Holidays- a break from the Norm!

I’ve just had my first holiday in a VERY long time!  It’s not that I haven’t been away but somehow going abroad to a nice warm place, while you know those at home are bundled up against the cold, feels very different to holidaying at home.

For the first few days I do very little, despite including exercise clothing in my suitcase, it’s invariably day 5 before I feel inclined to use it!  It’s also about day 5 that my brain tires of ‘doing nothing’ and craves information - I start to read the paper, a book, a magazine and now, a new revelation.… talking books on the plane!  A pure delight to put on the headphones and lay back with my eyes closed as the dulcet tones lull me into an almost sleep!  

And so the pattern’s set for the first few days after returning home - I observe the world from a very different place. 

·         After a day in my office I realised that a trip to an air-conditioned gym wouldn’t be as  restorative as fresh air - 45 minute walk

·         While walking, consolidated the day’s activities - returned with my brain feeling much calmer

·         Saw an alternative way of organising my ever-increasing list of projects and tasks – a change is as good as a rest for injecting fresh energy!

·         Recognised that the air freshener I was given for Christmas is as refreshing as good old fashioned fresh air – windows opened, brain clearer

·         Ensured I had a lunch break, including a walk to revitalise for the afternoon.

·         Cleared 2 items from my wardrobe that have been unworn for over a year

·         Cleared 2 items from the children’s toys that haven’t been played with for over a year

None of this is a huge revelation, I’m guilty of getting stuck in ‘business as usual’ as the days run into months – but by shifting lots of little things by one small notch, the energy and performance of my day has shifted considerably and my ideas for what can be achieved are growing.

From desks to wardrobes, homes and offices, to cars and gardens - a change of perspective can only be healthy – I’m now planning my next holiday, another new concept, generally that gets done on the plane as I come in to land! 

 

 

The Power of a Uniform

Uniform: Remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character.

Taking a flight to catch some winter sunshine recently I noticed the flight attendants, collectively.

At the start of the flight the attendants wear a suit complete with head wear.  As the flight gets under way..... jackets come off, head wear is stored for landing and an inherently uniform appearance is displayed.  Waistcoats are revealed and strong red lipstick is immaculately in place. From the identical styling of hair for all the female flight attendants with long hair (a neat bun sitting just above the nape of the neck) down to the shoes, they are uniform.  Representing the company and consistently delivering the brand values through their activities.

Throughout the flight, we received efficiency, smiles and excellent service. ... consistently.

Consistently for the whole flight and consistently from all attendants.  It's for a reason that Emirates has an excellent reputation amongst airlines for their travellers’ experience.

Their staff training and high standards will have contributed significantly to producing these results but it's no coincidence that there is similar attention to detail and prescription with both their uniform appearance and the appearance of their uniform as there is to their standards of performance.  Not surprisingly, as well as being highly regarded Emirates is a successful business.

Or is much of my experience subjective?  How much does their appearance contribute to and reinforce my expectations?  It’s a widely recognised fact that if you look like you’re going to do an excellent job then people perceive that you will.

What could we all learn from this for ourselves and our businesses?  While it may not literally be a uniform you need, what does your daily 'uniform' communicate about you ....does it support you in achieving your goals......? Is your appearance consistent with you, your product or service; is your personal brand congruent, credible and believable and do you deliver in line with the expectations you set?

Internet Shopping

I’ve just done my shopping… on a Sunday!  The shop was warm and comfortable, like my favourite armchair, it only took me an hour, AND I was home with my feet up in no time.

Internet shopping, not everyone’s cup of tea, but extremely handy for busy people when you know what you’re looking for (style, shape, colour, patterns, proportions) and even better when you know which brands suit you and fit you.

While browsing our Facebook page and following the trail threads, I was prompted to look at a brand that works really well for my clothing personality (Classic Ingenue) and figure shape (sharp curve), (Damsel in a Dress) – and thanks to the bargain I picked up in the January sale, (a dress for £50 reduced from £189), I even know my size! 

The beauty of internet shopping is that once I’ve decided to buy I order several items to try on in the comfort of my own home… with my accessories and shoes ‘handy by’.  I just need to make sure I return them promptly if I don’t want them, it’s what my Granny called trying ‘on approval’…. Bring it home, try it and if it doesn’t work, take it back to the shop!  The age of the credit card has made this to everyone’s mutual benefit, providing you have the discipline to take it back you can order more than you’re prepared to spend, allowing you to try a few things and select which work best.   I placed the order at 10pm on Sunday and by Tuesday, the delivery had arrived. 

I’m not a fan of shopping because taking my clothes off is such a hassle!  So much easier to try them on as I’m on my way to bed or getting dressed in the morning – it’s more time efficient, my husband is there to offer a second opinion and I can generally get unwanted items in the post the next day and back on my credit card before the next bill is issued!

However, from bygone days of catalogue shopping, I’m well aware of the advantages of shopping knowing my colours and clothing personality.  Much as some outfits look fantastic on the models, I recognise the ones that won’t work so well on me, whether it’s pattern type, scale, colour scheme or shape, some things are clearly MINE and most are not – a great time and energy saver!

I’ve been too busy writing this to be bothered to try them on tonight however, tomorrow morning will suffice and my credit card balance will live to tell the tale!

 

 

Black is Easy

Black is easy ….. or so they say – according to many people, some professional Style Consultants included, you can wear Black with anything.

Well of course you can… but why would you want to?

For the past 15 years I haven’t had black in my wardrobe, with the notable exception of a pair of maternity trousers, all I could find in a moment of need!  As a Summer, black wasn’t a good look and while it was below the waist, my husband and I both noticed the ‘killer effect’ it had compared to wearing other trousers which were from my colour palette.  And it was a killer – it drained the life from my outfit and from me – the last thing I needed given how I was feeling! 

I’d known from the age of about 16 that black didn’t suit me – somewhere I have a picture of me in a black sweatshirt proving more ‘deathly pallor’ than ‘porcelain glow’.  Unfortunately, this revelation wasn’t entirely valuable, seeing what DID work would have been far more useful. So, what of the other belief that ‘Black is slimming’?  It’s true, within the visual effects caused by colour, that Black is slimming; however, it is not so much the colour, rather the dark shade, inherently in black, which is the slimming element.  In Feng Shui, black is a colour which ‘absorbs’, thus darker colours absorb the light, causing objects to recede or disappear; lighter colours reflect the light making objects appear larger or more visible. (Consider painting a room white vs. a darker shade of any colour and the room will appear larger in white).  This tends to translate for me as wearing a belt that is the same or darker shade as the rest of my outfit, rarely lighter – to make my waist look slimmer. 

Thus, while you can wear Black as a slimming colour, surely it’s far better to choose one of YOUR dark colours i.e. a colour from your palette, in this way you will look slimmer AND healthy, not just slimmer!

Nicole Kidman demonstrates this:

 

 

 

 

Or better still, step out confidently in one of your 2-star colours knowing you look fantastic:

 

 

And in the words of Gok Wan “Black is easier than you think ……to get it wrong”