Wardrobe Makeover - Part One!

"Buy less, choose well, and mix it all up" - Vivien Westwood

Many of us go to our wardrobes when we are looking for that perfect outfit to wear out, and sometimes even for just every day outfits, and say those famous words " I have nothing to wear!"  Well good news, its not true!  Your closet is bursting with treasures that used to make you happy and excited to get dressed in the morning, now all you have to do is rediscover your wardrobe.  Whenever I do a wardrobe makeover with someone it consists of three steps; rediscovering what you have in your closet already, what basics is your wardrobe lacking and what pieces do you want to spice is up.

-What do I have

-What do I need

-What do I want

The reason you want to rediscover your current wardrobe instead of buying a completely new one is that you probably have some really great pieces you have simply forgotten about or that you don't have the right accessories for.  You don't need a huge wardrobe, just a versatile one as the quote by Vivien Westwood states above.  

So we are going to start with "What do I have".  First of all when cleaning out your wardrobe you need to be in the right state of mind, you need to have fun and make it an event, or a girls night in.  Think Carrie and her friends in Sex and the City  editing Carries closet in the first Sex and the City movie!  Turn on some great music, have a glass of wine and get into it!  

The first thing you have to do is purge purge purge!  Make three piles; garments to donate, garments to keep and garments that need a little love.  Be ruthless, the goal here is to better streamline your wardrobe so that it better suits you!  Don't keep anything ruined beyond repair, and don't keep anything that was extremely trendy in another decade...it wont be coming back, only classic looks come back!  Keep all your good quality basics, we will get to what the basics are later, even if they are a little dated if they are made well find yourself a good tailor and have them altered.  Some garments may have a small hole, may have a little stain, read the post prior to this one to read about how to deal with those garments because you can make them feel almost new again! 

For anything you don't want that is still in great shape try donating it to a good cause instead of simply throwing it away, knowing the clothes is going to be loved and be helping people will make it easier to give it up.  One that I am fond of is Dream Dealer http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=338103497797  the reason I like this is the the operator (Micheal) takes the donated clothing from you and re-sells it to people who really want it, then uses the money towards charities or trips such as his recent trip to Hati.  Organizations like this are also a great place to go looking for some of the pieces you may want to add to your own closet as the items are often more gently used then a second hand store and the money is going to a good cost while you are getting a great deal!  

Take the time before you start cleaning your closet to re-think your look, what kind of look do you want to achieve, then remove anything from your wardrobe that does not fit into this new look.  Always remember:

"There is a fine line between modernizing a vintage garment and simply looking like you haven't gone shopping in 10-20 years." - Nina Garcia 

Once you have sorted through all of your clothing and accessories (such as handbags and shoes) make a list (yes with a pen and some paper) of all your basics.  You will be building your new wardrobe around these pieces.  Then make a second list of all of your maybe garments and what they need to be keepers.  Do they need alterations? Embellishments? Or is it simply something you love yet have nothing in your current wardrobe that you can wear it with.  

And then that's it, you now know "What You Have"!

xo. Diva

 

Repair and Revive your clothes... don't throw it out!

Everyone does that spring cleaning of the closet, and when you do you always find those pieces that you used to love but somehow they got stained or damaged.  You just couldn't just throw it away because you always love wearing it, but you can no longer wear it because it is ruined.  Well there is a solution to this problem, if you have a great piece of clothes you cant part with then take a good creative look at it and see if there is some way to fix it.  If it is a fallen hem find a good tailor, same goes if there is a hole in something, could it simply be altered to fix the problem?  To deal with a tough stain could you add a belt? A patch? An accessory such as a pin or flower?  Can you simply alter the piece yourself? 
An example of this would be the great striped pull over sweater I had, nice scoop neckline, light fabric so great for cool summer days, the perfect sweater for when you want to look nice and put together yet still casual.  Not even a full week after buying it a thread in the collar got snagged and within a few seconds half of the ribbed collar had detached itself.   I couldn't bear to part with the sweater right away because it was so new and I was so happy to have found it.  A few weeks later I was trying to find the perfect outfit to wear and came across the torn sweater in my closet and tried it on, even though it was ripped, because it would have been the perfect. As I looked at it sadly and wished I could wear it, I had an idea.  I then proceeded to rip off the rest of the collar.  And viola! I suddenly had my cute, casual sweater back except now instead of a scoop neck I had a cute wide neck/off the soldier sweater perfect for wearing over a cute tank top.
So next time you are sad because you have ruined or worn out a favorite piece of clothing, see if you can revive it before buying something new...your wallet and your wardrobe will thank you!

Love your face!

No matter how well you know your make up if you don't have a great canvas to work with (your face) then you will have a much harder time creating that natural flawless look you desire.  The solution to this is simple... love your face!  Taking care of your face and your skin is very important to your overall look.  Having great skin can make you look healthier, happier and younger!  Here are my simple steps to loving your face.

1. Drink LOTS of water daily!  This is very important for your skin and your hair!
2. Eat well, whatever you put on the inside of your body will show on the outside.
3. Cleanse - find a cleanser that uses natural products and doesn't have a lot of chemicals.  Use this cleanser daily with lukewarm water.
4. Next get a great natural toner, that moisturizes.  Apply evenly with a cotton pad, not a tissue or face cloth.
5. Next find the moisturizer that is right for your skin, splash some cool water on your face and then without drying add the moisturizer.  This will lock in the water which is great for your skin.  Again try to stick with natural products as your skin is absorbing everything you put on it... so if you wouldn't put it IN your body don't put it ON your body.  An SPF is great to! 
6. Your final step is to splash ice cold water on your face.  This is a bit uncomfortable for a moment but closes up your pores and locks all that moisture in!

Now 1-2 times a week you want to exfoliate your face.  There are plenty of products out there for this but I find that the best product is one I make myself! So simple and so effective.  First you need fresh squeezed lemon. You can squeeze a real lemon or use that lemon that comes in already squeezed.  Just make sure that it is pure lemon juice (organic is even better!).  You then saturate a cotton pad in lemon juice and sprinkle a good amount of plain white granulated sugar on the pad.  Apply this to your face in circular motions using medium pressure.  Finally rinse in cool water.  The reason this is so effective is that lemon is FULL of BHAS and AHAS and these are very important for your skin and help to break down all of the dead skin cells.  The sugar serves as the exfoliate and helps to lift the old skin of your face without damaging your good skin cells.

xo.  Diva 

Your Make-Up Bag

Every woman has a makeup bag, or drawer or counter full of makeup. However you keep it most of us have a lot of it!  Problem is most women don't know how to wear most or any of their makeup properly.  Wearing your makeup the right way can take years off your face, make you look fresh, sassy, sexy and much much more.  The first step is to learn what you NEED to have in your makeup bag, then how to use it all.  Once you have the first two down you can begin to experiment and have fun with different looks.

Here are the essentials of any makeup bag: (in order of application)

- Moisturizer (stay tuned for a skincare blog about what type is best for you): Your face face needs to be smooth and ready for makeup, no dry patches of flaky skin.  *Tip* Apply moisturizer right after cleansing your face while it is still wet, this way your face will absorb both the water and the moisturizer. 

- Primer: Primer creates a great base for your makeup.  It fills in fine lines and pores and your foundation will cling to it creating a nice even surface. 

- Foundation: Foundation does exactly what it says it will do, creates a foundation for all of your makeup.  Foundation can be applied with a brush, sponge or your fingers and comes in many forms.  Liquid is the most common form and works for all skin types.

- Concealer: Concealer is like plastic surgery without a knife!  You can use it to make dark circles, discoloration, redness and blemishes completely disappear.  Make sure when applying concealer you dab and blend softly without pulling or rubbing the skin.  Light concealer can also be used as a highlighter. 

- Powder: A powder is very important to your foundation and concealer, I recommend a translucent loose powder but you can also use a powder that matches the colour of your foundation.   Apply it all over your face, not forgetting the eye lids and around the nose, the powder will make your foundation last all day long.

- Bronzer: A great way to give your face a sun kissed look and a dark bronzer is great for adding contouring to your face. 

- Blush: Available in many forms such as creme, powder, gel and stick blush can finish off your face and make you glow.  Its good to have a powder and a creme or gel as the powder is great for when you are wearing full makeup while the creme or gel is great if you are wearing bear skin to just add a bit of colour.

- Eyeshadow:  I recommend having a few good, high quality eyeshadows in the fallowing colours: white, black, light brown, dark brown, a sheer fleshy shimmery colour, and a sheer pink.  These colours will allow you to create many different looks, then if you want to option of fun and funky colours invest in a multi-coloured palette.  These are often available on ebay for a great price!

- Lip stick: The key to young full looking lips is lip gloss so buy lots in lots of shades!  Lipstick wears well under a gloss for a little added colour but you can also use a lip liner and fill in your lips completely with it.

- Eye liner: Pencil is the easiest and most common form of eye liner to use.  It also comes in liquid and creme. A tip is to go over your eye liner with powder in the same colour to soften the look and seal the liner.  Black, brown and white are the essential colours.

-Mascara: Many mascaras claim to do many things but I just recommend trying a few to find what works best for your lashes.  If you desire longer lashes curling them will make them appear longer, and if you want fuller lashes try adding a few false lashes!

So if you have all of those things in your make up bag you will be set!  To avoid creating an extremely long blog post I have not gone into great detail about how to properly use each product.  If you would like to learn how to use these products watch some of my upcoming YouTube videos that I will be starting soon and read my "Lenses" on Squidoo at http://www.squidoo.com/yourmakeupbag  these lenses each feature one of the products I have listed and talk about them in great detail!

Hair Doctor!

Lets be honest, we are all very hard on our hair.  Exposing it to the elements, using styling products, curling, straightening, teasing, sitting in the sun, you name it we do it.  So here are some of the most common hair ailments and what you can do to remedy them.

Hair Gone GREEN From the Pool
If you love to swim and dye or highlight your hair blond you may have experienced the unpleasant discovery of a slight green tint to your beautiful blond locks.   First of all there are a few simple ways to avoid this; easiest way to make sure you do not get green hair is to simply not swim in chlorine.  Next, if you are an avid swimmer you can wear a latex swim cap and wash hair immediately after swimming.  Now I was a lifeguard while I was in highschool, bleached my hair blond and being a vain teenager wouldn't be caught dead in a swim cap.  I would always saturate my hair quite completely in a leave in conditioner (this fills your hair with moisture so that it absorbs less of the chlorine filled pool water) and then wash it with a high quality cleansing shampoo right away not allowing the chlorine to sit on my hair for any amount of time after I was finished in the pool.
It is important to understand WHY the chlorine in the poo will turn your hair green.  Chlorine is a naturally clear chemical so a blue dye is added to the chlorine so that it can be seen and identified.  Blond hair is very porous as the cuticles (the pores of your hair) have been blown open by the bleach, making it very absorbent of any moisture it comes into contact with.  As your hair absorbs the chlorine full of blue dye it reacts with the yellow tones of your hair creating that green tone.
 The second reason is that there is a copper deposit in the piping of pools that can react with the blond hair dye giving it a green colour.  This is important to know because in some older homes you will find this same copper deposit and even taking a shower can tint those lovely blond locks green!

Now how do you fix it if it happens to you!?
The first remedy I would try is a great quality deep cleansing shampoo.  Wash the hair properly and give it two or three washes before you decide it is not working.

If that doesn't work then try washing your hair in tomato juice, the red in the juice will neutralize the green dye.  Make sure to leave the juice on your hair for a decent amount of time (3-5 minutes) and make sure it is TOMATO JUICE NOT A TOMATO DRINK OR COCKTAIL.

If the green in your hair still wont budge then you need to call your stylist and book an appointment asap!

Dull Lackluster Hair
If your hair is dull, flat and all together dead looking it can really bring down your look.  Sometimes your hair may be so dull even a healthy spritz of shine spray doesn't brighten it up.  This happens due to sun damage, build up of hair products, chemical damage and heat damage.
The remedy for this is again a great clarifying shampoo to wash out all build up on your hair, then start a healthy hair routine of moisturizing, proper cleaning and drinking lots of water!  Finally to bring your hair back to life have the ends trimmed to get rid of all those split ends, you will be surprised how much of a difference it makes to the look of your hair!

Dry Ends
This is the most common complaint I hear from people, what can they do about their dry and split ends?  Well there is not much you can honestly do about dry split ends, you can't "unsplit" them and split end treatments are only temporary as they simply add moisture to them and smooth them down.  The only remedy is to have them trimmed off and take better care of your ends next time!  Keep in mind no matter how well you take care of your hair you will always at some point have to trim the ends as they will still eventually get dry and split.

Hats hats hats!

The key to a great look is great hair... and what is the key to great hair? A GREAT HAT!  While there are many steps to having great hair I chose to start with hats because in the summer months we tend to spend lots of time out in the sun, and the sun is not only bad for your skin, it's no friend of your hairs either!  Hats should be worn all year round though as they protect your hair not only from the sun but from all of the elements.  It is important not only to wear a hat but to wear the RIGHT hat, if you don't feel comfortable with the hat you have you most likely wont wear it, so this article is going to be all about what hat will suit who the best!


*TIP* When laying out, or spending a prolonged time in the sun doing an activity such as a sport or gardening, tuck your hair up under your hat.  This will protect the ends of your hair which are more susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun.

**MYTH** Putting lemon on your hair is a great way to get natural highlights.  While it is true that the lemon may help bring out your natural highlights, putting lemon on your hair will severely dry it out.  Then when you sit in the sun with lemon in your hair it magnifies the damaging effects of the sun on your hair.

On to the Hats!

Oval Face
With an oval face you can really pull of any hat you like so make sure you love it so that you can rock it!  Go for something that you can wear on a daily basis that meshes well with your personal style.

This hat is available from Roxy at www.roxy.com

Round Face

You can balance your round face with a decent size brim and a high crown.  Small brimmed hats can make your face look more round.

This hat is available at Hats.com

Long Face

With a long face you want to balance out the shape with a wide brimmed hat that has a low set crown, this will break up the length. This hat is also from Roxy at www.roxy.com

Heart Face
With a heart shaped face you can also wear almost any hat you like but the best size brim is medium as it will keep your chin from looking to narrow.
This hat is from Roxy at www.roxy.com

Remember...always take care of your hair!

CUT IT! The Best Hair Cut for Your Face Shape

Having the right hair cut and or style is very important to looking your best.  The right style can make you look younger, slimmer and make you much more happy with your overall look.  There are some things to consider though when you chose to get a new haircut, especially if it is a drastic one.  First of all you need to sit down and think about why you want to change your style? Did an image coach advise you of a better style for your face/body? Do you want to change your look? Is this a rational or emotional decision?  You want to make sure that whenever you are making a drastic change to your appearance that you are making that choice for the right reason, remember that a new hair style won't mend a broken heart or advance your career! 

That said read on to see the right hairstyle for your face shape!


Oval Face
This is a very classic and common face shape. This face shape can generally wear any hair style.  This said the best way to accentuate and elongate the oval shape of the face you want to keep your hair long to medium length with long or no layers and long or no bangs.  Be wary of bob hairstyles, while an oval face can pull them off they will tend to make the face look much more round, because of this you want to avoid the bob if you are trying to look slimmer.
Bellow is an example of Hayden Panettiere when she went from her classic long style to a short bob with bangs.  While she still suites the shorter style it is very evident that the bob style makes her features much more round.

H

Heart Shape Face
Heart shaped faces get narrow at the chin, because of this you want a short style that has lots of volume and layers around the chin to even out the shape.  You want to avoid any short pixie cuts that will enhance your narrow chin.  Multi-tonal colour and highlights is also usually best for the heart shaped face.
Bellow is a great example of a heart shaped friendly shape:

Square Shape Face
For a square shaped face you want to break up the symmetry of your face by choosing a style that has elements such as a offset part, lots of layers, choppy styles or soft curls.
Bellow is Mandy Moore with asymmetrical bangs, layers and soft curls, all of which soften the square shape of her face:

R

Round Face Shape
When you have a very round face the goal is to  elongate the face and make it look more narrow.  A great style to create the illusion of a longer more narrow face is a cut that has soft feathered layers that frame the face.   You want to avoid bobs, especially severe ones, as these will only accentuate the shape of your face and make it look even more round then it really is.
Selena Gomez is a classic example of a round face shape and bellow is one of her more flattering fringe hairstyles:

Long Face Shape
For people with a long face the problem is generally a long forehead.  The cure for that is bangs, the bangs will disguise your long forehead.  You also want to stick to a length between the chin and shoulders that has some layering to add volume and make your face appear wider.
Bellow is an excellent example of a great long face hairstyle!

Fusion Strand Hair Extensions - Transform Yourself!

One of the biggest changes you can make to your look is your hair.  Cutting it all off can drastically change your look in many ways.  Sometimes cutting it off is a good thing and sometimes you regret it completely...no big deal it grows back...a couple years later (depending on how short you cut it). 

If you are anything like me that you go through different hairstyles almost every time you see your hair stylist. Last spring after almost 4 years of growing my hair I cut it in a Victoria Beckham inspired bob...I loved the short sassy style but as it grew out I knew I wanted long hair again and therefore had to begin the painful transition between short and long hair.  As my hair grew I would try to put in my clip in extensions but they are just not meant for someone with short hair, instead they are meant to add length and volume to hair that is already at least just past the shoulders.  So I got certified and learned to do Fusion Strand Hair Extensions, the method where hundreds of strands of hair are individually fused to your natural hair with a keratin bond.  (this is how celebs such as Paris Hilton can go from short bobs to long locks in no time).  Suddenly (after a 5 hour application) I had waist length hair which I then got cut and styled by my hair stylist and with proper care no one would ever know the difference!

Fusion stand hair extensions are a great way to add body, length (lots of it!) and colours to your hair.  Sounds simple enough but this process is not one to take lightly.  Fist of all in a salon this will cost you $1500 and up (someone like me does it for more like $500) and if the hair is not taken care of properly it will not last you the 4-6 months it could if you took proper care of it.  Care is extensive and time consuming because even though the hair is 100% Remy Human Hair it is not attached to your scalp like your natural hair so it is not receiving the nutrients that your real hair receives.  For full care instructions check out the care section of my Diva Locks hair extensions web page here.  Having hair extensions forces you to give your hair the care and attentions you should be giving it anyways!
Here is a before and after shot of one of my clients Daniella who got 22" extensions, to match her colour I mixed two shades of brown and then we added lots of platinum blond highlights for a new look.

So if you have short or medium length hair and want a big change research some hair extensions! You will fall in love with your new locks!

Swimwear Care

Caring for your swimsuit is not very hard but it does take a little bit of time and effort.  Though sometimes it seems so easy to just throw your bikini in the washer it is definitely not worth it!

What will happen to your swimsuit if you do not care for it?
- It will stretch out and no longer fit properly
- It will lose colour
- The elastics will stretch
- Embellishments will fall off
- It will not last very long

The rules to taking care of your swimsuit properly are simple and as follows:
NEVER use laundry detergent of any kind of your swimwear.  Not even the gentle kinds that claim to be good for delicates.  The reason for this is that the detergent is a chemical, your swimsuit is synthetic (made of chemicals) these react to one another and break down the fabric.  Instead you need to soak your swimsuit after every use in cold water with a natural cleaner such as Forever New then rinse and lay flat to dry.  Never wring it out or hang it to dry, make sure when you lay it flat that it is out of the sun.  If you cannot clean your swimsuit right after being used make sure to rinse it in at least cold water and keep it out of the sun until it can be cleaned.

Thats it! Nothing to it just takes a little time.  The key points to remember here are: clean right after use, NEVER put your swimsuit in the washer, dryer, never use laundry detergent and do not leave it out in the sun.  Make sure to get a great all natural product for cleaning your swimsuit like Forever New,
these can be purchased at some swimwear stores, lingerie stores and online at sites such as Amazon.com

xo. Diva

A Suit to Fit Every Body

Im going to start of with the most basic post about swimwear; what types of suits are best for each body type.  While working in swimwear retail I was constantly confronted with customers who thought they knew what kind of swimsuit worked best for them (even though they hated the way it looked) and they were always very pleasantly surprised  to learn they had many options and could actually look good in their swimsuit no matter what type of body they had.

My first piece of advice is; don't be afraid of the bikini!  Often women gravitate to the full piece swimsuit when they are uncomfortable with their appearance when if fact you could be making yourself feel worse by putting on a swimsuit that does not flatter your body!

Also please be sure to stay tuned for my next post on swimwear care.  I poorly cared for swimsuit is just as bad as one that doesn't fit you well!

 For the Curvy Girl:
If you have a bit of a tummy or any bulgy areas you want to look for swimsuits that have tummy control panels, they can be built in or hiding under a skirt.  Asymmetrical designs on the body can also trick the eye and make your body look slimmer.  Gathers that go around the body can also help to hide a tummy and disguise any bulges you don't want seen.  Finally the most important area for the all over curvy girl is support in the chest.  Don't be afraid of a little cleavage! Cleavage draws the eye up and distracts from the rest of the body, also having the girls up and perky makes your entire figure look tighter and leaner.  When looking for control in the chest look for a suit that has built in underwire or a great heavy duty elastic under the bust to give lots of support, thick straps are also important.  For colours, solids and black are always a safe choice, you can always add punches of colour and design with accessories!  Finally don't get stuck on the idea that skirts and swim-dresses are only for modest older ladies...they can be fun, flirty and even a little sexy, while falling strategically over all the bumps and hiding the ever dreaded top of your thighs.   The picture below features one of these such dresses that is available from www.alwaysforme.com   With a full figure you want to avoid bold large prints, low cut legs and boy shorts.

Large Chested Ladies:

If you are well endowed there is one word that you should live by: support.  First you want to look for a bikini top that has underwire.  However, with this said if you are larger then a C cup you want to avoid the bra style underwire tops that are padded as these can just push everything up and out.  What you want to look for with underwire is a top that has a separate bra with underwire built in.  The underwire is hidden so the suit can still look fun and sexy and young.  The picture below is a sunset bikini available at  www.sunsetsinc.com  and features a full built in supportive bra hidden inside the top for ultimate support up to an E cup.  You also want to look for wider straps and surprisingly halter tops.  Many large chested women shy away from halters because they feel they put to much pressure on the shoulders, but if you have a full support top you wont have this problem.  In fact the line that the halter straps create is a very slimming and flattering one.  If you are absolutely against underwire go for a halter top with wide straps and a wide band under the bust that is constructed with a heavy duty elastic.  You want to make sure to avoid strapless designs as they often offer no support, you also want to avoid the basic triangle tops because they also offer no support.  My final tip in this area is to find a shop that offers bikini tops in actual bra sizes!

                                                               

Short Torso Sisters:

If you have a short wide toro without a lot of curves the first area you should emphasize is your chest! Adding cleavage gives the allusion of a curvy figure and can make your waist look smaller.  When you pair this with a higher cut leg hole on your bottoms your torso with look much longer.  Bikini's with smaller bottoms are also your best friend.  If you are completely against going for a two piece then go for a one piece with a deep plunge V neckline. With a short torso you want to avoid high waisted bottoms, fuller bottoms, skirts and boy-shorts. 

The picture below is of a classic string bikini, this is a good option for the short torso as showing more skin gives the allusion of a longer body.  Again this swimsuit is available from Sunsets at www.sunsetsinc.com 

Long Torso Ladies:

Tankinis (a two piece made up of a tank top paired with a bottom) in mix and match colours can really break up the torso, if you want to show a little more skin and have a sexy look go for a one piece with cut outs (sometimes called a monokini).  If you do insist on going for a bikini then mix and match the top and bottom with prints and solids.

You definitely want to avoid solid one piece suits and high cut necklines.  If you do really want a once piece suit I have provided a good example of one that works below.  This is a great conservative suit for the long torso body and that is because of the squared off neckline!  The suit below is from Calvin Klein available at www.calvinklein.com 

Small on Top:

For girls like me who have a small cup size there are a few styles that can enhance the chest area.  Wearing a bra style underwire top that has a bit of padding added.  These tops are designed specifically to add fullness and create cleavage!  If you are uncomfortable with underwire then go for a top that has some gathering or ruffles and has lining that has removable bust padding.  If you don't mind the way your small chest looks you can wear just about any triangle style you want! To make your chest look a bit fuller in these triangle styles look for one that has the option of adding padding in the lining.  With a small chest you want to avoid bandeaus, tankinis and tight one piece styles.

The picture below features another Sunsets swimsuit that is a cute and sexy underwire bra top.  Available at www.sunsetsinc.com 

Wide Hipped Women:
If you have that pear shape dark solid bottoms with a colourful top are your best friend!  The key here is to draw the eye up your body and away from your hips.  Enhance your chest and neckline with prints accessories and cleavage!  On the bottom go for a fuller bottom.  Many women often feel that with large hips you want to cover less so you don't just see a ton of fabric, this is in fact wrong.  If you wear tiny little bottoms you will bring attention to all the skin that you have exposed!  Always avoid low slung or string bottoms.  The suit featured below in fact has a skirt bottom.  This skirt falls from just below the waist and skims over the hips not accentuating their shape.  Once again from Sunsets available at www.sunsetsinc.com

So I hope all of that has been helpful!  Please post any specific questions you have and I can address those. I realize I do show a lot of suits from the Sunsets collection and this is because they offer so many different styles for just about every body type you can imagine!

My final thoughts:
The key to looking good in your swimsuit is feeling good in it! Make sure you have help choosing your right size because swimwear sizing is different then clothing sizes.  If your swimsuit is to loose it will get even looser in the water and sag and be unflattering, if your swimsuit is to tight you will make your problem areas even worse.

Love your body and stay healthy!

xo. Diva

Welcome!

So it begins, my venture to help all women feel good about themselves in their clothes and ultimately their bodies!  Having studied fashion design and understanding the construction of clothing has changed my view on how we wear clothes completely! Also what we spend on clothes!

I have worked in many different retail situations over the years while I was a student, but it wasn't until I decided to create a swimwear collection for my fourth year in University that I suddenly became very aware about how clothing can affect women and how they see themselves and their bodies.  This became even more clear as I worked as an intern for a swimwear company, Destineau in Toronto,  and needed to create some swimwear and cover up designs that would help women feel excited about their swimsuits instead of afraid!  Finally I realized just how intimidating shopping could be for women when I started managing a swimwear store downtown Toronto.  Every single day it was woman after woman who would walk into the store reluctantly and wander around the store not having a clue what they were looking for.  These women would walk into the store with stories about how they hated swimsuits because they looked terrible in them but they had to have a new one, for their vacation since their old one was falling apart.  I found that after asking a few simple questions and assessing their body type I was able to find almost every woman a swimsuit that she not only felt comfortable with but looked great in!  It was after just a few short weeks at this job that I realized that I wanted to use my skills to help women in all clothing situations.

Each post of this blog will address different topics about clothing, body image and style.  So stop back often for all the tips and tricks to help you feel and look your best!  Please feel free to comment with any topics you would like me to touch on.

Since summer is just around the corner the next few posts will be about swimwear because we all know that bikini season can be the most scary of all!

xo. Diva