Calling all HOC 'ingenues'

[wrenster]

I've recently had my colours done and am apparently an ingenue with some classic. I loved the description of the clothing personality but I'm not really sure where to start with shopping.

I'm also a summer, but I guess the styles will be the same, just the tones of colour will differ.

Can anyone help of point me in the right direction? Thanks

Hi I am a Summer, Classic Ingenue too!
I was a little lost after my diagnosis and 12 months on I am still learning. I started with jewellery and adding the small details that I wasn't wearing before - earrings, watch, necklace, lipstick, brooch, etc and making sure my points tally increased. i also went through my wardrobe and tried to work out why things weren't "right" and tried to identify any gaps - in my case it was work clothes so i got a few blouses with a small scale detailed pattern from tkmaxx that I wear with a navy pencil skirt or navy trousers. My cons said to look for clothing with small details/patterns to suit the ingenue and pair with classic tailored skirt/trousers/jeans. And always add accessories! Hope this helps.

Eh? "Points tally"? What's a points tally and do I need to learn something?

"Points tally" is called "Creating Interest" by House of Colour on style days to count up how "dressed" you are - sorry, probably only makes sense if you have been on a style day.

Hi. I'm a Classic Inguene too (but bright spring colouring). Most of what I was told kind of made sense to what I knew suited me but lots of good tips. I needed to add more interest (especially with necklaces); the size and type of patterns (I do tend to stick with spot or a stripe); and I could finally give up any ideas of looking good in casual clothing (always wondered why jeans and a tshirt looked dreadful on me). It is an easier style type if you work in an office environment though. When I was a SAHM I really struggled to not look too overdressed.

Thanks for your replies - nice to meet some fellow ingenues!

Mumelie - I think your point is exactly what I'm struggling most with. As a SAHM pretty detailing can often look overdone. I would always wear basic jewellery but not sure how to pretty this up?

Thanks 'one little birdy' for the reassurance that you're still learning. I'm feeling a bit bamboozled with it and actually walk into a shop and have even less clue what I'm doing!

I think sitting down and having a plan is probably the best idea and finding out where my gaps are and then making notes on exactly what I want to buy. Any tips on particular shops?

Thanks again

Hi wrenster, I'm a romantic classic so not much help to you but I have a fair few friends who've had the style day and one tip we've learned is to come up with words that define our type. This helps when shopping or putting an outfit together. So for you the words/phrases could be along the lines of stylish and feminine. So everything you buy would need to fit into that category iykwim. This would help you avoid anything that doesn't have that feminine detail you'll need. Eg a top with a bold geometric print or big clumpy boots wouldn't suit your type and could definitely not be described as feminine. Hope that makes a bit of sense!

I haven't posted on here for ages but wanted to reply to this.
I'm a Classic Ingenue too, although I'm a Winter.

I agree with the other poster's advice re accessorising more. I wasn't really bothering with this and it has made a lot of difference.

Like Mumelie, I find it easier to dress for work and harder when a SAHM. I feel comfortable in fitted, smarter things and can easily add a lace top, pretty shoes or whatever.
I also think that Summer is much easier for an ingenue. As a HOC Summer, you will probably find masses of things as a lot of the colours are too pale for me. In the Summer, I would look for pretty, dresses (nothing maxi), ankle grazers with floral/ lace tops (there were masses of lace tops around this Summer), chino/ cotton shorts (I had some good ones from Fat Face and Gap).
I am finding SAHM clothing for AW quite hard. I have tended to wear jeans, jersey tops and jumpers but always felt really dull and uninspired. This year, I am planning to go for more dresses and skirts and gradually adjust my wardrobe. I will still wear jeans but I will either wear with pretty jumpers (have a sequin one from White Company last year, for example) or add a pretty necklace. I have a few of these which were gifts over the years but bought this one recently:
www.hobbs.co.uk/product/display?productID=0113-123N-100900&productvarid=0113-123N-100900-BLACK-1SIZE&refpage=outlet/accessories/jewellery

My HOC consultant did mention that jeans are v natural so I should wear with a jacket. I have tried this and I definitely feel more comfortable.

I was in Accessorize recently and they have lots of pretty things. I am thinking of trying one of their berets, which has pretty sequins. Oasis have some pretty dresses. I keep an eye on ebay too as you can get some good bargains there.

Definitely agree with Gilly about words that define your look. I tend towards a retro 40s look so go for softer tailoring in skirts or trousers and ditzy print blouses rather than shirts (shirts are too structured on me). I also find casual very hard but I have some lacy tshirts from Next and Oasis, jeans and also ballet shoes with sequins or similar - I find this gives me enough detail especially with earrings, necklace, watch and lipstick.

Oh yes, lace tops are your friend, wear under pretty cardigans and they will make jeans and boots much more feminine

Try pretty cardigans with lace detail something like this

Lots of pretty scarves.

gilly I'm a RC too and in the very early days of discovering this - need to start wardrobe from scratch pretty much! Am a sahm and worry about being overdressed for playgroup. I'm answering 'Could a man wear it?' 'Could a little girl wear it?' If the answer is 'yes', it's a 'no'.
Do you have a pinterest board I could stalk? [cheeky]

I do but it's a bit random , I'm Gillybobs73 . I find the much loathed waterfall cardi works well for me as long as its not too voluminous, again lace tops are great for us as are drape and cowl necks. I wear a lot of statement necklaces (no jagged edges though) with casual tops, jeans etc. Makes an outfit more RC without being ott (I hope)

I like this lace cardigan:

www.jackwills.com/en-gb/product/roselea-cardigan-10000111601

Madaboutchocolate- that's a nice cardigan but I wouldn't wear it personally as it doesn't look neat and fitted enough for me.

Lonely, I'm trying to reply to your pm but it's not working : (

I'm an "inguene gamine". Love the idea and I am drawn towards pictures of the relevant styles, just can't find and wear them in real life at the moment. Enough trouble getting on top of colours and finding clothes that suit my job, finances and disguise my less attractive body parts.

How do they decide what you are? Is it down to body shape or the type of styles you prefer?
I've done the colour day but not the style day yet.

There is a set of questions about lifestyle, tastes, etc. to decide how Yin / Yang you are. That is how they decide your style.

The clothing shapes is separate. The consultant also looks at you in your undies to analyse your body shape into variations of straights and curved categories. She also looks at face shapes and whole body proportions. This is all used to recommend clothing shapes such as skirt length and shape, necklines, etc.

snap outed - so much to take in! But I'm loving having a set of rules. Now just need a cash injection to replace everything stuff.

gilly your PM came through - .

Completely agree about liking the rules (am I OCD?).
It makes shopping much quick and cheaper; can't find anything that matches the colours and shapes rules, so don't buy anything!

I just about learnt to walk into a shop and scan for my colours, then home in to look at the shape (and price ticket), then leave again!

I may be wrong on this part but I find ingenue / gamine shapes are far too snug to hide mummy tummy that never disappeared and now merges into the menopausal midriff bulge, upper arms, tree trunk legs and deflated bustline! I prefer drapier stuff but that is not neat enough for the gamine style apparently. The pencil skirts and shift dresses recommended make me look as wide as I am tall!

I agree about the rules and am liking having guidelines to follow and even how to work out my budget and what I should be spending on clothes!

I took your advice ladies and popped to the shops at the weekend only for an hour but targeted 'pretty, interesting detailed' knitwear and actually managed it! I came home with a lovely pinky jumper and gorgeous scarf that will go with lots of things and 'pretty' them up. I'm v pleased with my purchase and it made me realise my huge box of Boden I'd ordered and was umming and erring about definitely needs to go back. Pricey and boring I think :-(.

Thanks again. I am still struggling with matching colours though. Does it get easier?

I think it takes time and bravery to try different colours together. I spent a rainy afternoon looking at my wallet, having taken it out of the plastic bits, to put different colours next to each other, then did the same with colours in my wardrobe. I still feel more comfortable wearing two colours rather than three, so I try and get the third with a belt or nail polish.

I can't wear three colours without looking deranged. I definitely prefer two and add the third with accessories. I think when you are part classic it's hard to go too wild with the colours iykwim

Wrenster- if I was a Summer, I would probably mix a few similar, soft shades e.g. pale greys/ blues and then add a scarf or lipstick in a complimentary shade. For example, grey jeans, soft chambray shirt with white T shirt underneath with a floral scarf that picks up the blue or grey and adds a bit of pink. Can you wear hair clips? Otherwise, maybe a necklace or belt or a little scarf tied to your bag.

Aquelven - they take into account all of those things. I found it more enjoyable that the colours personally.

I'm a summer, and get my 5 colour hit by counting nail varnish, wedding ring, glasses (3 colours so far already) then shoes, trousers and top. I would like monstrous otherwise.