Personal Impact International » Colour

Street Fashion – Extreme Fashion in London and Paris

Kim — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:31 +0000

Street styles for women in England and France included a bit of everything. Many of the fashions were mirror images of what we would see in Vancouver or any American or Canadian City. There were a few things that stood out for me. Hemlines were extreme; micro-short and maxi-long. I noticed the maxi length dresses more in England than I did in France. And they came in a variety of different styles in solid and print fabrics. On the other extreme, mini’s were everywhere; both in skirt and dress styles. Those who wore pants opted for harem, dhoti and Jodhpur styles, although there were plenty of leggings and short-shorts worn as well.

Not All Jeans Are Created Equal

Kim — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:05 +0000

For many of us jeans are the favourite garment that we throw on without really thinking about it. However, for jeans day at the office, it is important to consider that all jeans are not created equal. Jeans for business casual attire should be stylish and should be coloured denim or dark denim. The style should be flattering to the body shape without being overly revealing. Jeans that are tattered, distressed with uneven fading or with holes should be kept for weekend wear not work wear.

How to Choose Your Stocking or Sock Colour

Kim — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:46:21 +0000

Many of my clients ask me how to choose socks and stockings and the answer is that as the trends change the answer may be different. However, if your goal is for a coordinated look, a classic look or you want your legs to look longer there are some rules:

For a classic men’s wear look socks should be toned to the hemline of the pants. For an even more coordinated look ideally the socks will have a subtle pattern that will coordinate the pant colour and the shoe colour.

To make your legs look longer, tone socks or stockings to the colour of your pant or skirt hemline. This will make the legs look like a column of colour and elongate them.

Stockings can also be toned to the colour of your shoes. This will coordinate the stockings with the shoes. This works best when you are wearing an accessory such as a scarf or another garment in your stocking colour to draw attention towards your face and create more harmony.

Four Reasons to Wear a Neck Tie

Kim — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:13:13 +0000

Many men hate the thought of putting on a neck tie and for many reasons. Some men hate the thought of wearing a tie because they feel they are uncomfortable; some men say they feel too dressed up when wearing a tie; and some men don’t know how to tie a tie-knot. If this is your only reason please see my YouTube videos below on how to tie various tie knots.

How to Tie the 4-in-Hand
How to Tie the Half Windsor
How to tie the Full Windsor
How to Tie the Pratt or Shelby Knot

Here are four reasons why you should wear a tie:

Neck ties complete an outfit and make it look more finished.
You will appear taller and slimmer when wearing a tie.
When worn in a colour that suits you, ties make you look more healthy and attractive.
You appear more credible and authoritative when wearing a tie then when you don’t.

Make Thinner Lips Look Fuller

Kim — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

To make your lips look fuller, start by concealing your natural lip line with a concealer. Line your lips just outside your natural lip-line. Smudge the lip-liner onto your lips to soften the look of the liner. Apply the lipstick with a lip brush on your lips and cover the new lip line created with the lip liner. This will create natural fuller looking lips. Using lighter colours and lipstick with a frost or shine will also give your lips a fuller look. If you prefer darker colours add a little spot of a light shimmering colour to the centre of the top and bottom lips. This will add contour and give a more, pouty look.

Make Larger Lips Look Smaller

Kim — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:40:29 +0000

To make your lips look thinner and smaller, hide your natural lip line with concealer. Line the lips just inside your natural lip line. Smudge the lip-liner onto your lips to soften the line. Apply your lipstick onto the lips keeping the colour inside the new lip line created with the liner. This will create the illusion of thinner lips. Using a darker lip liner and lip stick without shine or shimmer will also make the lips look thinner and smaller.

Why Wear Colour Effectively?

Kim — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:00:52 +0000

Colour analysis is a scientific practice that has evolved over the past 100 years, and for good reason. Colour can affect your mood and the moods of others around you. It will influence your perceived size and body shape, as well as reveal your mood, personality and sense of fashion. Not only that, but It can also make you appear healthier and more attractive.

Colour analysis is a great way of determining which colours are right for you and will enhance your personal colouring. It is also a great way to coordinate a workable, versatile wardrobe that can be easily mixed and matched. As you become more aware of colour and relate it to your own colouring and appearance, you can make more appropriate choices that will save you time and money.

Change Your Body Shape with Horizontal Details

Kim — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:45 +0000

Horizontal details or lines in clothing shorten and widen the body because the eye follows the direction of the lines. Most horizontal lines are created by a contrast in colour or texture, as in prints, design details, accessories or tops and bottoms in contrasting colours or tones. Although their power to make you look heavier may tempt you to avoid them altogether, a wardrobe with no horizontal details would be very boring. Instead strategically use them to your advantage. To balance full hips use horizontal details like bateau necklines, yokes and other details on the upper part of the body. This will make your shoulders look wider and your hips will look slimmer.

How to Change Your Body Shape

Kim — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:00:17 +0000

When we refer to body shape or body type we are usually referring to the silhouette of the body formed by the structure of the hips, shoulders and waist. These three body parts form the shape of the body. There are many different ways that we can describe these body shapes. Some image professionals use geometrical labels. Some personal image experts use letters. And there are many other labels that describe body shapes and types. However, if you consider what they are saying it comes down to the following:

The shoulders are wider than the hips
The hips are wider than the shoulders
The hips and shoulders are the same width and the waist is much smaller
The hips and shoulders are the same width and the waist is not much smaller
The hips and shoulders are the same and the waist is larger

Once you have determined your body shape it will make it much easier to decide if you want to dress to emphasize or to camouflage your body shape.

Change Your Body Proportions with Clothing

Kim — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:31:30 +0000

Clothes can help give the illusion of how we want to appear. If we know how to choose the right silhouettes, lines, fabrics and colours, we will appear more evenly balanced and proportioned. The proportion and line of our clothing must work with proportion of our bodies. The key is to understand our own specific proportions in order to be able to find clothing with the lines and shapes that will enhance our individual body type.