COME TO GRIPS WITH YOUR UNDERWEAR COLLECTION

The New Year is the ideal time for a wardrobe revamp. But before you entertain thoughts of new outfits, you have to get the foundations right.

Frill seekers: try figleaves.com for great designer names such as Elle McPherson, and practical yet pretty styles by Le Mystere at Bare Necessities

First, make space for a few new purchases by getting rid of everything you haven't worn at least once in the past three months, and anything that has lost its shape or colour through too many washes.
Now take a hard look in your underwear drawer.

You probably fall into one of two camps.
Have your own BRA INTERVENTION today. Start here.
Perhaps you are one of the many women who make do with uninspiring undies because they are one part of your wardrobe hidden from public view. You rely on functional, trusted staples in plain fabrics and only buy new pieces when the elastic gives up, or your best white bra goes pink in the wash.

Or maybe you have been seduced entirely by the sensuous and exotic offerings of cutting-edge lingerie brands such as Agent Provocateur, Mimi Holliday and Damaris and your drawers are bursting with beautiful but impractical frill.
This is the ever growing group of women who "impulse-buy" a dozen bras a year because they've fallen for the colour, the lace or the matching French knickers. They treat these new bras like a one-night stand, exiling them to the back of the underwear drawer after a single outing - and still have nothing to wear under a white T-shirt.

For 2008, the underwear collection that we should all aspire to is one that strikes a balance between functionality and fun. Before you hit the shops, think carefully about the gaps in your collection - what you really need, rather than what you want - remembering that the secrets to any successful purchase are size and style.

GET MEASURED UP
Make it your first New Year's resolution to go and get properly fitted. Research has shown that 75 per cent of us are wearing the wrong sized bra, a situation which causes discomfort and back-pain - not to mention a poor outline under clothes.
It is curious that a nation of women obsessed with size, who scrutinise dress and sweater labels to find the perfect fit, will casually ignore the obvious differences between a 32C and a 36A and merrily go through life wearing a 34B, simply because this was the size of the first bra we bought.
Marriage, children, exercise, surgery, weight loss or gain, stress and medication are among the factors which can change the measurement of a woman's bust. And sizes vary between styles and brands - particularly those made in France or Italy.

For the hard to fit sizes, 30AA to the recently introduced J cup, try




UPDATE YOUR STYLE

A huge range of underwear is out there, from strapless to sports bras, thongs to girly boxers. Think about the clothes you wear regularly and about the special occasions for which you might need something different. For every style of dress - low-cut, wrapover, backless - there's the lingerie that shows it off to best effect.
Your updated drawer should contain a couple of really well-made, classic bra and knicker sets in white or black for work; a T-shirt bra and seamless boy-short knickers which give smooth curves under tight fitting outfits, and a good quality sports bra if you do a lot of running or gym work - Visit our site for a more comprehensive selection.
Then to dressing-up time. Thanks to all the celebrity-led and designer diffusion ranges (Stella McCartney launches her first full underwear collection in February), statement lingerie - including decorative camisoles and girdles - is everywhere.
They have a breathtaking array of whimsical designs, from cute candy-stripes to luxurious vintage-inspired styles, and everything silky and sassy in between.

Prints, stripes and plum shades are going to be particularly popular this year. Now that you've taken the step of being measured properly, don't feel guilty about splashing out on something that makes you feel special.

HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD - Charla Krupp

I would have written this book if I could.

"How Not to Look Old" is the beauty and style bible every woman has been waiting for, a sort of cheat sheet of to-dos and fast fixes that pay off big time. It's written by style expert Charla Krupp.
After years of owning my own boutique and working with women of various shapes and sizes, we ALL have the same insecurities. We don't mind growing old , we just truly don't want to look bad while growing old.

Pic -ANGELA BASSETT - 55

A few weeks ago, I overheard a woman say " I am old, I am fat and I am broke!" Yikes

Read this book and then hopefully we will never have to use those words in a sentence ever. One at a time perhaps, hopefully not, but all three together - hopefully never!

In her book, she writes -
All right, I’m just going to come out and say it. Aging sucks. As my generation of women hits 40, 50, 60, we are for the first time discovering things about our faces and bodies that we never noticed before. Icky things like age spots, crow’s-feet, gray hair, chin hair, marionette lines, saggy boobs, spider veins, bunions — need I go on? I don’t think so. You know what I’m talking about. The question is: What are you — what are we — going to do about it? We’re going to fight aging — and we’re going to have a blast while doing it.
View an excerpt from MSNBC

Oprah has interviewed this style maven a few times and her style advice for older women are gems.

She even suggests makeup tips for women of an ahem "certain age".

Click here to view a selection of make up and beauty items.

53 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR IMAGE A LIFT IN 2008

It doesn't matter if you are 30,40,50 or 60, your looks and image could use a little tweaking every year, to prevent you from looking predictable and eventaually boring.Aside from undergoing a major transformation in 2008, here are 53 simple ways to give your looks a lift in 2008.

For me, 2008 is the year to:

1. Buy great pajamas. I will wear nice pyjamas and a nice robe. I think this sets the mood for yourself through the evening and ultimately reflects in how you treat yourself all day.I love this playful set by Betsey Johnson. Available from figleaves.com


2. Buy something luxurious - These luxurious and yet practical gloves by Roberto Cavalli ought to do the trick. At $98, I wont have to explain.



3. Update make up -Check out the top beauty trends for 2008
   



4. Not go on another diet. I will eat right and exercise with a partner. Easier said than done but I have realised I cannot do this on my own.



5. Get a great fitting pair of jeans. Imagine if you walked into a denim store and ALL of the jeans that did not fit you dissappeared! Yes, Tue Jeans does that. You enter your measurements and they give you jeans that fit. Check out TRUE JEANS -Forever change the way you shop for jeans. Modernize your look, Flaunt your assets with flared jeans from livenatty.com.
   
   
6. Buy comfortable great looking boots. Last year I wore these expensive designer flats and my feet were ripped to shreds on the outside. These boots are regularly $695 now $347.5


or these Jessica Simpson version at $142.5


7. Buy something plaid - (see above) available from shopbop.com
   
8. Buy a dress - Dresses are still huge for Fall and this trend will continue into Spring 2008.
   This gold cocktail is my favorite but you can find all kinds of gorgeous dresses at
eDressMe - dresses for all occasions


9. Buy something patent - like these Jean-Michel Cazabat Terry Stretch Patent Bootie. The evening-worthy bootie we've been craving in on-trend patent.Stretch, patent-leather bootie with Mary-Jane pump and ankle strap detail. 3.75" stiletto heel.


10. Buy good underwear - Throw out everything that does not fit. If you hang onto bad underwear, you will wear them!

Make good use of their
Bra fitting guide at HerRoom.com

The look is 1940's full on glamour... for this party season.

Fall is all about glamour. Full on glamour. One trend has dominated this season's catwalks and red carpets: the Forties. Think figure-hugging, hourglass outfits, hair in smooth waves a la Veronica Lake and crimson screen-siren lipstick.

It is time for women to utilize what the fun part of being a woman is. While this is a hard look to pull off every single day and may undoubtedly get stale, the sexytary look is all woman.

Fall 2007 shows Cavalli nod to the retro forties. His runway set looked straight out of old Hollywood, and the clothes like something borrowed from the soigné wardrobe of a Clark Gable and Carole Lombard flick. Models sported slim safari jackets, swaggering furs with toggle closures, and jodhpurs (OK, jodhpurs aren’t the most flattering look invented) with crisp, mannish button-downs and matching ties. The Lombard part of the equation came in billowy dressing gowns in Liberty peacock prints, more structured forties-style dresses (a real Fall trend), and a great-looking silvery short fur over a demure satin dress that turned to reveal a thigh-high slit.

High maintenance glamour is all very well for models and celebrities with an army of stylists, hair and make-up experts to create the look, but could a mere mortal carry off a retro revamp for the party season?

Meet the Retro Queens who epitomise the Forties glamour that is winter's must-have look. Read more

What? - Apparel for women who dont want to be called middle aged ...

They said Whaaaaat????
Clothes for middle-age women who don't want to dress like middle-age women." Could this be stating the obvious and exactly how do middle aged women dress?

Marketing to women of the baby boomer generation is a challenge for retailers, because many of these shoppers don't want to dress like traditional middle-aged women or shop in stores designed for that age group.
A number of retailers are trying to capture this market with new concepts: Bloomingdale's is launching a department called Quotation, which markets casual clothes for sophisticated mothers and female professionals, and Ann Taylor and Chico's are both planning new lines.

"Retailers are once again trying to target one of fashion's most elusive markets:
Is it me or are the clothing manufacturers and designers so far off base that you wonder if they have anybody older than 19 working for them? Click here to Watch the video.

How old is the sales girl? and the reporter? What a sell out!

I really find so much of this stuff insulting. Read more

But the fashion industry has struggled to appeal to such a broad consumer group, which ranges from traditional types who prefer flat shoes and ankle-length skirts to women who resemble characters from "Desperate Housewives."

Dear God,I think truly the term they should coin is boomerang. As in Boomer (okay you get it). I wasn't really going anywhere with that:). I know this group is very confusing as we all look so mahvelous but don't you think by now, that they should be getting it. After years of working in the store, this is what I know for a fact.

• The average woman is size 4 and 22. Dont try to pin it down to one size.
• The average woman is 4ft 10 to 6 ft. You cannot make this a science.
• The average woman hates too much spandex in her clothes, because she thinks she has back fat.
• The average woman does not like tight clothes because she thinks she has belly fat.
• The average woman wants to look good and comfortable without feeling she has to go through a math quiz trying to figure out her clothing options.
• The average woman wants knowledgeable sales staff - not teenagers selling clothing

Here's what Michael!!!!! had to say"Michael Fink, women's fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, says it's difficult for older women to figure out what's age appropriate, especially given the dizzying array of fashion brands available at every price level. "I am even overwhelmed when I go to the selling floor," he says. Poor Michael-he truly can relate.

It carries on:Younger models with long flowing hairstyles now appear in Chico's ads, along with middle-age models with shorter graying hair

This is my conclusion "Several retail initiatives are targeting a big-spending but tough crowd: boomer women" As long as they know that.

Please weigh in with comments. We'd love to hear from you.

In the meantime, read up on Stocks and Stilettos

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