Don’t we all love spring? Short, gloomy days are finally coming to an end and the sun is out! Although it’s still chilly in the mornings and evenings, bright spring flowers lift the spirits and herald summer.

Shake off the winter blues; don light-hearted clothes and  accessories. Spring sees the return of colour and cheerful prints.

Spring dressing is about layering: put on a layer or take it off as the temperature varies in a day. And always take a light jacket or warm jumper out with you in case the temperature drops.

Key Wardrobe Concepts

• Cheerful colours and prints on warm fabrics
• Gradual shift from dark neutrals to light neutrals like beige and white as the weather warms.
• Light to mid-value colours
• Vibrant, clear colours like those of the spring flowers are typical of the season’s palette.
• Solid blocks of bright colour or floral, watercolour and circular prints
• Less texture
• Light to medium-weight fabrics (in lightweight wool, wool/polyester, wool/silk, wool/cashmere, cashmere, cashmere/silk)
• Medium-weight outer wear (in cotton, polyester, polyester/viscose, viscose/rayon/polyamide)
• Light, thermal/cotton tank-top or camisole inner-wear  for evenings and cooler days.
• Jewellery with coloured stones
• Bags in light neutrals (tan, medium-light brown, beige, light grey, dark cream) or in cheerful colours and motifs – in canvas, leather, pleather or other man-made material
• Lighter-soled,  neutral (tan, brown, beige, dove-grey, dark cream) or coloured shoes.

Men: loafers, Italian-style thin leather soled shoes, boat shoes, mesh sports shoes/sports sandals

Women: peep-toes, sling-backs, ballerina pumps, open-back pumps + female versions of what the men wear.

Revel in Spring’s lively colors, prints and fresh styles.  Feel your mood get upbeat as you look forward to the new beginnings and new possibilities of Spring. Enjoy!

Learn more  » read Dress Cool for Summer

The writer, Denise Ng, is a certified image consultant in Singapore. Her consultancy Imago Image specializes in personal image, offering advice on style, the art of dressing, wardrobe, color, grooming, etiquette and protocol and communication skills. She is President of the South Asia-Singapore Chapter of AICI , a global professional association of image consultants.

It’s best to be minimalist when dressing to beat the heat:

• Opt for light to medium colors. Lighter colors reflect the sun’s rays, rather than absorb them and keep heat at bay.

• Wear soft pastels evoking tranquil hazy summer scenes, or brightly tropical vibrant hues appropriate for the season.

• Reflect the casual mood and look of summer with clothes and accessories printed with flowers, leaves, polka dots, colorful stripes and geometrics, gingham, small checks, cheerful vistas or ethnic motifs.
  

• Keep cool with light-weight and sheer fabrics like challis, chambray, poplin, tulle, georgette and chiffon – in cotton, linen, silk or man-made fibers.

• Stay comfortable in natural fibers like cotton, linen and silk and viscose. These materials are not only cooler but also healthier to wear than man-made fabrics like polyester, rayon, polyamide and nylon because they “breathe”. They naturally absorb moisture and dissipate it, keeping you cooler and dryer as your body temperature rises. 100% natural fiber feels coolest: the more man-made fiber in the fabric, the less comfortable it is to wear in the heat and humidity of summer. Generally, man-made fibers do not wick away wetness nor release heat as efficiently so they can feel uncomfortably damp and stifling when you are active. They often give off a sour smell as sweat dries on them and have a tendency to retain odor. They do, however, dry fast which makes high-tech materials good for sports wear.
  

• Open shoes offer the comfort of cooler tootsies. If your job or the occasion require closed shoes, leather lining and leather inner soles help to reduce the problem of sweaty, smelly feet. Leather shoes “breathe” and ease when your feet swell.
  

• Shorter and briefer garments are breezier, giving you more exposed skin surface to dissipate sweat and body heat but take a lesson from those from equatorial countries – employ a natural sunblock – cover up lightly when outdoors to protect yourself from the burning rays. Try: a wide brimmed hat, loose sleeves, thin pants, a long flowy skirt, a UV sun-shade umbrella or a feather-weight cotton shawl… It really does keep you cooler, not to mention sun-burn free.

Have fun in the sun!

Learn more  » read The Yin and Yang of Style

Dressing Spring Style

The writer, Denise Ng, is a certified image consultant in Singapore. Her consultancy Imago Image specializes in personal and corporate image, offering advice on style, the art of dressing, wardrobe, color, grooming, etiquette and protocol and communication skills. She is President of the South Asia-Singapore Chapter of AICI , a global professional association of image consultants.

Yin and Yang
Beware of over-doing or under-doing mix and match. “Matchy, matchy” is uninspiring and contrived (a one color outfit, a full set of matching jewelry, or a striped suit, shirt and tie). Conversely, mixing too many colors, styles and designs causes the individual features in an outfit to compete for attention.  The result: garish and over-the-top.

Any style maven will tell you that clothes, shoes, bag, jewelry, watch, spectacles, sunglasses and even hair and make-up must work together.  “Boring”? Not at all. The savvy dresser combines different elements of color, line and design in unique ways that assert individuality, and gets it right by following rules of balance and proportion! Counterbalance colors, textures, prints, fabric weights, lengths and ornamentation. It gives a sense of harmony to an outfit. Call it the “yin” and “yang” principle of style.

Contrast, complement and off-set your clothes, accessories and cosmetics by combining:

Lighter with darker colors
E.g. a black outfit with silver accessories

Strong with neutral colors
E.g. red lipstick with a black dress, a dark brown belt with a beige outfit

Bright colors with neutrals
E.g. a Hawaiian print shirt with white trousers

Visually advancing colors with receding colors
E.g. a yellow T-shirt with dark blue jeans

Textured with smooth fabrics
E.g. a velvet jacket with a silk dress

Matte with light-reflective fabrics or detailing
E.g. a wool crepe dress with a satin sash and beading at the neck-line and cuffs

Transparent with opaque fabrics
E.g. chiffon blouse with a fine wool skirt

Patterned with plain materials
E.g. a striped shirt with a plain suit

Heavy or eye-catching detailing with a plain or less detailed one
E.g. an embroidered top with a plain skirt

An outstanding accessory with less eye-catching pieces
E.g. fun glasses with stud earrings

Multi-color with monotone
E.g. a loud print shirt with plain bermuda shorts

Larger with smaller
E.g. an oversize shirt with skinny jeans

Thicker with thinner
E.g. a heavy cable-knit sweater with wool gabardine trousers

Long with short
E.g. a long jacket with a knee-length skirt

Wide with narrow
E.g. a full skirt with a camisole top

Loose with tight
E.g. a blouson top with a fitted skirt

Follow these “yin and yang” rules of dressing and your outfits will have a sense of congruence. Style is not all about fashion and top brands: what’s in, what’s out, what’s covetable…Well-balanced lines, designs, scale, proportions and color are fundamental to creating a great outfit and the starting point to developing your own personal style!

Learn More » read ‘Dress Sense for the Style Challenged‘

The writer, Denise Ng, is a certified image consultant in Singapore. Her consultancy Imago Image specializes in personal and corporate image, offering advice on style, the art of dressing, wardrobe, color, grooming, etiquette and protocol and communication skills. She is President of the AICI South Asia-Singapore Chapter, a global professional association of image consultants.

Match your clothing shape to your body shape:
- Straight and tailored shapes for straight or angular figure types.
- Fitted silhouettes for curvy, rounded figures.
- Shaped outlines if you are in-between straight and curvy.

Match the style of your garment to your over all body line:
- Designs with straight or angular lines in stiffer fabrics for straight, angular figures.
- Styles with rounded lines in soft, fluid fabrics for curvy bodies.
- Straight cuts in softer fabrics or shaped styles in firm fabrics for in-between body types.

Match the internal lines of your clothing and accessories to your facial lines:
- If you have an angular face with sharp or straight features, opt for clothing details (collars, necklines, buttons, darts, fabric prints etc.) and accessories that are angular, linear or straight.
- If you have a soft face shape and curved features, choose curvy clothing details and accessories with rounded lines and detailing.

Complement the lines or design of your clothing with accessories that follow the internal or external shape of it
E.g. a filigree necklace to match a scroll print skirt

Restrict the focal points in your outfit to three
E.g. a strong color, a visually outstanding piece of jewelry, interesting spectacles

Complement the colors in the focal piece of your outfit (The interesting shirt, the outstanding piece of jewelry, the gorgeous shoes…) with:
1. Another garment that has one or more of its colors in it, or
2. Neutral color garments and an accessory that has one or more of its colors in it.

Accessories can:
1. Repeat at least one of the accent colors in your outfit, or
2. Be a neutral metal complementing the undertones of your outfit, or
3. Be in your skin or hair color — a body harmony color.

Combine clothing and accessory colors (including metals) with the same base-tone:
- Warm under-toned colors with other warm under-toned colors
- Cool under-toned colors with other cool under-toned colors

Ensure the colors of your outfit are either clear or opaque, not both:
- Clear, vibrant colors with other clear, vibrant colors
- Dull, muted colors with other dull, muted colors.

If you mix different prints in one outfit, keep the colors in the same tonings.

Wear your hair or skin colors as neutrals.

Wear clothes that fit:
- The correct size for your build
- The proper scale for your height and build (petite, average or over-scale)
- The proper fit for your shape (does not pull, squeeze, gape, bunch, pucker, ride-up, show a panty or bra line or create bulges)

Wear separates with the following hemline proportions for balance:
- ½ top : ½ bottom,
- 1/3 top : 2/3 bottom,
- 2/3 top : 1/3bottom,
- 7/8 top : 1/8 bottom

When an outfit comes together, your clothes, accessories and make-up will complement each other and you. Have dress-sense; follow the simple style and bodyline rules above and whatever your personal fashion direction, you will be dressed with style!

Learn More » read Influence with Color Psychology »

The writer, Denise Ng, is a certified image consultant in Singapore. Her consultancy Imago Image specializes in personal and corporate image, offering advice on style, the art of dressing, wardrobe, color, grooming, etiquette and protocol and communication skills. She is President of the AICI South Asia-Singapore Chapter, a global professional association of image consultants.

The image consultants at IMAGO IMAGE in Singapore are fashion experts who will guide you on how to dress to impress. They understand the concepts of style, bodyline, color and wardrobe. IMAGO IMAGE fashion consultants give you comprehensive, authoritative advice on combining your apparel for an attractive, polished look, whatever your fashion direction, whether casual or formal, for work or for play.

Discover the Art of Dressing
An IMAGO IMAGE Art of Dressing consultation, talk or workshop is conducted by experienced style and fashion consultants. Learn from fashion experts. IMAGO IMAGE fashion consultants will teach you how to create an attractive outfit; how to combine fabric prints, colors and textures; how to discern clothing quality and fit.

Learn what to wear for different social and work occasions and for travel; how to dress appropriately and how to decipher those baffling dress codes—casual, smart casual, semi-formal and formal wear. Your personal fashion consultant will teach you how to dress for your build, height and figure-type according to the principles of clothing line, scale and proportion. Your fashion consultant will give you individualized advice on how to dress to flatter your figure; how to disguise your figure flaws and how to enhance your positive features so that you can always look attractive.

Pick up fashion tips from your fashion consultant on dressing for different climates, on how to pack for travel, how to look a million dollars in a bargain basement garment, how to accessorize, and much more. IMAGO IMAGE fashion consultants will give you the skills to dress to impress.

Dress for Success
IMAGO IMAGE The Art of Professional Dressing offers business professionals invaluable information on how dress to impress on the job, for interviews and in business social situations. Improve your business image; learn how to dress appropriately and look professional for a job search, a job promotion or to reflect the corporate image of your company. A polished, sophisticated appearance gives a favorable impression of competency and trustworthiness, equipping you to achieve your professional objectives. IMAGO IMAGE fashion consultants offer specific advice on how to dress for career success. Following a consultation, shop with an IMAGO IMAGE consultant for on-the-spot advice on suitable apparel.

IMAGO IMAGE Art of Dressing Courses
IMAGO IMAGE fashion consultants bring you their knowledge and expertise on the art of dressing in individual consultations, group talks and corporate workshops. IMAGO IMAGE Art of Dressing and Art of Professional Dressing courses are conducted by fashion experts and give comprehensive, specific advice on how to dress attractively to complement the figure, as well as your lifestyle and job. Choose from the following modules:

The Art of Dressing

• How to dress to impress.
• How to put together an attractive outfit.
• Dressing for your build and figure type.
• How to dress to flatter your figure.
• How to camouflage figure flaws.
• How to combine fabric prints, colors and textures.
• Discerning clothing quality and fit.
• Clothing formality: definitions of casual and formal wear.
• Dress codes: appropriate clothing for different occasions.
• How to match shoes, bags, jewelry, glasses and other accessories.

The Art of Professional Dressing

• How to achieve a polished, global business-like appearance.
• How to dress for career success
  - looking professional, able and reliable appearing successful and in-control
  - dressing for promotion
  - dressing to attract respect and attention
• How to match jackets, suits, shirts and ties and blouses and scarves, shoes, hose, bags and other accessories.
• Business dress codes: understanding business casual and business formal wear
• Interview dress codes and how to dress for interview success.
• How to dress appropriately for work.
• Dressing for travel.
• How to support your company’s corporate image with your dress.

The Art of Professional Dressing is also included as a module within the Communicate and Dress for Success: Executive Package designed for corporate workshops.

>>Would you like an IMAGO IMAGE Art of Dressing consultation or corporate workshop? YES>

>>Pick up tips on how to dress well. Read the following articles by Denise Ng, principal image consultant at Singapore-based image consultancy IMAGO IMAGE:

• The Yin and Yang of Style
• Dress Sense for the Style Challenged
• Dress Cool For Summer