Petite & pear - Caryn Franklin's How to Look Good

Action Planto use the tools I will lay out in this book you too will communicateradiance and a confidence that is very lovely to be around. Yourwardrobe will soon be full of thoughtfully chosen clothes that willcreate the best possible statement about you!Your own visual signature1 Take a piece of card or paper the width of your wardrobe door(there is method here so read on) and fill it with aspirational images.Let’s start with the women you admire style-wise.2 Then add shapes, colours and prints you like – they may be subtle orbold and modern or nostalgic. Just cut several swatches from your oldmagazines and arrange them attractively in the page. Don’t let faddytrends influence you here; the object of this exercise is to create yourown personal mood board.3 Now add the words that you would like to represent you. Thesecould be feelings or descriptions like ‘glamorous,’ ‘colourful,’‘co-ordinated,’ ‘sassy,’ ‘smart’ even ‘sultry,’ ‘sophisticated,’ ‘vampish,’ or just‘fun,’ ‘happy,’ ‘fresh-faced,’ ‘natural.’ Stay realistic.Type these words on yourcomputer and enlarge them so that they have a weight. Then cut out instrips and fix to the card. Don’t move so far away from what iscurrently your style now, that your aspirational image becomes a merefantasy and completely unachievable.4 Now fix this paper to the inside of your wardrobe door andwhenever you open your wardrobe you will be reminded of your ownpersonal style signature.By doing this you can begin to carry out your own wishes. After all,all stylists are surrounded by clothes, models and designers. The reasonthey seem to make such effortless choices is because they are thinkingabout image and inspiration for a large part of their day.They get to see clothes in action on the catwalk, they experimentwith clothes on shoots and they spend longer than most shopping foraccessories or in the offices of PR’s choosing clothes from the shootthey will work on next. I’m not advocating that you spend any longerthan necessary on your image but give yourself an opportunity to beinspired when you open the wardrobe door in the morning!Caryn Franklin’s How to Look Good 22