dress Archives

10 Spring 2023 trends

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Toni Carver

Time flies doesn’t it? At the start of April, I shared the new colour and style trends for spring / summer 2023 at my ‘what to wear’ workshop.

Having hit the shops the week before, I found a number of items to help me illustrate some of the colour and style trends to the group. During the live workshop, I go through the presentation I’ve prepared all about what you can expect, what suits you and how to make it work for you. I also use the same presentation during the recorded video masterclass (the latest version is available here). The next live group workshop will take place on 7 October and showcase the autumn/winter 2023 colour and style trends.

I’ve showcased some trends I’ve found on the high street in my latest video which you can watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/kAhXbMXh2U8

Here are 10 spring trends featured in the video:

1. Blue midi off the shoulder dress – Next

2. Lime Green Ruffle Sleeve Tie Back Dress – Next

3. Blue/Yellow Striped collared shirt dress – Next

4. Pink Broderie ruffle sleeve Blouse – Love & Roses at Next

5. Khaki Wide Leg Cargo Trousers – New Look

6. Blue button front midi dress – New Look

7. Metallic Silver clutch Bag – New Look

8. Pink animal print tiered dress – New Look

9. Blue Floral hanky hemline dress – Apricot Clothing at New Look

10. Navy Botanical grecian occasion reversible dress – Apricot Clothing (also available via New Look, Next and Yumi)

Need more help?

Not all these will suit you of course! When you know what suits you, shopping really does become easier. You’ll learn this knowledge when you book a consultation, so do get in touch if the time is right for you.

If you missed the workshop, or you want to watch it again, the recorded version is available here until 30 September.

The Colour & Style guide for spring/summer 2023 is a physical handout you can pop in your handbag and available here. You’ll receive a copy of this if you book a Complete Colour Analysis Consultation between 1 April and 30 September.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer a complete digital kit of resources, my new E-Book is 20 pages and contains everything you need to know to help guide you on the spring and summer colour and style trends.

Please note. The above list contains some affiliate links which may result in a payment of commission.

How to choose the right dress

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Toni Carver

I’ll admit, I am a sucker for a dress. It’s an all-in-one outfit which means I have very little to think about!

There’s definitely a dress for everyone! But, that does not translate into one dress will suits everyone the same way (remember my rant from last year with the Zara dress??)

SS23 dress trends

Dresses feature again this coming season.

But, they feature every season!

So, what do you need to look for when choosing the right dress for you?

Lifestyle appropriate

It goes without saying that you should choose a dress which is comfortable to wear! Often when I speak about dresses to clients, they think they won’t work for them. This is what I call choosing lifestyle appropriate clothes. By way of an example, if you’re crawling around on the floor after a toddler then your choice needs to suit what you’ll be doing. Longer styles with lighter fabrics worn with leggings may be much more suitable than a PU short body con dress.

So, consider what activities you’ll be doing to help you decide on the most appropriate style of dress for the occasion!

Fabric

Throughout history and different traditions, men, women and children have all worn versions of a dress. In many warm countries, men wear tunics as a method of staying cool. I can guarantee that it won’t be made of polyester but instead, a lightweight and breathable fabric such as cotton!

If you’re shopping for a dress, check the label to see what it’s made from. In fact, it’s worth checking your wardrobe for the clothes you love wearing and compare the fabric to the ones you hate wearing! If you’re in the throws of the menopause then polyester will not be your friend! Choosing the right fabric can enhance and flatter your figure and shape. But, make a mistake and it can change your shape and add bulk which may not be flattering.

Shape (and proportions)

I’ve touched on this already. There are all sorts of dress styles, cuts, shapes and fabrics which will flatter your shape. Essentially, choose something which flatters and mimics your shape and you’ll be onto a winner. It boils down to how the dress is made, where the seams are (empire, waist, dropped waist etc) and the cut and shape of the dress. If you don’t have a waist, or you want to detract attention away from a waist, then an empire line could be flattering (depending upon the fabric of course). That’s why it’s important to understand what suits you.

Style (personality)

We talk about style often in terms of how something might look or be seen. But, how you dress, where you shop, your choice of styles, cuts and fabric are all influences of your style personality. A dress can really showcase your style personality which is why if you wear something which doesn’t suit who you are, you won’t feel happy or comfortable! Those dresses that you constantly faff around with or pull or take off immediately? Partly down to your style personality influences. Learn this (during a style and image consultation) and where your style boundaries are and it’ll be the lightbulb moment for you saving you so many mistakes.

Colour

Colour is just as important of course as all these features mentioned above. You may well have chosen a dress on the colour alone. If this flatters you and makes you feel good, then it’s a winner. But, don’t hang onto it just because of the colour if the other boxes aren’t being ticked or you won’t get your wear out of it. If you’ve had a colour analysis consultation, then you’ll know your best shades of colour and can use your swatches as a guide in choosing the right shade.

Summary

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all, so why should your dress choices be the same? Yes, there’s certain styles which tend to suit most people (like a wrap dress). BUT, if this isn’t in the right fabric or length for you then it won’t flatter you!

Experiment with dress styles, prints, fabrics and designs. And remember, that the most flattering dress for you will showcase YOU the best.

Identifying these features can take time but if you need help then consider booking a colour and style session.

You’ll find me featuring some of my fave dresses on Facebook and Instagram on Monday 6 March in celebration of ‘national dress day’!

Does your personality affect the way you dress?

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Toni Carver

What we wear sends out a message to people we meet. Consciously or otherwise, we make a visual statement about how we feel in what we wear.

How much do our own preferences have towards others?

I recently took to Facebook to ask my friends their opinion. Which shoes did they think I should go with for an event I had the following day. I posted two pictures with my outfit laid out including necklace and a pair of shoes.

The dress was new and bought from Marks & Spencer. Both pairs of shoes I already had and had shopped from my existing wardrobe. (I do believe that you can combine outfits together from your existing wardrobe without having to buy everything new. If you want to learn more about this, get in touch to book a session).

The result

1 – 10 votes

2 – 13 votes

I already had a good idea about which shoes I thought I would wear before the votes came in but I was curious to see what people thought.

I chose shoes number one

Are you wondering why? It’s not because I don’t like the other shoes because in actual fact, they are one of my favourites. They are a pair that I have had for many years, been resoled and heeled and the £s per wear I’ve had must be almost pennies now. Getting your wear out of things is a must when buying certain items of clothing.

Instead, it was about the overall image I wanted to project and, make an impression wearing them. I guess it’s linked to confidence too and how I felt wearing them. I felt I needed an edge and these shoes gave me the edge I wanted. How many times do you choose something to wear because you’re happy or confident? This is a must I would say!

The comments I got from my friends and the votes made me reflect about how much our own personality impact on our view about what others wear. I’ve said it many times – image matters, whether we like it or not. How many times have you seen someone on TV or on social media and passed comment about what they are wearing? We all do it – good and bad.

There was also a distinct difference in styling and personality in each shoe. One pair was quite edgy and bold. The other a more classic pair. Also, from the pictures, it can be hard to judge can’t it? There were a few who saw black and red for shoes number one for example when in actual fact they were purple and red. Were people saying what they thought I would look good in, or were they actually saying what they thought they would wear themselves? I suspect there was an element of both.

In my personal and professional view, both shoes worked. If a client had posed the same question to me and asked for my opinion, I’d have asked them to think about where they were going, what impression they wanted to create and, how comfortable were they to wear. I think there’s nothing worse than being in a pair of shoes which are killing your feet!

Did I get any comments about my shoes at the event? Interestingly, no. But I did about the dress – the colour looked great on me I was told 😉.

Bringing it all together

This backs up why the colour clothes we wear have such an impact. It’s usually the first thing people see and it’s actually the easiest way to update your look too. Arguably, you can dress as a different personality and many people do – they have to dress a certain way for work and when out of work, they are the opposite. However, it’s your personality which dictates how you actually combine your outfits together, or not for some of you!

Either way, I would always recommend that you dress for your body shape and wear the shades of colour which suit your colouring the best near to your face as you can see I have.

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