Before you start buying your Christmas decorations and planning the school holidays, take a moment (or two) to have a think about your summer wardrobe. Summer is a great time to get creative with colour and show off your favourite style.
If you’re bewildered by brights or mesmerised by metallics, we’ve tracked down some superstar stylists who might be able to point you in the right direction. Trinny and Suzannah are back in Australia and here to answer some tricky questions.
**For black devotee’s – what are some key tips to “ease” them into the idea of incorporating a bit of colour without scaring them?
** Trinny: Black isn’t a colour; it is an absence of colour, which makes it the hardest to wear. To escape wearing black try other dark colours, work out which one suits your skin tone best by holding them up to your face and seeing which one make your complexion look best. Try wearing different hues and textures of the colour together.
**What are the rules when it comes to exposing knees or various skirt lengths for women over 40? Is the rule only on the knee or longer apply?
** Suzannah: It really depends on how good their legs are and how confident of them they are. If you want to wear shorter skirts but don’t feel confident about your legs, then leggings are a great way to cover them up. The Knees area is a part of the body that are a sure way of telling your age and over the last few months Trinny and I have both started to realise that.
**Are we too old for thongs ? What footwear should we look towards for summer?
** T: Flip flops are great for a beach holiday and relaxing at the weekend, but to make your outfit that bit more special, giving you a more elegant walk and a bit of height, what about wearing a pair of wedges? They are more stable than high heels, so much more comfortable and easier to walk on, plus they lengthen the legs tenfold.
**Blue is a big trend this summer – electric blue, indigo, royal and navy, are there any rules to what blue suits different skin tones?
** S: Blue is like any other colour, you need work out which shade or hue suit you. Get a selection of different blue clothes together, stand in front of a full length mirror and go through the check list.
What shades make your eyes look brighter? Do they make your dark circles look worse? Does it make your skin look radiant?
For example, for Trinny pale blue and navy are bad choices as they don’t flatter her complexion and they highlight the black circles under her eyes. Sea green blue on the other hand is one of her best colours; it lifts her complexion, brightens her eyes and complements her hair colour.
In terms of body shape, dos and don’ts, what tips do you have for Australian women with the trends this summer?
S: The rule with patterns, geometrics included are always the same. Wear the pattern; don’t let the pattern wear you. Larger chested ladies should still to smaller prints and beware of bolder prints.
S: With metallics, make sure they suit your skin tone; the last thing you want to look like is washed out. One shoulder dresses are a nightmare for bigger busted ladies as they need the support.
T: I feel that shoulder pads and the broad shoulder look is very one season and I don’t think it is worth investing in. If you are tall and very skinny you could pull it off, but it certainly isn’t a trend that will suit most body shapes, if you are quite short for example it may make you look a bit larger.
Trinny and Suzzanah (of What Not To Wear fame) are descending down under once again to give woman all over the country a pre-summer make over. Kicking off their tour in Melbourne on Friday October 9th and travelling to SA, WA, NSW and QLD until Sunday 18th October, Trinny & Susannah will invite the Australian public, free of charge, to join them at key Westfield shopping centres.
Through live styling public events Trinny & Susannah will weave their magic into your new season look making it very wow and very now!
For further details please visit www.westfield.com.au
Your say: What summer trends are you looking forward to? Will you go and see Trinny and Suzannah? What style questions would you like answered? Tell us below…
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