What To Do If You Don’t Consider Yourself ‘Fashionable’

So, you don’t consider yourself fashion. There are no rules out there really as to what ‘fashionable is’. You might look at somebody wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans and think they’re fashionable, while somebody else might look at the eccentric outfits of Carrie Bradshaw for inspiration. If you don’t consider yourself fashionable but you’d quite like to be, here’s what you can do:

Overcome Any Self Image Issues – Maybe you don’t consider yourself fashionable because you have self image issues. Everybody has these to some extent, so don’t beat yourself up. The key is to make sure you try to work past them. Where have your self image issues come from? What do you believe about yourself that might not be quite true? By making sure you’re consistent and work on your self image issues each day, in no time your thinking might just begin to change. Your mindset is everything! One thing many people like to do is listen to subliminal messages as they sleep. You could also try reading many self help books on the subject.

Work Out What Clothes You Really Like – Make sure you figure out what clothes you really like. Maybe you don’t really like that shirt and jeans you wear all the time; you just like them because they hide your figure, which you’re conscious of. You need to get over things like this if you’re going to start enjoying the clothes you wear. Here are some tips for figuring out what you like:

  • Decide which clothes you like the look of on your body best. What shapes and styles suit you?
  • Decide on your own personal color scheme. What makes your look radiant?
  • Which clothes make you feel unstoppable when you wear them?

Take A Look At The Celebs – There’s probably a tiny percentage of celebrities out there who actually dress themselves. They pretty much all have personal stylists, so take a look and see who’s style you like best. You can find them in trending stories on the internet and on the news. Buy a few magazines and make a collage. Doing this will help you to figure out the kind of styles you love the most, and it’ll be a big indicator of what you should be wearing. Don’t feel envious of other styles, wear them!

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others – Stop comparing yourself to others. Finding fashionistas that inspire you is a great thing to do, but comparing yourself will only get you down.

Take Pride In Your Uniqueness – Start taking pride in your uniqueness. Love your unique look and body shape. Your unique personality. There’s only one of you in the world. Emulate this with your clothes and see how you feel!

Experiment – Experimenting could help you to improve your confidence a little and get used to wearing new styles. Sometimes all it takes is trying out something new for your eyes to be opened.

Try these things and you might just start considering yourself to be fashionable sooner than you think!

Confectionery Cuteness from Billie Jocobina at London Fashion Week

I got lucky. It made me a happy girl. I got given a DREAM job of attending London Fashion Week to write up the shows for ace new magazine PlusMinus. Woweee. I guess good things do happen, if you put in the hard work and positive vibes. I hit the big smoke for 5 days, expectant, nervy and excited with notepad and laptop in hand, and, maaan, it was even better than I could have hoped for. It was pure ace. The gang I worked with became brand new besties over the week, spending 24/7 together in cold queues, rushed coffee shop eatings, all of us marvelling constantly at what surrounded us… some of the ego’s at Fashion Week….say whuuuut?! Crikey. We musta seen around 22 shows in our time there, each one a thrill in its own right. The music, the models, the damn prettiness and skill of the fashion. Yup, a happy gal was I.

One of the first shows I saw and fell in love with was a presentation by new graduate designer Billie Jacobina. The presentations are a slightly smaller scale affair with a neat and petite collection which packs a punch and basically, the models pose and parade around a room for a while rather than take part in a big boom-boom runway show. They are kinda cute things these presentations, they feel intimate and you can get real up close to the clothes and models. Heart shaped eyes on me, I tell ya. My heart was pumping outta my chest a bit when the Jocobina one began as it was ALL PIIIINK and pastels, pom-poms, faux fur, jumbo doll jewellery; a sparkly explosion of saccharine kitsch, with, hello?… a Hello Kitty handbag in the mix too! Oh my.

As a graduate of UCA Rochester, Billie showed at Graduate Fashion Week 2016, and went on to be awarded The British Council GFW award which gave her the opportunity to collaborate with a brand in Jakarta and show at Jakarta Fashion Week. She sure is on a winning streak, as she also won the Fashion Scout’s One To Watch Award for SS17 which is a certain sign that she’s only just at the start of a shiny future. Her slogan for this collection was 100% SASSY, and that it was, superbly so. This collection tickled me pink and set off my LFW experience with perfection.

 

Finishing School Advice The Women Of The Past Lived By

For the most part, finishing school is now considered a pretty outdated concept. Of course, there are still finishing schools situated across the UK and the wider world, but only the socially elite attend them. But, if you were to travel back in time 60 years, you’d find that the majority of women go on to attend finishing school after their formal education has been completed, wow!

The concept of finishing school is simple: to teach women how to be polite, well mannered, and socially accepted members of society. Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s, if you didn’t know the importance of picking up a champagne glass from the bottom of the stem and offering desserts from the left, you were considered unforgivably rude and uneducated. Today, luckily, such customs are no longer considered to be important, phew! Just because finishing schools aren’t a popular concept in 2017, that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn some things from them though. You see, the things that they taught, were things that the women of the past lived by – it wasn’t just about being a good wife (that was part of it though if you can believe it!) but also about being the best (and happiest) that you could be, ace! It sounds like we could learn a lot from the tips that the women of the past were taught in finishing school and lived by. So, here are some of the tips of social etiquette that the women from the 40’s and 50’s lived by….

Tip 1: Always look your best

One of the first things that women were taught in finishing school was to always look their best. According to a finishing school handbook this meant ensuring that their hair was neatly styled, their nails were perfectly manicured, their makeup was beautifully applied, and their outfit – day or night – was picture-perfect. Looking their best was to do with social etiquette. Part of the concept of always looking their best was about feeling confident in their appearance, as a confident woman is a happy woman, right? We might have mastered looking our best during the day with pretty hairstyles, gel manicures, and smart, stylish clothing, but what about at night? Far too many of us simple pop on an oversized t-shirt and get into bed – it might be comfy but does it make you feel good? To feel good in what you wear to bed, something pretty, like a neglige from the Vanilla night and day range, could be perfect. It’s not about looking good for anyone else; it’s about being happy in yourself and feeling good about what you’re wearing.

Tip 2: Don’t slump

For the women of the past, good posture was seen as being the key to charm, beauty and social success. Look back at old photos of women from this time period, and you will see that in each and every photo, people stand tall with their head held high. Walking along with a straight spine, squared shoulders, and your head held high gives you confidence. Don’t look down when you walk, keep your head held high – you will look better for it, as well as feeling more confident. Posture isn’t just important when walking; it’s also crucial when standing still. Instead of popping a hand on your hip and bending one knee, stand straight with your shoulders back and head held high, and place one foot slightly in front of the other. Finishing school also taught women that they looked more attractive when sitting gracefully – another thing that we can learn from today. When sat, whether at home, while out for dinner, or at a social event, always sit with a straight back, your shoulders held high and your head up, it’ll male you feel more positive and alert, and it’ll help ease backache too!

Rule 3: The E’s of beauty

The three E’s of beauty are things that women of the past swore by when it came to looking and feeling good throughout life.

Early to bed: By getting a good night’s sleep, your entire body is happier and healthier, including your skin. When you don’t sleep well, it’s visible on your face, so getting a good night’s sleep every night is pretty important.

Eat well: Eating well means eating for beauty. This means avoiding processed sugar as much as possible as processed sugar is bad for the skin and your waistline. It means eating clean, wholesome foods and drinking plenty of water.

Exercise regularly: Exercising regularly is important not only for your waistline but also for your mind – a woman who exercises regularly tends to be happier and less stressed than a woman who doesn’t. I do Yoga every day and it helps me enormously.
So, there you have it, a guide to the advice that the women of the past learned at finishing school and lived by! The overall idea of finishing schools is an old fashioned one but, we can take the best tips into our modern lives to feel better and more like we are being our best selves. How wonderful.

Be The Most Beautiful Bride Ever With These Top Tips

Your wedding day is the day when you should look and feel your most very, very beautiful. You’re getting married to the big ole LOVE of your life, and natch, you wanna look your absolute best, right? How you look on your wedding day often relies on how much preparation you put in beforehand. The majority of brides decide to do a little diet to help them look incredible on their big day, to be in their best shape possible. But there are heaps of other things you can do too. If you’re eager to turn heads on your big day, here are some top tips to maybe follow.Eat in moderation – While you understandably want to look your best, extreme diets and skipping meals is not the way to do it, NOPE. But you wanna feel fit and strong and healthy on the day. Not eating enough of the right foods each day can affect your health and make your skin and hair look dull, I really notice it myself. It can also make you feel drained and unmotivated to continue with your wedding plans. While you probably should cut out junk food, don’t cut out whole food groups altogether. You should be eating appropriate portions of well-balanced foods each day. Each food group gives our body the nutrients it needs to work efficiently. While also helping it look it’s very best. Good healthy food will make you glow for sure. So make sure you eat in moderation and make healthy food choices in the run up to your big day.

Get plenty of beauty sleep – You’re never going to be your most beautiful if you don’t get enough quality sleep at night. While planning a wedding is notoriously stressful and time-consuming, it’s essential that you rest too. It’ll help you look beautiful, but it also improves concentration and helps you to feel energized. Regular exercise, meditation, I like yoga, and changing your bedroom’s layout can all help you sleep better each night. You can also create a sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This will ensure you get the recommended 7-8 hours sleep you need to function at optimal level.  No matter how busy you may be in the weeks leading up to your big day, always make your beauty sleep a priority, you don’t wanna look frazzled, you wanna look relaxed and rested to be your best!

Quit your bad habits – Wrinkles, dull skin, and breakouts are every bride’s worst nightmare. While stress and the weather can contribute to these issues, bad habits can too. Overeating and smoking are just a few habits that all brides should try quit ahead of their wedding. Start researching the best way to combat your bad habits quickly and effectively. You could search for an e-liquid UK store online or talk to your doctor, my boyfriend has recently quit smoking and switched to vaping and he feels much cleaner and fresher. You could also start a new hobby or use your wedding planning as a distraction to refocus your mind. Stopping your bad habits will help improve your looks, while also increasing your energy levels and allowing you to stay trim. Win.Pick one or all of the tips in this guide and you are guaranteed to walk down the aisle with your head held high, showing off your glowy and smiley face. This is pretty much the biggest day of your life, and, I would imagine you wanna feel like the prettiest gal in the room!

Five Products Every Girl Needs For Glossy Hair

Bad hair days are rubbish, we ALL get them, right? Some days, my hair looks just kinda limp and lacklustre and there just ain’t no way to make it look pretty. And, when my hair looks sad, I feel sad, which makes it all the more rubbish! But, I think, from years of playing around with what works best, I’ve now worked out exactly which products I need to keep my hair in oh-so-lovely condition, hurrah! Whether your hair is naturally dry or a bit on the greasy side, you’ll be able to find brands of all these products that are just right for you, so, everyone can have a fab hair day, every single day! Ready to pamper your locks? Here’s are the five products I think we all need in our bathrooms…..

Shampoo. Whatever your hair type, you’ll need to keep it clean, obvs. If you have oily hair, like mine, you’ll only need to wash it a couple of times a week. For dryer hair, you might wanna up this to every other day. It’s great to figure out how many washes your hair needs, as too few or too many times a week could be damaging it.

Leave-in conditioner. Now, don’t confuse leave-in conditioner with the stuff you use to condition your hair in the bath. All hair types need the former while only some are suited to wet conditioning. Just like with shampoo, some hair types will need this applied more than others through the week. Everyone will benefit from applying it at least once a week, though, I adore doing it!

Heat protectant spray. This is a biggie, possibly the most important hair product you’ll ever own! I would say, don’t ever attempt to straighten or curl your hair without spraying some heat protectant. Otherwise, your hair will dry out and get split ends, waaaah, sad face. Even if you are only blow-drying for a few minutes, you still need to spritz some of this wonder spray on your head to keep your hair looking lush!

Dry Shampoo. One of the best things about dry shampoos is that they often come in compact bottles, so you can pop it in your handbag and take it with you when you’re out and about. I’ve recently and finally become a big fan of this stuff! You can always put an end to any unwanted greasy roots wherever you may be! Don’t forget that dry shampoo isn’t a replacement for the regular stuff you use in the shower though, otherwise your hair sure won’t be looking it’s best! For maximum results, use it to help your freshly shampooed hair go longer in between washes, and, as a fab root booster for a 60’s kinda look. As it’s dry, you can spray it on your hair without worrying about messing up your dress!

Boar bristle brush. If you don’t like styling your hair with gels, waxes or sprays, then you need a boar bristle brush. These handy little wonders help you create great styles without any products. Not sure which style to go for? Try this diy rose bun hair tutorial, super cute, and pretty easy! Not only do these handy tools cut the need for styling products, but they also reduce and frizz and static, and, they also improve the texture of your locks, sah-weeet! There’s only one limitation with the boar bristle brush – you can’t use it on wet hair. To detangle hair straight out of the shower, use a comb to prevent any damage.

There you go! – now you can say goodbye to bad hair days for good, yaaaay!