Blushes Summer Wardrobe Refresh with Michelle Blake-O'Brien

Summer is the perfect time to take stock of what you have in your wardrobe…

…what to get rid of and what you need to add to perfect your capsule wardrobe. Moving into the warmer months and coming out of lockdown just in time to show case summer clothing, we’re more excited than ever to start planning.

Fashion and hair go hand in hand, if you’ve experienced the Blushes Hair ID, you’ll know how inextricably linked the two are. When one is out of focus, it throws everything else out of balance.

In preparation for going out again, having a reason to wear make up and something other than loungewear, we caught up with International Style maven Michelle Blake O’Brien on building your summer capsule wardrobe, reinventing items you already have and how to style your wardrobe around your individual features.

Michelle is also offering one of our readers the chance to win a Style ID or Colour ID consultation, keep reading to find out how to enter.

The Fundamentals: Hair & Colour ID

As trends come and go, there will always be certain colours, key pieces and shapes that you’re drawn to every season. The most important foundation is finding what suits you as a person based on your personality, features and lifestyle - rather than what’s trending - to make you look and feel your best. Michelle pioneered the ultimate consultation in both hair and style that goes further into depth than any other.

Primarily identifying what works best for you begins with your eyes and your skin tone. Identifying your tones; cool, neutral or warm and the opacity of your eyes is your starting point. From this discovery it opens up a world of colour options to you, and how to apply depths and shades to your wardrobe.

Michelle’s Colour ID philosophy begins with pairing the eye colours with the sorts of colours you should be wearing. As an example, if you have pale blue eyes that are bright you’ll be best pairing with colours that are also lighter, but bright, to illuminate the skin and eyes. Medium depth eyes lend themselves best to colour families that are tonal, think this seasons classic neutrals, with a hint of warmth such as buttermilks, sand, camel etc. Whereas darker, deeper eyes work better with more solid hues that work well against their skin tone, be bold and use colour-blocking in your wardrobe to maximise your look.

Michelle’s tip: Use layering and accents to your advantage, if there are colours that you absolutely love but don’t work as well against your eyes or skin tone don’t give them up! Try wearing them further away from your face, such as an over jacket, shoes or accessories. The colours closest to our faces should compliment the skin and eyes but there’s still room for others in your wardrobe.

APPLYING STYLE AND ARCHITECT ID

In the same way that we talk about your facial architecture and what hair cut best suits you, your style should also take into account your body architecture. Finding your style ID works in a way to balance your proportions whether you have a smaller frame, a softer frame or somewhere in between. Subtle tweaks can make a massive difference, such as: wearing flowing, romantic dresses on petite frames with a heavier shoe to contrast, or pairing wide leg jeans with a heeled boot if you’re on the shorter side to elongate the appearance of your legs.

Michelle’s tip: Use clothing to draw attention to your best features and to balance your silhouette. Subtle changes can make all the difference; the height of a shoe, the style of a jacket or a waistline. Experiment with different shapes and styles to find what best suits your frame.

Wardrobe Staples for SS21

Jeans

Out with the old, in with the new, say goodbye to your skinnies for spring/summer 2021. The 70’s bootleg and high waisted wide legs are here to stay, try in different shades of denim or mix it up with pastel shades. A stylish option, easy to dress up or down and most importantly úber flattering for everyone!

Jackets

The oversized, androgynous take on blazers has been a subtle shift. Influenced by their allowance for layering underneath in the winter, or styling over a high waisted jogger and boot combo for an off-duty look with a twist. In early spring try a style that’s designed to be worn as a dress, style with a belt and some knee length boots.

Suits

The Power Suit, undone. Use this opportunity to be your most fashion-forward self by colour blocking your suits for the maximum effect.

Skirts & Dresses

Hitting mid-calf, looser fitting, flowing and feminine. Subvert with biker boots and balance the scale by wearing a more slim fitting t-shirt or bodysuit to create a smoother silhouette. Throw over an oversized blazer and you’re done. Effortlessly chic and a great transition from comfies to glam with the same amount of comfort.

Shoes: The ever-present white trainer is still around this season and they go with just about everything. However, if trainers aren’t your thing go toward a loafer in replacement, styled with a mom jean, a white shirt tucked in and a funky print jacket. Use thick-soled biker boots to switch up your outfit with feminine dresses for contrast. Pair a statement knee-high heeled boot with a flowing, floral dress.

The most important element of style is that it wears well with your personality. Style is an individual expression, it’s not always about wearing the trends if it doesn’t feel right to you.

Use this opportunity to raid your wardrobe and think about wearing things in a different way, or even reinvent items of clothing completely. Take your old wide leg trousers into stylish culottes if you’re a dab hand at sewing, or layer up your cropped t-shirts with an oversized shirt underneath. Find new innovative ways to change up how you wear your clothes without splurging on new ones.

If you’re new to the world of colour matching, body architecture and think you’d like to know more about styling, Michelle will be joining forces with Blushes as a travelling Personal Stylist between our salons, for more information get in touch.