WIBN Blog

Tips for dressing for success with confidence

Posted By Stefania Bartolomei, Stylist/Image Consultant, 15 March 2022

When we go into the world of work, parenting, career moves, or want to feel more professional and confident, it can be a bit challenging.

I don't know about you, but when I feel my clothing shows my professionalism and personality, my confidence prepares me for a more successful day.

So, if you want to dress for a meeting, a new job, or simply to feel a little more powerful & confident, here are my tips!

Invest in key pieces

Gone are the days when we are falling into the world of fast fashion, and only designer-priced pieces are sustainable and long-lasting. You don't need to wear something different every day! Have some key pieces that are high quality and easy to wear across different outfits.
With the likes of London-based, sustainable creators, you truly can find beautiful & high-quality pieces at a more appropriate budget. This isn't to say they are on the same level as Primark in terms of cost, but they can be more suited to our everyday wear investments.
When your wardrobe has key pieces that are of a mid-to-high quality, they will look more professional and feel better too. When they fit within your colour palette and style, you'll also want to wear them outside of the professional world, too!

Step into your shoes

I was once told that the first place people tend to look is at our shoes. I don't know why this is, but I have noticed that when someone is wearing a pair of beautiful shoes, they could be wearing a plain, monochrome outfit & still stand out!
The shoes we wear not only add a touch of personality to our outfit in a way we feel we may not be able to with the clothes, but they also can bring in that confidence by how we walk.
Whether it's a pair of stilettos in your colours matched with a navy or black suit, or a pair of chunky boots with a pair of jeans, they can elevate a look in a flash.
If your go-to look for work is more neutral, try adding a touch of colour and height with your shoes the next time you pull together your look.

Layers & accessories

Finally, the finishing touches are where we truly transform our looks from "day to day" to "professional".
I have said it before - accessories & layers make a difference! Think of the looks that you are drawn to - do they have layering and accessories, or do they stay without?
Most of the time, I see the looks my clients want to replicate and it has that stylish finish. Necklaces, earrings, rings, as well as blazers & jackets are these final parts to a professional look that will make it feel more polished.
If you are unsure on where to start with your accessories - start with the metal that works on your skin tone and invest in a layered necklace and a few rings that you can easily add to any outfit. Then you can build the collection up - belts, earrings & so on.

I hope these tips have helped you discover some new ways to dress for success with confidence. If you are looking for someone who can help you feel more confident with your fashion & style, I’d love to help.

Photo credit Stefania Bartolomei

Tags: adding colour to your wardrobe fashion advice for women in business fashion ideas fashion tips how to be more stylish how to dress for events how to plan my outfits how to plan outfits outfit ideas outfits personal styling tips for 2022 personal stylist personal stylistpersonal styling tips wardrobe edit wardrobe tips what to wear for events

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Colour analysis: the 18 seasons method and how to discover your colours

Posted By Stefania Bartolomei, Stylist/Image Consultant, 21 February 2022

Colour analysis: the 18 seasons method and how to discover your colours

As a personal stylist, colour is one of the most important parts of my work with my clients. Colour can completely transform how our skin looks in dramatic ways, and I use my colour analysis service to do this for my clients. We work together to discover their seasons, and the colours that they can gravitate towards to help them feel their best whenever they next go shopping.

Now, when I talk about the “seasons” you may be thinking – well there are just 4, right? Well, there are 4 main seasons and then their underlying notes which in fact makes it 18!

Don’t worry – you don’t have to know all of them, for you, you just need to know which one is the best aligned to your skin tones and therefore the colours that match you best.

I wanted to share a few insights into the colour analysis method, and help you dip your toe into discovering the colours that best suit you, but of course, if you’d like to have the knowledge of the colours that help you feel most confident, I’d be delighted to help.

Let’s dive in!

The four main seasons in a colour analysis

Before we dive deeper into the palette that work best with you, we need to find out the general features that characterize every season, and that you can find in yourself, and your natural colours:

Spring

Springs have a warmer undertone, with bright and light features. They are actually just like spring – bright, varied, and with strong colours working well for them. However, they need to stay clear of muted, dark and colours with cool undertones, as these will take away from their features.

Best metals: yellow gold and rose gold

Summer

Summers have a cool undertone with soft, and once again light features. Think soft brown or blonde hair, your classic beachy boho tones with cooler features. Colours that work beautifully on summers are pastels, softer tones, and mother-of-pearl shades. Nothing too vivid, harsh, or strong in terms of colours should be worn by Summers as it can wash them out.

Best metals: silver (possible antique) and platinum/white gold

Autumn

Autumns have deep and warm undertones, and soft contrasts.Think of all the beautiful colours you see in Autumn and these are the tones that work best on this type. Whether it’s deep greens, oranges, or the reds you see as the leaves turn – these colours should be welcomed in your wardrobe, while brighter and cooler colours should be passed by.

Best metals: gold (possibly antique) and copper

Winter

Winters have the cooler undertones with deep and bright tones. Winters do not just have lighter skin and bright eyes, they are often with olive skin and dark hair, but the contrasting features are the most obvious to spot when it comes to winters. Colours that work beautifully on winters are bright icy greens, blues, blacks and even many shades of pink, from fuchsia to sorbet pink. You can also step towards the wintery colours of deep purple and emerald green.

Best metals: silver and white gold

The 16 subgroups of a colour analysis

Now we know the 4 main seasons we use for a colour analysis we can jump even deeper into the undertones we have.

Let’s be honest – we all have a range of skin tones, hair and eye colours, and therefore, putting us into just 4 options is restrictive. That’s why we have more options to help me discover the truly perfect matches for my clients.

The way I do this is through using the subgroups of each season:

Spring: Light, Warm or True, Bright
Summer: Light, Cool or True, Soft
Autumn: Deep, Warm or True, Soft
Winter: Deep, Cool or True, Bright

So while three different people may all belong to the same season, they might have different colourings, different level of contrasts and hue. Think of Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt and Kate Winslet, all summers but with different palettes. And this happens with all the 4 seasons, and these sub groups help us discover the specific palettes that will be the most appropriate for your skin tones, which is not just clothes, it includes accessories, make up, hair colour (should you wish to change it!), and jewellery.

Now this way we have 12 main groups of colours. Then why I say I work with 18 seasons? Now things get really complicated, I know. the thing is, while (based on my experience) the majority of people fit in one specific group/subgroup, others can have a mix of features (ie. Warm skin undertone but cool eyes and hair, or warm hair but cool eyes and skin undertone) or a predominance of one particular characteristic (i.e “warm”) that place them in between two seasons. These are so-called “neutrals”, and they can be:

Spring/Summer (or Summer/Spring)

Summer/Autumn (or Autumn/Summer)

Autumn/Winter (or Winter/Autumn)

Winter/Spring (or Spring/Winter)

Autumn/Spring (or Spring/Autumn)

Winter/Summer (or Summer/Winter)

Why is that? There can be varied reasons: some people can inherit a mix of features from parents/family members and have in them a balanced mix of those, which provide them with a wider range of opportunities in terms of which colours suit them; others can experience a transitional phase due to ageing, when hair naturally change, as well as the skin and the eye colours (getting softer), and this make them shift from a brighter season (for instance) to a softer one.

It truly is transformative – and while I would say that because I love my job – it is always so wonderful to hear from my clients when they see the transformations in front of them, saving themselves wasted money on shopping trips with clothes they just don’t suit, and make-up that they love to put on.

Colour can bring us joy, change our mood, and as you can see, transform how we shine! I hope this insight into what goes into a colour analysis and the depth we go to so you can discover your best colours was beneficial! If you’d like to know more or book your own colour clinic, I’d love to help.