Me working the moody stare

So Autumn/Winter 2009 is imminently upon us and we have already been bombarded with images of what we will be wearing this winter… boots with studs, ripped jeans/shiny leggings/t-shirts, sequin jackets, brogues, spider-web body-con dresses all with dark, dark nail polish, a moody stare and blood red lipstick.

So, here I am, eco-stylist at your service, (think of me as your somewhat older but eccentric sister), to offer you the alternative options to our current high-fashion offerings…

I have always believed that true style comes from loosely following trends and building your own style. Look to Dita Von Teese, Bianca Jagger, Gwen Stefani, and uber-stylish Chloe Sevigne who have all built their look based on a few straightforward but specific rules.

I am able to preach this, because most of my clothes in the last few years have ended up in charity shops and on clothes-swapping websites, as I have rebuilt my look from scratch; to suit my personality, my ideas and most importantly my shape.

Here’s the secret of having a long-lasting and easily updateable wardrobe that will effortlessly pull you from spring, through to summer, then all through autumn and winter.

“Only buy what suits you”
Sunds pretty obvious really, but I know that women have a complex relationship with their bodies, fashion and peer pressure. So, many of us don’t follow this sound and obvious advice and buy into what we think looks good, rather than what actually makes us feel good.

A good way to start creating your ‘look’ is to take a cruise online and save pictures of celebrities who share your body shape and who you think look pretty good. My personal body-shape sharers are Helena Christensen, Liv Tyler, Rachel Weisz and Zooey-Deschanel and although I don’t have their budget, lifestyle and celebrity good looks, I can still pick up tips based on their shape to bring out the best parts of myself.

So, whether I’m shopping online, in a charity shop, in a store or in my friend’s wardrobes, I can quickly scan a garment and work out if it will suit me. Unfortunately I have had to face that I’m not a waif-shape like Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis, Kate Bosworth, or Alexa Chung as I would like, and I have had to embrace my slightly 1950s hourglass figure which no, does not like being dressed in trainers, ruffles, anything over the knee, fussy or too detailed.

What a shame, because for years I was rocking a 1960s/70s boho look, which in hindsight probably just made me look pregnant. (I’m not).

Once you get the hang of this and develop an honest relationship with your body, mind and psyche, you will become a self-styling pro. Never again will money be wasted, photographs be cringed over or bin bags full of naff clothing carted off to Oxfam for the poor staff to have to deal with.

I challenge you to start THIS season in stepping gracefully away from the ‘hot’ and unethical fashion offered on the high-street and to start creating something a little more unique, unpredictable and mysterious, and yes sexier too because once you start simply pleasing yourself men AND women will notice and your inner allure will grow.

That’s right, confidence in yourself is the single most attractive thing that you can own and that, my sisters is free.

So here goes…Find your perfect shaped plain vest top, a simple white shirt which flatters your chest and waist, plain trousers or a skirt that looks just so, a perfectly shaped black/navy/red/white dress which hugs you and fills you in/out in all the right places, a gorgeous coat for winter (some lovely ones here) that simply matches with everything and some low-detailed ankle boots/heels and start from there.

The experience of discovering your true body shape is far more exciting and liberating than anything offered between the pages of a glossy newsstand magazine and next season your newly re-shaped, re-vamped wardrobe will be even easier to style. Just a final hint to reaffirm my wise twitterings… the gothic look will be gone by next season, that’s right (whisper), gone.

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There’s more from Rachel at www.laluminata.co.uk/magazine