Style and Craftsmanship

I’ve been cheered by several recent events during this long winter. I love following the catwalk shows of Paris Couture, London Fashion Week and then the Oscars? Seeing fabulous creations in amazing fabrics worn by ‘twigglet ‘models or film celebrities – total glitz and glamour which luckily doesn’t suit this blogger and in any case isn’t affordable (couture dresses start at £50,000 in Paris) So what influence does very high fashion have on what most women wear? Not much one suspects and it seems that showy displays of luxury afforded by the wealthy and high society is also falling from favour too. (Asome C. The Times, 24 January 2012)

BBC Woman’s Hour devoted a whole programme to fashion, particularly how trends originate and find their way to shops and boutiques (BBC Radio 4, 20 February). One listener commented ‘it’s not fashion that counts but wearing clothes with style’ - certainly that’s Eleganza’s philosophy. And finally, David Hockney’s fantastic show at The Royal Academy of Arts, A Bigger Picture, celebrating the seasons of the Yorkshire countryside in all its detail, profusion and vibrancy, showed the artist’s sheer craftsmanship and was totally uplifting.

Eleganza at Ascot

Eleganza will be at The Really Good Deal Fashion Sale (http://bit.ly/j0ULDi)
at The Pavilion, Ascot Racecourse at the end of this week 13-14 May. The event is the biggest designer fashion sale outside London and there’s a lot of preparation to do before the show. Decisions, decisions! – how much stock to take, how to display it, what equipment will work best. The dimensions of the stand seem large enough 2.5m x1m, but when we measure this out on the floor it hardly takes any equipment. I have nightmares about trying to serve customers in a large dog kennel – getting in and out poses problems!

There’ll be super offers on Eileen Fisher, Sahara and accessories and we have TWO COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS/person to give away now valid for Friday or Saturday. We can post tickets to you if you let us know today or latest by Tuesday 10 May lunchtime. Or you can apply to the Ascot Fashion Sale directly by clicking on this link http://bit.ly/kEblaH to complete your details online – please mention Eleganza Clothing http://bit.ly/dSXwQM. Look forward to seeing you at Ascot!

Hours of Light Return

When drafting Eleganza’s Spring Offers I was attracted by a quotation from Matthew Arnold ‘hours of light return’ from The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations although I could not find the exact context as the index pointed to Arnold but the page reference to Jane Austen! No such confusion with our Spring Offers which brighten the lengthening days for those on our Newsletter list:

‘As the hours of light return, Eleganza invites you to take 20% off* Sahara, Eileen Fisher & Accessories for ONE WEEK until 21 March. Checkout with code ELE20 & we’ll refund postage on any returns (*excludes March Offer items)
Our usual March offers include selected jackets, cardigans, tops & linen trousers at 30% or more off usual prices until 31 March'.

So do join our Newsletter list via the Eleganza website to receive regular news of special offers, new products and developments.

C is for Confidence

I was really surprised to learn from a Radio Times interview that the wonderful kooky Miranda Hart of the BBC2 series Miranda considers herself unattractive and is low on confidence. (The RT Interview, Victoria Coren , 13-19 Nov 2010) Is there a woman out there that hasn’t had a lapse in confidence or perhaps has less confidence than she would like or worse, no confidence at all? Amongst the terms that the Oxford English Dictionary uses to define confidence I like “feeling certain, fully assured” and “self-reliant, bold; having no fear of failure”. All descriptions I’d like to aspire to, but like Miranda I was a late developer and that included becoming a more confident person, comfortable in my own skin and with how I looked and presented myself to the world. Confidence has to be nurtured and grow from within so that, like the proverbial rose, it can blossom.

On my journey to gaining confidence I discovered that if I was washed, ‘garnished’ and dressed to my best for the day or event, I could act more confidently. So dressing was the root that allowed confidence to grow. I like to aim for casual elegance and nothing could be easier than an Eileen Fisher stretch silk jersey top or silk melange sweater with a statement necklace or beads (whether dressing up or down), a black skirt or trousers plus/minus a jacket. For more info and casual elegance see Eleganza Clothing http://bit.ly/dSXwQM

What The First Lady wears matters

So now President Obama has to manage a changed political situation on Capitol Hill with the USA mid-term elections. Political office must be totally challenging and weigh heavily at times but at least the President is supported by the attractive Mrs O. Michelle Obama has looked stunning during her public appearances over the last couple of years wearing an interesting mix of mid-market fashion from American companies as well as more haute couture items. Apparently her choice of clothes has increased the value of company share prices, an increase of $2.7 billion for the 29 companies involved, according to a Times fashion report (Luke Leitch, The Times 27 October 2010).

Michelle Obama is a sassy lady, a regular person and a real woman that many women can identify with rather than the waifs that lead the catwalk at most fashion events. The clothes Michelle wears are “wearable” - suitable, practical with a touch of glamour that many middle-income American women can identify with and afford. US online blogs such as http://mrs-o.org feature, from press photos, the items that Michelle is wearing each day and from that website you’re just a click away to an online store where you can purchase the same outfit. Could we see this phenomenon happening in the UK, I wonder? Will Samantha Cameron become our style icon when she starts to make public appearances again? The refreshing aspect of Mrs O’s impact is that she is not a celebrity paid to advertise or endorse products, but a busy lady who needs to look appropriately dressed for each occasion.

Anyone affected by the weather?

Are you affected by the weather or is it just me? Today our large ginger cat, Simba and I shivered as the autumn winds and rain set in following a glorious sunny Sunday. The recent sunny day and blue skies seemed more like August weather and yet this year August was almost a washout and more like September! And yes apparently 40 years of research shows that the weather can affect our moods and in some people significantly so (http://tinyurl.com/mrtad5; http://tinyurl.com/299nkkb)

Unpredictable weather calls for preparedness for whatever – hot or cold, rain or shine. And before we get Seasonal Affective Disorder and too SAD (http://tinyurl.com/yeutmfn) about the weather, our online boutique Eleganza (http://tinyurl.com/ygucx68) has just the answer with beautiful warmer jackets and trousers on offer during September at brilliant prices to keep those 'weather blues' at bay.

The Straight Silhouette – what to wear and what to avoid

I wonder if women with a straight silhouette, that is with minimal curves, are in the minority. That’s my shape and I certainly feel as if there aren’t many of us out there – does anybody know?

Meanwhile, we continue Eleganza’s http://www.eleganza-clothing.com/ bodyline series, with Independent Styling Consultant Liz Prest© discussing the sort of clothes that suit a person with a straight bodyline and also what to avoid:

Your best look is to go for styles that have little or no waist shaping. You should look for clothes that have:

• Minimal or no waist-shaping.
• Flat front or pleat front trousers
• Emphasis at lower hip and thigh
• Straight cut or boxy jacket
• Straight line shirts and dresses
• Straight hemlines on jackets and tops

Styles to avoid include:

• Styles with waist-shaping
• Full, flared or A-line skirts
• Shift style dresses with deep waist darts
• Fitted tops that cling to rib cage
• Curved hemlines on jackets and tops
• Tight fitted wide belts

Comment - The straight bodyline has slim hips and thighs, so draw attention away from the straighter ribcage and less curved waistline.

Liz offers a range of personal consultations in South West England & South Wales on body shape & sizing, colour, styling advice and wardrobe management. If you would like more information or to book a session contact info@eleganza-clothing.com or telephone 0845 833 0423 (BT local rate).