I get a lot of questions about fashion personas. Many women feel that they aren’t a perfect fit for one of them in particular. That’s ok! The descriptions of the personas are extreme. You don’t need to be a long-haired, bead-wearing hippie from the ’60s to be classified as Bohemian. You don’t need to stick to navy twin sets, tan pants and loafers to be a modern-classic. And you don’t need to be a platform-wearing, skinny jeans girl to be a trendy fashionista.

Instead, you could be:

• An artistic urbanite who was in heaven this season with all the black and grey fashion. But you also chose to wear a bright green patent tote while keeping your earrings and necklaces exotic.
• A classic fashionista who felt that she couldn’t wear skinnies, but embraced waist-belts, longer length tunics and bubble skirts, without giving up  button down shirts, cardigans and bootcuts.

Our personal style is often a mixture of more than one persona. Once we’ve taken into account our body type, age, personality, lifestyle and budget we can adopt an appropriate fashion persona or become a mixture of a few. Sometimes, we might love the idea of a particular persona but look so much better dressed as another. Fashion personas can also change over time. We might feel the need to adopt a trendier look after being modernly-classic or sporty for too long. Or, it might be time to become an updated classic or retro urbanite after years of being a bo-ho hippie. 

Develop an individual sense of style and make sure that you experiment with current trends all the time. Don’t be afraid to try new things. And don’t worry about having a constantly-evolving fashion persona. The only constant in life is change.

I like to watch the fashion on the red carpet during the award ceremony season. This is the best time for stylists and designers to shine. Every year there seems to be a trend and so far “the white dress” was a popular choice at this year’s Golden Globes. While only one of the white dresses was amongst my personal favourites – it was nice to see a contrast to the overwhelming number of black dresses that have dominated the party scene over the holiday season.

I had expected to see lots of jewel-toned dresses (with the imminent explosion of colour for Spring 2007), but they were few and far between. Instead, shiny metals, svelte black numbers and neutral shades were in abundance.

My favourite dresses this year:

• Emily Blunt – in white and silver
• Naomi Watts – in periwinkle blue and metallic embroidery 
• Cate Blanchett – in black lace 
• Eva Longoria – in Grecian navy blue 
• Angelina Jolie – in smoky grey 
• Jennifer Lopez – in black and gold
• Reese Witherspoon – in acidic yellow
• Beyoncé – in glitzy gold
• Meryl Streep – in Grecian nude

Choosing the best dresses is subjective and personal. Stylists will differ enormously on this topic and so will your friends. I’d love to hear your list if you happened to watch the show.

See what the E! online fashion police have to say about Golden Globes fashion.

Winter is the perfect time to wear a hat. It not only adds interest to your outfit, but keeps you warm – extremely practical if you commute on foot. Newsboys and Cadets are the “it” hats of the season. They are more or less the same silhouette with slight differences in the crown and head of the hat. Newsboys tend to be slouchier than Cadets, which fit more snugly around the head.

Hats are not for everyone (especially if you fear “hat-hair”). But you might be surprised how gorgeous you look if you give one a try. Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters have an excellent hat selection this season.

And be sure to keep your hats in an accessible spot. We often forget about this accessory when its hidden somewhere in the back of our wardrobe.

Roomy Newsboys from Anthropologie.

Tailored Cadets from Anthropologie (left) and Urban Outfitters (right)

Are there any rules left for age-appropriate dressing? This is not an easy question to answer when women today are looking better than ever at ages 40 and over. However, I am still part of the old school of thought that “mutton should not be dressed up as lamb”, no matter how fabulous your body is. There is a difference between looking youthful and looking tarty.

Stylists will differ on what age-appropriate dressing means and rules will be broken when we live in a world of botox and personal trainers. That said, here are my rules when it comes to dressing women stylishly for their age:

• 20’s and early 30’s – virtually anything goes at this age, especially if you have the body type. Have fun following fashion fads and wearing them in just about any combination. You’ll get away with it all and modesty needn’t be top of your list. Ultra short skirts, skin tight dresses, plunging necklines, accessory overload and carefree casual dressing is perfectly acceptable when you have youth on your side. Celebrities like Sienna Miller, Kate Moss and Jessica Alba can take fashion right to its edge because they are at the right age. 
• mid 30’s and 40’s – this is when a fundamental style change is in order. You are not a teenager anymore even if you have the body of one. Strive to look more pulled together, tailored and sophisticated. Opt to be smart-casual rather than casual most of the time. Become a little more serious about fashion and maintaining a high level of polish. You can still be funky and fashion forward if that’s your persona, but you’ll need to bypass trends that prevent you from looking chic. Pay closer attention to the accessories that you choose and the cosmetics that you buy.  Pay a little more for something that is better-end. Naomi Watts, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julianne Moore epitomize style for this age group.
• 50’s and 60’s – there is never a need to dress maturely, just appropriately. Wearing tailored and structured clothing of impeccable quality is imperative when you are over the age of 50. Strive to look refined, smart and uncluttered. Select clothing with clean lines and interesting cuts. Stay away from basic t-shirts and loud prints. You’ll still look fabulous in a pair of dark-wash higher rise jeans as long as you dress them up with an elegant shirt, jacket and shoes. Add drama and personality through your accessories and hairstyle whilst keeping your clothing items and make-up simple and dignified. Catherine Deneuve and Jane Fonda are effortlessly chic at this age.

For me, stylish age-appropriate dressing is about becoming smarter, more tailored and more modest as you get older. What are your views? Let us know by leaving a comment to this entry.

Sienna Miller, Julianne Moore and Jane Fonda, each stylish at a different age.

I am frequently asked how many times you can wear a pair of jeans before popping them in the wash. I have found that unless you’ve spilled, traveled, traipsed in the mud, or perspired heavily in them, three times works well. Any longer tends to alter the original fit of the jeans (they stretch and grow); and any shorter is wasteful. Denim will fade every time you wash it, so you should only do so when necessary. This was also the advice I received from a denim manufacturer when I worked in the fashion industry as a buyer.

Sometimes we need to attend a fancy do straight from work, with no time to go home and change before the event. Going from “desk to dinner” can be done stylishly with a few instant nighttime touches to your business casual or smart casual daytime outfit. Just add the following items: 

• Dressy heels – strappy sandals, jeweled sling backs or colouful platforms are shoes that you wouldn’t necessarily wear to work, but that you could change into just before the function.
• Fancy clutch – it’s imperative to carry a dainty bag to an evening event. Clutches are still my favourite option, but any fancy little handbag that matches your outfit will work.
• Some bling – a beautiful bracelet, necklace or earrings are just the thing to take your outfit into nighttime standards.

The above items are particularly easy to add to a worksuit or separates. By changing your shoes and your bag, and adding a piece of show stopping jewelry, you’ll have successfully modified your work outfit.

Sparkly drop earrings, a cuff bracelet and shiny heels (Nordstrom) are an instant dressy touch.

The shape of your shoulders can affect the overall look of an outfit and they rarely get the attention that they deserve. Clothing that fits poorly on your shoulders can ruin a chic silhouette. Do you have narrow shoulders? I do, but over the years I’ve developed strategies to flatter this part of my body.

• Wear clothes that fit your shoulders perfectly – shoulder seams need to be snug and in the correct position. Shoulder seams that drop when they are not an intended style feature are unflattering. 
• Select puffy sleeves – this will increase the width of your shoulders in a pretty and feminine way. But make sure that the shoulder seam of the puffed sleeve is on your shoulder. You won’t get that long lean line if it drops off your shoulder and looks too big.
• Select big collars – large collars with oversized lapels work wonders on narrow shoulders. Polo-necks and turtle-necks are also good options.
• Select raglan sleeves – people with broad angular shoulders should generally stick to tops with raglan sleeves. But somehow this style works perfectly for narrow shoulders as well. You never need to worry about an incorrect shoulder seam position with a raglan sleeve. 
• Keep the stance of your jacket high – the stance (where the highest point on a jacket hits the chest) is most flattering when it buttons above your bust line. This is especially true when you are small chested.
• Avoid boat necks, scoop necks, thin spaghetti straps, collarless shirts and jackets – these styles will make your shoulders look even narrower. Opt for wider straps on tops that are sleeveless and stick to tops that have some sort of collar.

It’s extremely important for clothing to fit you properly on your shoulders. Narrow shoulders are generally difficult to fit and especially so if you also happen to be well-endowed. Going up a size to fit your bust often leaves your shoulders swimming in extra fabric. This is when finding a good tailor is the only answer.

The grey blouse on the left was made for narrow-shouldered women. Its snug shoulder seam, puffed sleeves, gathered yoke and detailed collar flatter the models small frame perfectly. The pink shirt does exactly the opposite for the small framed model on the right. The shoulder seams drop and therefore fit her poorly. This style of shirt is better suited to curvy rounded shoulders.

Winter clothing often makes us feel bulky and unfeminine. Chunky knits, turtlenecks, tweeds and thick soled shoes aren’t half as alluring as your favourite sexy summer pieces. Winter dressing calls for a chic and tailored approach.

Here’s how:

• Choose your fabrics carefully – winter clothing does not need to be thick to keep you warm. Select knitwear and coats made of finer fabrics such as mohair, wool blends and cashmere yarns instead. They are light, airy and just as warm. Chunky knitwear and polar fleece might make you look and feel bigger than you are.
• Keep your clothing streamlined – choose tailored clothing. There is nothing as sophisticated as a perfectly tailored coat. Match it up with a shaped collared shirt, cashmere pullover and ultra-long slacks or jeans with heels for an instantly chic look.
• Wear heeled boots – long heeled boots worn with knee length skirts, jeans, slacks, culottes or walk shorts are always a feminine alternative. 
• Make the most of winter accessories – funky hats, pretty scarves and dainty gloves are wonderful ways to keep warm and look fabulous in winter. Consider wearing accessories instead of bulking up with extra layers.

Keep it lady-like and tailored to feel just as girlie in winter as you do in summer.

Even lanky models look bigger than they are in the bulky knitwear above, but…

…streamlined cashmere and wool-blend pullovers can be more feminine and flattering.

Don’t forget to look fab in the snow! Whether you ski or snowboard, or just enjoy hanging out with others who do – make sure that you do it with style. This is the time to be kitted out in practical, comfortable and flattering gear that keeps you looking posh and polished as you hit the slopes.

It’s a good idea to buy a capsule of gear that you can mix-and-match. In this way you won’t get bored wearing the same outfit 5 days in a row.  Winter white, black, red and bright colours are my personal preference for snow gear simply because they stand out brilliantly against white snow. While you’ll certainly need enough room to maneuver, select inner and outer layers with a bit of shape – you’ll always look slimmer that way.

Stores like REI, Roots, Columbia, Patagonia and Helly Hanson are also on sale at the moment. With the best months for snow sport ahead of us – you might want to update at least part of your winter sporting outfit.

Hard and soft shell jackets, ski pants and wooly hats – all from REI. Winter sporting gear is expensive, but if this is something that you like to do, make sure that you have fabulous gear for the sport that you love.

The apparent absurdity of the retail cycle holds true in both Northern and Southern hemispheres. Those of you in the middle of a freezing winter will soon see flimsy Spring dresses displayed in store windows. If you are experiencing a sweltering Summer, Autumn knitwear and lightweight coats are about to appear in your favourite stores.

The next few weeks are your last chance to buy for your current season. Don’t expect to find cashmere pullovers, knee high boots and scarves when the weather is at its coldest. And don’t expect to find shorts and swimwear when Summer is at its peak.

Additionally, store stocks are purposefully low in January as retailers put their entire season’s collection on markdown. With a good few months of Winter or Summer left, now is the time to buy up the items you still need for this season.