HoC Winters- the cool and clear chat continues here Part 3

[KosherBacon]

Are you a winter colouring? If so come and join us for chat about clothes/make up following on from part 1 here and part 2 here

Do you want to know more about what a winter is? These resources are good places to start here and here.

Scared to try bright lipstick? Previous winter favourite makeup items include Mac Plumful, Revlon Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie and Red Velvet and Revlon gloss in Bordeaux. They are all good places to start without being scarily bright for a newly diagnosed winter. More makeup tips can be found here and by reading through previous threads.

I don't want to look like Ruby Wax, as such, but it made sense in terms of not being 'pretty', in a conventional sense.

I found the style day to be absolutely brilliant. It was all about my face and body shape, what sort of necklines, skirt lengths, jacket shapes etc. As well as my personality. I have definitely made it work for me.

I was advised to avoid clothes with too much movement, and go for somewhat androgynous looks (ish) . Boyish-girlish would look better on me rather than a more feminine look. Quirky accessories, fun, youthful, etc. But I can go more wild and still look good, I don't have to keep it low key.

My daughter (age 7) said I look like a grown up teenager which was a perfect description.

I'm an ingenue natural. Natural is described as being ready to run in the woods at anytime so I'm that but need to add in lots of girly detail- pintucks, little collars, lace/crochet etc. I do find that red (clothing,lipstick or nails) just doesn't really fit in very well with that. I did find the style day fascinating and it made total sense. I do think the summer colours would fit in better with the style better though and that winter colours probably fit in best with dramatics.

I'm a Romantic Classic. Before my style day I was really hoping I'd be a gamine of some sort but deep down I knew I wasn't! I've gone much darker with my hair, dress much smarter and always wear red or very bright lipstick now. I can really see the difference. I look much more groomed.

I'm a gamine / ingénue and that does seem to go quite well with my winter colours. I like the navy Bretton with trousers or black and red combinations. I'm trying either the flicked eyeliner or the bright lips, but can't cope with both. Found some useful links:
PINTEREST 1
PINTEREST 2
POLYVORE

isit those links are lovely. I do the gamine style and red does seem to work really well with it. I can imagine red looks great for a romantic classic too sorrel.

I've got a red cardi which I loved but just feels too in your face now. I need to find a way to soften it up.

I have a red cardigan too - I find that wearing it with a white top works well. Red and black together is a bit too much for me.

I love that whole gamine 'thing' but I recognise that it's not right for me .

Here's my Pinterest page (if anyone is interested) which I've linked to before. I need to add more to it really.

There's now a 10 week delay on that Boden silver bag.

QueenCardigan I've got a very simple full length red evening dress and three red tops and I always get compliments when I wear them. I'm not keen on the red/black combo but I'm always scared of looking a bit like a parrot if I put red with blue, pink etc.

Sorrel and I love lots of other looks but feel so much more confident now to say they wouldn't work on me.

A friend of mine wears classic clothes and looks just beautiful. I would look boring.

Another friend wears lovely flowing clothes and looks great in them but they would make me look wobbly.

It is a bit similar to realising I like sage green but it doesn't suit me.

So interesting on the style side of things. I might do it later this year. I'm still not great about using my colours (apart from the fact that my wardrobe is DOMINATED by navy). I try to wear natural fabrics as much as possible which seems to make it harder, or at least it does in the shops I seem to frequent. LOVE Me&Em, but almost everything I buy from them is navy or occasionally grey.

Sorrel, am now following your Pinterest board .

QueenC, know what you mean about red. I have a red DKNY Cosy and a red blazer but hardly ever wear either of them as they're too scream-y to me, whereas on others, I know they'd look fab. My mum wears a lot of bright colours, and she looks so pretty (but I don't want to look like my mum).

I think I'm probably a romantic too Sorrel - small & curvy, no chance of being a gamine sadly.

I'm loving all your pinterest boards, I need to start working on one.

I'm a big red fan - it looks good with navy too and the greys. Probably not one for the gamines but I recently wore this red dress to my birthday party - it's a perfect match for carmine. But instead of black shoes I went for some pink flowery ones which worked well (I think!). I have a red Le Pliage bag which is a good way of getting a bit of red in without being too full on.

I just bought this blue dress which I hope will be a good match for the electric blue (number 11).

I do find myself walking around obsessively looking at what other people are wearing now colour-wise.

There was a girl on the tube today wearing a fabulous navy dress with a red wave at the bottom but she had typical red hair and creamy skin, and I was thinking that the dress would look great on a winter but she should be wearing something autumnal. Slightly worried I'm turning in to a colour evangelist!

Stokey Apparently 'Romantic Classic' is a category on its own as opposed to a mix of Romantic and Classic (waves at Hopefully my HoC consultant and hopes I've got that right!).

Celebrity examples: Catherine Zeta Jones, Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway (I didn't' like the other examples so haven't listed them!)

The HoC crib sheet gives a list of useful words to describe a Romantic Classic:

Immaculate grooming
Discreetly sexy
Structured curves
Grown up glamour
Soft, tactile texture and layers
Accessories with expensive detail
Effortless elegance
Medium to large scale with a twinkle
Sophisticated feminine formal
Expensive
Good quality
Classic design

Structure: Soft tailored feminine lines; curve and drape, excellent quality in all clothes, both casual and business wear.

Fabrics: Soft luxurious sensuous fabrics: angora, lamb's wool, cashmere, jersey, silk, satin, crepe, fur, velvet, soft suede and chenille.

Patterns: Medium scale

Jackets: Shorter structured jackets benefit from curved lapels or edges

Dresses: Use quality and expensive looking fabrics to add elegance

Skirts: Tailored skirts with ease or curve in the cut, wrap, slit, tulip, flutes and bias can work well.

Necklines: Feminine such as cowl, drape, scoop and sweetheart, ensuring they are not too low. Romantic Classics often look better with hints of flesh at the neckline rather than explicit cleavage.

Handbags: Soft or constructed with rounded shapes in medium scale. For evening you can add lots of sparkle.

Accessories: Quality and expensive details in medium scale. Jewellery needs to be 'real' and excellent quality with sheen and sparkle.

Hairstyle: Quality cuts and softness

Make-up: Add some element of sparkle to a Classic look to ensure your Romantic is present.

For casual: Smart casual works better than casual (a very casual look can sabotage the balance between our Romantic and your Classic). Use luxurious fabrics and quality cuts)

In Summary: This is an elegant, sophisticated and glamorous clothing personality that balances the mix of excellent quality and clean lines with drape and curve.

Avoid: Sever, masculine, checks, pinstripes, tweeds, double breasted, pleats, shirt collars. Cheap clothes, anything tight, skimpy or flimsy.

Oops - sorry for the essay!

I like the idea of that red dress you've linked to but think it would be too girly (cap sleeves don't work at all) for me. I think that style is more a 'Romantic' - Nigella Lawson type.

I love the blue one but it's out of stock. Boo.

I'm pretty sure Nigella did wear it Sorrell!

Actually reading that description, it sounds a bit too structured and grown-up for me. I think I'm a bit more eccentric than glamourous and am definitely NOT immaculately groomed!

ItsA - have looked at gamine pictures and I can't relate to the collared tops so I am a bit confused. What does your HOC crib sheet say about necklines and accessories?

Sorrel - thanks for posting, interesting and I can recognise a few friends in the description. I thought Anne Hathaway looks like a gamine though?

Loving my gamine hairstyle - people tell me how youthful I look, looking back that shoulder length hair I had was aging

Stokey Neither was I, but I am trying very hard to be
more like that since my Style day. . It's all done on personality plus body type (I think) so someone that was short and curvy can still be a gamine, natural, ingénue etc.

My best buys, style wise, since my Style day have been (all on my Pinterest board):

Reiss navy skirt
HoF Silver mesh shoes
Banana Reublic Hampton trousers
Mango blouse in Azul and Red
La Redoute dress in black
Coach bag in pink

I thought Anne Hathaway looks like a gamine though? I know what you mean, but I think it's more about the types of red carpet looks she goes for? Maybe? I don't know...

I have a red dress very like that and it looks great on me. Poss more dramatic than gamine but neat, tailored, not flowy, etc.

Also, I am not thin, petite, or slight. I am a good size 14,with curves in mostly the right places and a big tummy. The neat tailored clothes make me look more together and the advice about necklines etc flatters my shape so I don't look pregnant.

I do not look (or try to look) like Audrey Hepburn.

I agree that gamines do not have to be small or thin - I'm not and also I love the red dress, its something I would happily wear.

I notice that gamines tend to have large eyes - would you agree? I have striking eyes but my facial features are more dramatic than gamine.

That Reiss skirt is great Sorrell I can see how it would be very wearable. And a great Coach bag too, they've got a sale on at the moment but I feel I can't justify buying another bag as just got an MBMJ one for my birthday (in dark grey).

I need to start pinning what I'm wearing. I've had a couple of compliments today. I'm in a very old dark green silky Zara top and a navy a-line BR skirt. I would never have worn these colours together before but they work .

Guess I'll start saving for a style day, it's the only way to know.

What do we think of the Hush fuschia maxi? Marked down again today.

www.hush-uk.com/sale/dresses_skirts/jersey_maxi_dress_fuchsia.htm

Yesterday I wore a dark grey Boden Ravello top, navy wedges and a royal blue knee length pencil skirt! Not a mix I would have tried in the past I hope it worked

Nice colour carrie74.

I've just ordered this Atterley Road pink dress (it looks brighter in some pictures than others). I'm hoping it might be a match for hot pink. At that price it's worth a try and it has sleeves so it's practically illegal for me not to buy it!