HOC Dramatic gamine

[FaceDirectionOfTravel]

Any others out there? I think I need to model myself on Ruby Wax. Thankfully I already swear a lot.

Is a CP a clothing personality?

She said I need to focus mainly on wearing 'neat and tidy' clothes, with dramatic accents. So all my jersey that I slob around in will have to go, I guess. I have a bit more weight to lose and then I will start looking at more expensive clothes that will last me.

Still, it is nice to think of looking well put together into my old age, I think!

I think I would love to look like Victoria but I am not that petite... still, if I stick to clothes that are not baggy or overwhelming then that will help, I think.

I have a suspicion I might be a gamine dramatic (mainly gamine though) so am watching with interest Face. I look 100 times better with gamine hairstyles.

I used to think I'd probably be a gamine ingenue, but I don't think pretty styles suit me as much as I'd like them to.

Elizabeth I'm mainly gamine, she said, with dramatic tendencies, and then called that a Dramatic Gamine. So maybe we are the same?

Travel I'm also 5'6'' and 12/14 size! Hurrah! She had really specific recommendations about trouser shape, skirt length, neckline, etc, most of which are well received but will take a while to work their way into my wardrobe (natch). There were a couple of surprises but mostly okay. When I lose a bit more weight I will email her my new measurements and ask whether it changes anything, but I suspect it will be largely the same.

Sadly, I think that the fact that the clothing shape recommendations are so specific means I won't be able to just come on MN and say, 'Dress me, please!' Boo.

She said I should accessorise more, and I think she is right. I'm crap at accessories right now. I thought I might start looking for a striking silver brooch - I love Haida art (Canadian native peoples) and thought I might see if I could have a brooch made like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.artvalue.com/image.aspx%3FPHOTO_ID%3D2655142&imgrefurl=www.artvalue.com/auctionresult--reid-william-bill-ronald-1920-haida-art-wolf-2655142.htm&h=538&w=414&sz=45&tbnid=mGn46rpusIFrbM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=69&zoom=1&usg=__sOjrNFKRI52RDyJvMvDUdWNnmgI=&docid=Tf6-R3cF95ZyKM&sa=X&ei=GP-mUvqdLZGM7AaTm4CQCw&ved=0CD0Q9QEwBQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one day...

I'm also feeling more confident that I should go for scarves that are not tassled, fringed, pom-pomed, or anything like that. I've got this and this on my Amazon wish list right now (I'm a winter, btw).

Man, I really must make sure I do something about Christmas soon. Am all me, me, me at the moment.

Maybe we are the same then Face - do you have pinterest? I am going to make a board with my favourite looks to see if that makes my preferences clearer. I'm also totally crap at accessorizing - I just don't do it because nothing ever feels right, not scarves, not jewellery

Face, these are my all time favourite looks. Do we have similar taste? And Travel is there an overall gamine or dramatic feel, or something else (or maybe they're all too different to fall into a category?)

Elizabeth to be honest I find it very very hard when looking at models or any clothes to ever ever ever think 'That would suit me.' This is one of the reasons for the style day! I mean, obviously, I would love to look like Audrey Hepburn or Winona Ryder but I just don't and I find it so weird still to think I should be trying to copy their style! I tend to see them as works of art, and to translate that into shopping is hard for me.

But this is a journey of exploration for me - I would never have thought of cobalt blue pumps but I can see how that would work.

Also, some quite high necklines in that board, which I know don't work for me, and some sort of Victoriana, button up necks which don't work either. I think some of the looks pinned fall into an 'ingenue' style - quite soft and vulnerable and girlish, rather than fun? Maybe?

Ok, I see what you mean Face. And I think you're right, some of the pins do fall into ingenue-ish style. Obviously I don't look like Audrey Hepburn or a model, but I do love the clothes

I've spent so long looking at all sorts of people loving their clothes, but none of them looking right on me, that I'd lost my way. I'll get there.

My friend was wearing black and white striped leggings yesterday. Another friend was wearing a ditsy print blouse. They both looked lovely - but it is pointless for me as both would look awful on me.

Do you mind if I join in? I haven't had the HoC style day but I definitely identify as a Gamine. I'm 4 foot 11 with a small frame, have always favoured fitted, slim-line clothes without any frills etc, small pieces of jewellery and crops or graduated bob haircuts. I've lost my way a bit style-wise since having children as I'm now a size 12-14 which doesn't sound huge but is way too big for my small frame and I also now have huge 30G boobs which don't really fit with a gamine style! One of my favourite blogs at the moment is the clotheshorse. theclothes.blogspot.co.uk/ She's about 10 years younger than me (and quite a bit slimmer!) but she really nails gamine style for me.

Yes, I love her blog nick, I forget to look at it though so thanks for the reminder! There's also Lost in a spotless mind - she does gamine style really well and is very curvy.

Right, I've decided to start a Pinterest board for a jewel winter dramatic gamine wardrobe makeover that will suit my body shape...

Wish me luck. I'm hoping that it will provide inspiration for my Christmas and birthday presents next year as it is probably a bit late for this year...

So how do you dress "gamine" when you have numerous areas of flab you want to hide? I felt confident with the shape aspect of my style day and totally agreed with my gamine diagnosis, but marrying the two is more of a challenge and the style day was too short to get into that. I am large and lumpy so prefer some shapes that skim from under boobs to below bum, rather than fit and I feel that contradicts the gamine small, neat, fitted look. Am I correct?

Do post what you buy FaceDirectionofTravel, so it can inspire me, please. I'm a jewel winter gamine, with a little ingénue.

This is my Pinterest board

I've also emailed it to my consultant to see what she says. I've just said on the Winter board that it is quite strict parameters when you can't do all the gamine look - so I can't really do little sundresses or miniskirts. Anyway, hoping the board will be a source of inspiration to me and my husband.

I have a wobbly tummy and am seriously hoping that tailoring holds it all in.

Love the board Face, especially the silver brooches I've been looking for one for ages but they all seemed too old lady.

Thanks, Can

Wore a grey tweedy skirt this morning (which I would never have worn except for a formal meeting) with a white top and grey and blue scarf - two compliments at the school gates.

I love these SP threads!
I was told Madonna and Davina McCall are Dramatic Gamines - think DM is a Winter as well. She's also not particularly skinny (I'd never say she was fat, obvs, but she's not sylph-like and addresses this in her clothing).
Joan Collins (hmm) also Dramatic, although probably Classic - not Gamine.

I love the Gamine style (I'm a Classic Ingenue). I knoc what you mean about looking at celebs and feeling that you don't look anyting like them (Nicole Kidman, anyone?) but when I put that aside and wear, say, a bit of lace trim or a feminine blouse, I feel really comfortable and at ease with how I'm dressed.
Maybe just start by concentrating on tops - people mainly lookat your top half, and this would be a good way to start gradually rather than going the whole hog straight away.

I was really excited to see this thread as I am a jewel winter dramatic gamine! I am around the same height and size as you Face (I'm 5ft 7 and currently a 12-14, usually a 10-12 but still breastfeeding and have a wobbly tum).

I love the board and have some of the same things pinned which is encouraging as at the moment I am sorting my wardrobe out. A lot of my clothes that suit this style are old and need to be replaced or are not quite the right colour but I am focusing on accessories at the moment as I don't have many. Would be interested in anything your consultant says about the board.

Nice board, face. I find it easier to dress gamine in the summer. I have very thin ankles so slim cropped trousers with ballet flats that have a slight wedge heel and a fitted blazer or cardigan work well. In the winter I really struggle to find coats which don't make me look bulky as I am short but very busty so almost always end up with too much material on my top half. Once you had a thick scarf I look so top-heavy I'm ready to topple over! I try to balance things out (and add much needed height) with really chunky wedge platform boots, which I like, but are definitely not gamine! Any other busty gamines out there? Would love some tips on how to do gamine with big boobs!