2nd part

“I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.”

(Marlene Dietrich)

A wonderful example for power dressing is Michelle Obama. She has shown everyone and everywhere what an impact clothes can make that fit your build, colouring, personality but also that is suitable for the occasion without hiding behind safe options or big designers in order to make a (fashion) statement. Basically she embodies the saying the “woman makes the dress” and not “ the dress the woman”. Michelle Obama means business when she gets dressed and she leads by example by demonstrating the power of wearing the right clothes to set the right image at the right occasion with the right people- not matter when dressing up or down. She is a successful woman in her own right- ivy educated, accomplished, mother, wife and a fashion icon in the making and most important of all “comfortable in her skin”.

“A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes.”

Vera Wang

She doesn’t have the need to compare herself to be someone else – she is being herself, confident and shows it with her personal style in every single outfit by having fun with fashion. One day she is dressed up to the nine and the next day dressed down (without make up or fancy hair style) when visiting the Grand Canyon with the family without showing signs of loosing gravitas or lacking of style. A true leader doesn’t have to hide behind big and expensive labels. This is why she comes across as a credible, likable and normal levelled leader.

Michelle Obama is taking fashion not to that extreme where one would say: “What was she thinking of wearing an elegant body hugging dress with high heels in the Grand Canyon”. But instead she shows fashion can be found not only at high end prices but also on the high street. She mix matches these categories with ease and wears what the occasion requires e.g. she she was showing when enjoying private moments with her family on holidays, which demonstrates a realistic and normal approach to fashion. Fashion is a tool for her that she enjoys, but it doesn’t run or dictate her life.  As a leader in her own right she knows how important it is to look current in all her outfits so there is no doubt by the public that she  is up to date and hands on with all current issues, big or small, important or “less important”. Her fashion and style makes her accessible like no other first Lady, where the public feels they can relate to her.

“In business you are dressing to have an impact on your bosses and teammates. If your clothes don’t convey the message that you are competent, able, ambitious, self-confident, reliable and authoritative, nothing you say or do will overcome the negative signals emanating from your apparel

(Betty Harragan (Author – Games Mother Never Taught You)

Last not least she reflecting in her outfits not only her personality but applies as well a signature look. Michelle Obama favours clothes that have a belt, or she likes to show off her toned arms, favours ethnic and unknown designers but also she loves to experiment with different designers, style and colours that reflects confidence to “ try on something new”- which gives her ultimately the “X-factor” for becoming a fashion icon of our times. She enjoys already around the world a presence and a big followers and each time she steps out somewhere everyone just waits what is next.

“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”

(Yves Saint Laurent)

Michelle is in her colouring a deep. Tall in height with a long waist and her body shape is a pear.

In general she has to accentuate her top e.g. shoulders to balance with her lower and showing off at the same time her waist. Michelle’s skirts should be flared, straight rather full, A-line or figure hugging. Because of her height wide tailored  trousers are the hit. Since he is tall in her height she can even do the turn ups trend- which is normally a no no for pears.

Click here to find out more on power dressing and what an  outfit makes a power outfit!

Watch Michelle Obama visiting London and meeting the Queen 2009:

Have a nice day,
Michaela

Thursday, September 10th, 2009