Defining Style

It can be a dilemma for girls today, do you need to dress like the boys to be considered like them.  Surely as women we can dress feminine and still appropriately in the work place.

I think it’s fantastic when you see a stylish and polished woman who dresses according to her own personal style.  She is not confined to a black wardrobe and wears various neutrals with the added splash of colour for pizazz.

Read more on my blog at Ruby Connection.

Posted by Image Consultant, Robin Powis at Defining Style

Thanks to 60's TV hit series 'Mad Men' curves are back for the modern day woman and both men and women are loving it. 

The ladylike look is all the rage this Summer season and designers are continuing the look into the Winter season.

Hourglass figures are being celebrated and enhanced in full skirts, pencil skirts, twinsets, pearls, gloves and bow detail.  Being innocent is seen as being so sexy.

To get the look, book in with Robin now on 0419 468 272

Posted by Sydney Image Consultant, Robin Powis from Defining Style

62% of Australian men say women spend far too much time worrying about their appearance.

Well girls, take action.  Instead of constantly worrying about how  you look, change  your image.  Learn to understand your personal colouring, your body shape and your style personality so you can dress for the occasion.

Knowing what to wear everyday makes life so much easier and there's no need to worry.

For your natural, confident style book a style makeover with me on 0419 468 272. 

Posted by Sydney Image Consultant, Robin Powis from Defining Style

Did you know the average number of surveyed British women who remember the first pair of shoes they bought with their own money:  92 per cent; who felt remorse at throwing away a pair of old shoes: 96 per cent.

No wonder women have such a fetish about shoes.  Once it was all about the 'statement handbag' and every celebrity or fashionista would spend a small fortune to obtain that 'must have' bag.

Now it's all about the shoes thanks to Carrie Bradshaw in 'Sex and the City'.  It was reported after the TV series ended that 'well to do' American women owned 27 pairs of shoes each. 

Shoes are all about expressing yourself, no matter how high or how extreme.  Women see it as expressing their femininity, their power, their sexuality and most importantly it makes you look taller and slimmer. 

Posted by Image Consultant Robin Powis from Defining Style

Great news that ultra skinny is out with Federal Government defining a new 'Body Image Code of Conduct'.  A new body-image tick of approval will be awarded to magazines, modelling agencies and fashion labels that meet the criteria:

• Stock clothing in a wide variety of sizes
• Use a broad range of body shapes and sizes in editorial and advertising
• Disclose when images have been retouched and refrain from changing images to change a person's body shape
• Only use models aged 16 or older to model adult clothes
• Not promoting rapid weight loss, cosmetic surgery or excessive exercising

This is a wonderful step toward tackling body image and the unrealistic ideal that women strive for.  As a Personal Stylist I will be delighted to find a wider range of sizes available in the shops to reflect that women come in all shapes and sizes. 

Posted by Personal Image Consultant Robin Powis from Defining Style

Love it or hate it, Sex And The City 2 is dictating trends for the coming Summer fashion season.  The 'Desert Chic' look will be featured by Australian fashion designers who are recreating the SATC2 colourful Arabian style wardrobe for women of all ages.

Kirrily Johnson, camilla and marc, and Little Joe Woman are showing flowing kaftans and maxi dresses, harem pants and turban style headwear.  The turban is a dramatic statement maker that is very glamorous, but definitely not for the faint hearted.  This epitome of glamour has been sported by Kate Moss and Mary Kate Olsen.

SATC2 Fashion Stylist would have had a field day designing the dazzling multicoloured wardrobe of embellished kaftans, flowing maxi dresses, exotic jewellery and jewelled sandals.

Posted by Sydney Image Consultant, Robin Powis from Defining Style

As my readers know, Barbie is not my favourite icon as she represents an unrealistic body shape for young girls to aspire to.  This is in reference to the 'Barbie Little Black Dress' party during Australian Fashion Week and Australian designers being sought to create new styles for Barbie to wear this summer.  Barbie has been dressed by overseas designers Dior, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan and it seems we are following the trend.

I'd love to see our designers create styles for the average woman, not a waver thin model with a body that is unsustainable.  However I guess my rants are falling on death ears as the fashion industry designs fantasy creations not styles that the public want to wear.

Posted by Image Consultant, Robin Powis from Defining Style

Body Image is all about being comfortable in your own skin but how much do what others think affect us.  Is it women's vanity or the messages the media and fashion designers say is beautiful that creates a perpetuating and unachievable goal.

Plus size model Crystal Rem has become the voice of reason among body image issues.  With her abundant hair, flawless skin and fleshy curves, Crystal brings to mind a classical statue or a Rubens painting that looks high fashion.  She was sent home from a photo shoot for being too large at size 8 and was eating only vegetables and exercising up to eight hours a day.  Reason took over and she opted for plus-size, a size 16,  to earn a living at a weight she could maintain.  She is more successful now than she ever was.

Now I'm not advocating we should all be size 16 or size 8, but surely we should have a variety of women,  portrayed in the media.  Fashion designers need to create designs that everyone can wear and look good in.  Most fashions today are created requiring a 'waver thin' model to wear it to look half decent.  We need a society where everyone is beautiful and portrays a variety of shapes and sizes to show a holistic picture.  Everyone is unique and should shine as 'themselves' and feel comfortable in their own skin. 

Posted by Image Consultant Robin Powis from Defining Style

Women spend almost a year of their lives deciding what to wear.  A poll by British clothing giant Matalan showed women will spend 287 days going though their wardrobe for something to wear.  On average every weeekday morning they spend 16 minutes, and on a Saturday and Sunday morning 14 minutes.

When going out at night most girls will spend 20 minutes in search of the perfect outfit and for a Christmas party or black tie event they will take 36 minutes.

And men wonder why we have nothing to wear.  It begs a thought that if women had a greater grasp of what looks great on them and what to avoid, they would save a lot of money and a lot of time.

Posted by Robin Powis, Image Consultant
Defining Style