In short the question has been around footwear. We are now out of boots and so what do you wear when your vibe isn’t sporty and urban to lend itself to a trainer….? or maybe you just want to feel more done, more polished….

My answer is always the same - The Spring Flat. It comes in many guises, so theres something for everyone, but lets narrow down what they are.

First up - the black leather pump. I think it makes any look feel refined and chic. An easy wear with jeans but also with a casual pull on trouser of any kind. In a more dressed up way it also works with skirts.

Some of them are completely flat and feel more ballerina and some have more of an angular shape, like my favourite ones from Le Monde Black Pumps

Next lets move on to thier non-identicle twin sister, exactly as above but in shades of light neutrals. White, stone and ivory are all gorgeous.

I found these with a huge 30% off… Cream leather flats and a more price friendly version here which are absolutely divine and look designer- Zara Flats

I feel like I cant really talk about comfortable, practical flats without mentioning the Birkenstock of the season

Birkenstock Naples

Equally if you still have your clogs then get those back out, I sold mine on Vinted last year…. why oh why oh why!!!!

Basically the theme here is anything that is a light sandy or tan colour works for spring, feels practical yet chic and means you dont have to revert to trainers, winner! Includeing both loafers and boat shoes.

Finally, lets chat about the interest flat, think colour and texture. Designer Alaia Started it with thier studded and fishnet version which of course then filetered into the highstreet.

The wonderful Victoria from Styling in bloom showed us some great high street alternatives last week on her insta.

but also, lets not forget about a colour pop of red, in my opinion I really think it can add value to any outfit. It somehow changes the balance and forces the whole fit into the fashion realm.

How cute are these Pafois red seude

So now girls you do know what to wear hen its not quite sandal weather and your over your trainers.

Would love to gather your thoughts on this article or anything you also need help with?

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Here’s the sauce… proportions of outfits have changed and the rest of your wardrobe hasn’t adjusted.

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Over the last year or so leopard print has made a huge comeback, for some it has always existed.

For those who love neutral colours, animal prints can add some fun, depth and interest to a look. For creative fashion lovers animal prints will feature heavily in their capsule wardrobe collection. Either way this provides the basis for this post, but let’s have a look at how we can make it more personal, starting with which animal is for you.

If you have high contrast features (dark hair and eyes with pale skin, light hair with dark skin and eyes) Or you love to work bold statements into your looks then a strong contrasting animal print or texture will work for you.

Think classic leopards, the tan against the black is high contrast. A white base with a black zebra print- high contrast.

High Contrast Zebra bag

Toteme High Contrast bag

H&M leopard bag

But these strong animal prints are not for everyone and don’t have to be as there are so many out there.

If you have low contrast features (like blue eyes, pale skin, blonde hair or olive skin/brown eyes/brown hair) or maybe you haven’t worn much animal print before and want to purchase your first piece, then a soft subtle animal print is the first place to start.

Something that looks slightly washed or has a cream base with a grey colour defining the print. Here are some examples and places to buy

£12.99 Parfois bag 😍

& Other Stories Bambi bag

M&S scarf

For some ideas on how to wear them, I love handbags as the first place to start. Then look at footwear and scarves. Accessories around the outfit can actually create the outfit.

Case in point

I love the way Monikh queen of style adds the smallest touch of an animal print and it brings the whole outfit to life.

Or how about the gorgeous Anna who adds her leopard bags to give her beautifully classic outfits a fashion twist.

Think of animal prints as a neutral colour that can be added to other neutral pairings. Like this all Malbec look with the classic leopard bag, winning! The fur of the bag brings in some texture to the look also.

And one more (because I could go on and on) look at this beautifully classic light outfit with the snakeskin in the leather handbag. It’s adding the most subtle hint of contrast but contrast all the same. Upping the fashion anti and making this look a 10/10.

Ok next up, what about when you want to use animal print as the main character… it can certainly give main character energy. Again, whilst some people will always have animal print in their wardrobe, our friendly felines and their beautiful coats are massively on trend this season. From coats, to jeans, clothing items are making a statement.

Here are some of my favourites

Leopard & Cheetah coats.

Bambi and snake jeans.

To re-cap key items to think about adding into your wardrobes right now or digging back out of your own would be

• Bags

• Scarves

• Coats

• Jackets

• Trousers

• Shoes….. oh shoes… check out H&Ms zebra pony hair styles, big on the fashion scene right now!

H&M zebra heels

So there we go troops, if you feel your wardrobe is a bit safe or lacks a bit of personality, have a think about an animal print as your first addition. 🐆

Would love to know your thoughts in the comments below, do you have a key animal piece in your wardrobe?

As a stylist I wear many different hats but I want to stress the importance of the power of neutrals as the back bone in anyone’s wardrobe, including my own.

The right neutrals can become a wonderful formula in your wardrobe, becoming your go to on those days when you haven’t got the time nor energy to ‘create’. They can also add space to a busy outfit, giving more textured or true coloured pieces room to breathe. Plus don’t get me started on how chic a colour wash of the right neutral in a full outfit can actually look.

Ok lets rewind, what is a neutral in fashion styling…. quick google…

‘Neutrals in fashion styling are made up of black, white, navy, beige, taupe, brown, grey and khaki- serve as versatile, timeless and chic wardrobe staples that create balanced and sophisticated looks. They act as a versatile backdrop, allowing for easy mixing of textures, layering and pairing with vibrant colours, while providing a lasting, investment- worthy foundation that never goes out of style.’

A little on the archaic side but sums it up.

So we know what a neutral is, why they are useful and now lets discuss how to use them.

Cool or Warm?

Before deciding which neutral outfit you want to wear I would suggest taking some time to work out which neutral colour suits you. To do this accurately I would always advise booking a colour analysis service with an expert, but there are a few pointers I can give you here which should help.

Firstly you should decide if you have a cool or warm skin tone, this is the biggest factor is deciding which neutrals will work.

If you tan easily, have a yellow tone in your skin, your foundation bottle predominately looks on the yellow side and gold jewellery suits you better then you probably have a warm skin tone.

If you tend to have a pinkness to your skin tone, your foundation looks a slight shade of nude or pink in the bottle and silver jewellery suits you better then you probably have a cool skin tone.

One way of trying to establish your skin tone is to get a piece of stark white paper, place it under a makeup free face with your hair tied back, in front of daylight. Notice if you see a yellow or green hue, this will indicate warmth. For cool look for pink, blue and colours.

Another way is to look at your veins in the day light, do you see green (warm) or blue(cool). I don’t think this is entirely accurate but sometimes fun to look at as an indicator.

Warm Skin Tones

The best neutrals for warm skin tones are warm, earthy, and golden-based shades that complement yellow or peachy undertones. The best choices include cream, ivory, warm beige, camel, tan, brown, deep olive, and coffee. These shades enhance the natural, sun-kissed glow of the skin, while avoiding harsh, cool-toned neutrals like stark white, black, or blue-based greys.

Cool Skin Tones

The best neutrals for cool skin tones include crisp white, charcoal grey, navy blue, soft taupe, and cool-toned browns (like ganache or grey-brown), which complement blue, pink, or olive undertones. Avoid warm, yellow-based neutrals and instead opt for shades that look fresh, icy, or slightly blue.

Build your palette

To start with have a think about your best dark neutral. Really challenge yourself on if it is black? how about navy or choc instead. Think about the level and tone of that colour, if are you a warm skin tone and you choose brown as your dark neutral, then the shade of brown should be warm and yellow based.

Then layer in your light neutrals- Ecru, white, taupes and mushroom. Often clients know right away if they look better in white over cream and vice versa, whichever it is own it. Like really own it, don’t start deviating off just because some gorgeous influencer has worn a certain mushroom colour. If you are anything like me, then the wrong light neutrals make me look like death and must be avoided at all costs.

Then you add your neutral ‘colour’, olive, khaki, burgundy or grey blues, this adds a little livener to the base of your wardrobe but can still be worn like a neutral. Minimal effort, high impact.

How to wear your neutrals

So now you’ve found your neutrals, we need to wear them. Here are 4 ideas to help you create the outfits

1. The easy one- Colour drench. Choose your neutral and wear it head to toe. Mixing fabrications brings the look to life. Knits with tailoring, leather with cashmere, the more contrast in the fabric (think flat with smooth) the better.

2. Use black as a hard note. It can punctuate an outfit and give a 90s cool girl aesthetic. This works perfectly with an all ivory/white look. Adding black footwear (normally leather, it has a shine so lightens it rather than suede which will look like a dead end at the bottom of your feet) sunnies and a belt is such a simple formula but has great effect. If black feels a bit harsh for you then swap black with chocolate and use tortoiseshell for the sunglasses.

3. Use tonal neutrals to create your outfit. All the same colour but playing with the tone adds value and interest to the look.

Ooof a whistle stop tour of neutrals. I hope that was helpful, would love to hear your feedback or ways you love to wear your neutral colours.

I have some more ideas for you on ‘ways to wear your neutrals’ so look out for part 2.

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The body shape guide to dressing originated from early 20th-century fashion stylists like Trinny and Susannah, who popularized the common “5 fruit” categories (apple, pear, hourglass, strawberry and rectangle) for mass audiences to help people choose flattering clothes by balancing proportions.

Balanced proportions look good and therefore help us to choose clothes and details like necklines, sleeve length and dress shape that will suit us best and flatter the body we have. Quite simply put, the body shape guide gives us a set of rules to follow, enabling us to feel confident in the choices of shapes we choose to wear.

As a stylist, there are certain ‘rules’ or tricks that genuinely are helpful to follow. Using the body shape method as a tool for someone who is beginning their personal style journey is useful.

Giving someone the tools to help them look and feel good allows their confidence to grow. Once confidence is established, my clients love to experiment a little more. Body shape alone will not give you a personal style and this is where a lot of people are finding the body shape method archaic and generic.

My formula

and here’s the juice…. my method to styling is built like an equation

Body Shape x Style Personality = Personal Style

Ok, so what is style personality I hear you ask……Style personality explains how your unique character, preferences, and lifestyle are expressed through clothing, acting as a compass for authentic fashion choices. Like body shapes there are 5 main types; Classic, Romantic, Urban, Natural and Creative. By understanding where a client sits within these 5, it enables me to work further into how they want to feel and interpret that into outfit choices.

You can see that by only looking at body shape you may get tunnel vision, it is the factual side that many like, but the style personality gives the mood and depth. The combination of them both is where personal style can start to evolve.

I want to use myself as an example for this. I have a ‘rectangle’ body shape, defined by a straight body with little to no curve. If I was only using the body shape theory to dress, then I would always be wearing styles with waisted details, peplum cut tops or fit and flare dresses creating a more balanced hourglass look. However, there is nothing I love more than a 70s free flowing smock dress or slip dress which hides my body entirely, or only adding to the lack of curve. Neither is wrong nor right, but I find that my style personality is louder than my need for the body shape rules.

Sometimes, when I am going to a family event or on a date night, I play into my body shape rules knowing that I will look good, balanced and in proportion by doing so. The happy place is when you learn to do both. Finding shapes that flatter you, but also feel like you. For me, a wide leg or 70s style jean has always suited me better, but it also plays into my style personality as well.

As one’s confidence in style builds, some completely dismiss body shape, shopping only for what they love. This can be amazing but doesn’t work for everyone.

I completely agree with the sentiment that fashion should be used as a form of expression, but in my line of work I know that it can be combined with a list of facts to help get to the end point, an outfit that you feel amazing in.

And so you catch my drift, ‘Body shape’ in styling does, and doesn’t matter.