style and confidence quote

How long do you hold onto things until they’re fashionable again?

Posted on by Toni Carver

Over the last few months, I’ve found myself looking at clothes I swear I wore when I was in my late teens and early twenties! Perhaps you’ve found the same?

It just goes to demonstrate what I’m always saying about ‘fashion’ and ‘trends’ – they tend to be repeated.

Keep or get rid?

I’ll confess, there was a little bit of me wondering if I should’ve kept these garments. After all, I could have worn them again and been bang on trend!

Then I realised that

a) it’s over 20 years ago

b) it’s unlikely they would still fit me and

c) that’s not who I am anymore. It isn’t the image I want to leave behind.

Let me assure you that this isn’t an age appropriate thing. You can and should wear whatever you like however old or young you are. You’re a grown adult after all. I’m not here to tell you what to wear. Instead, I’ll advise and guide you on what suits you so you understand why it makes you look good so you can feel good in what you wear.

Shopping mistakes

Time and time again, I’m told that you can’t quite let something go.

You often feel guilty about the purchases you’ve made and sometimes feel a bit embarrassed over the (costly) mistakes.

Let me assure you I have met many women who feel like this. In my view, there’s also little point in beating yourself up over something that’s already happened. We can’t change the past after all.

If you find that you’re hanging onto things in the hope that one day they’ll be ‘fashionable again’ (or that they fit you again come to that), it could be time to hit pause. After all, if you keep making the same mistakes and expecting a different result then it’s time to seek some advice!

Let’s say these garments were in fashion again, how long have kept them for this to happen? Be honest, given it may be 20 or even 30 years ago, would you actually still wear it? Would it still fit you? Do you even have the space for it??

Please don’t think this is about growing old or being boring. It’s just I have found with the many women I have met, that life and experiences shape us. They change our priorities and sometimes our lifestyle. We change jobs, have a family, people pass away, we hit milestones in our life and our bodies change. Sometimes these factors impact our confidence too.

The clothes we wear make a statement and they tell a story. I for one aren’t too fussed about telling my 19 year old story again, thank you all the same.

Ready to hit the pause button?

Get in touch about making an appointment to review your colours, style and shape.

Get in touch

Guest podcast interview – the importance of being happy

Posted on by Toni Carver

I was recently invited to talk about work-life balance in a podcast!

I don’t often talk about such personal matters, but it’s an important subject to me. It was after all, one of the reasons for becoming an image consultant and why I decided to leave my corporate career behind.

Marcus Lee of Reel Street Productions is based in Leeds and has his own podcast. At the time of the recording, we were still in lockdown and had to resort to a virtual meeting over the telephone!

During the interview, we talk about the importance of feeling good and how to boost your confidence. Marcus asks me about the impacts of the first lockdown and things I’m looking forward to doing! There’s even a quick fire round of what he calls ‘would you rather…’ (cringe).

I hope you enjoy it!

Visit his website to learn more: https://www.sothisworks.co.uk/listen/

Listen to the podcast interview here:

Colour to boost your mood

How to wear colour to boost your mood

Posted on by Toni Carver

Colour has been found to have a profound impact on our mood, as well as how we look.
For me, colour is the easiest way to update your image. It doesn’t require lots of money or time, just a little understanding. It’s also one of the most rewarding and favourite elements of my job as an image consultant.
This feels like a good time to share some tips on wearing colour so that you can feel good in spite of what’s actually going on.

Your appearance

You make a visual statement about how you view yourself in what you wear. It reinforces your self image as when you know you look good, it’s this confidence that shines through. When you don’t feel quite so good about yourself, this can be evidenced in exactly the same way.
At the current time of writing, there’s a global pandemic as a result of the Coronavirus and many people are either working from home or isolating themselves.
Just because you’re sat at home and not seeing anyone, it doesn’t mean that you can’t feel good in what you wear. Plus, thanks to technology, many people are having virtual meetings and as good as your PJs are, what impression does that give to your boss, colleague, business connection or client?
Be honest. When you sit there in your comfies, as lovely as you feel, it doesn’t exactly heighten your mood does it? I love comfy, but I just ensure that my loungewear are in colours which suit me so that I can look good as well as feel good!

Colour

The human eye requires balance and harmony. With your appearance, this is achieved between your physical features and what you wear.
When you wear the right shades of colour, they will flatter, enhance and brighten your appearance. Choosing the wrong shades of colour will cast shadows and age you and nobody wants that!
There’s only so many colours which exist – everyone can wear colour it’s simply identifying which shades work best for you and your physical characteristics.
Here’s a few popular colours and psychologically, the impact on not just yourself, but others too.

Red

Psychologically, wearing red gives an air of confidence and being in control. Red is the colour of energy so it’s a great colour to wear if you feel like you need some energy to approach your day. Perhaps even a bit of red lippy 💋
Be careful though as it is also the most assertive, aggressive and attention grabbing of colours. Think of the colour of the stop light at the traffic lights.
Getting the undertone right when wearing red is crucial as if you’re cooler with no warmth in your hair or skin tone then you’ll need a blue based red. If you have these warmer tones, then you’ll be much better suited to a yellow based red.

Blue

Seen as safe, peaceful and logical and it’s known to convey trustworthiness as our law and order officials have navy blue uniforms. Equally blues can be seen as cold, unemotional and unfriendly so they may not make the best impression with a new client.

Green

The colour of nature and is worn by the armed forces for camouflage purposes. It’s also seen as a calm and reassuring colour and wearing it can also demonstrate creativity and imagination so why not give it a whirl?

Black

Have you ever found that you just feel a bit down when you wear black? A mood-hooverer and who needs that right now?!
Whilst you may find it easy and safe to wear, it’s not the most suitable for everyone. I often find that people wear it as they aren’t sure what else to wear. They lack the imagination, time or know how and get trapped in black!
It’s a rather authoritative colour and appears not very approachable too, so in a business sense, could this be to your detriment?
If you find that this isn’t the most complimentary colour to wear, try introducing a coloured shirt, blouse, top or scarf.

White

The one colour which truly reflects light making it the ideal colour to wear in hot climates. Given that the majority of travel is currently at a standstill, perhaps best staying in the wardrobe for now?
This purity makes it hard to wear for most people though as in its purist form, it’s too harsh. Wearing an off white is usually more flattering.
It is clean and hygienic too!

Pink

Often seen as a feminine colour though it can suggest empathy, gentleness and compassion. Guys who wear pink demonstrate that they are comfortable with their masculinity. Something which could be really helpful in the current climate.

Purple

As a colour, it can indicate sensitivity and be spiritual. Some people have found it helps in meditation and can promote a sense of relaxation which I’m sure is something we would welcome.

Confidence

I often find that many people have lost confidence in what to wear or just don’t know what suits them which isn’t great for our self esteem. If you do find yourself with a bit of time on your hands, you might be tempted to do a bit of shopping from the comfort of your own home. If you already feel like you’ve got nothing to wear, shopping without any guidance or direction is likely to mean that you’ll end up with the same type of clothes that you’ve already got, or that they don’t work with other items you have in your wardrobe. You might also feel that they don’t suit you, or that you don’t feel like ‘you’ in them.
Don’t despair. This time will pass. But, try not to be tempted to buy what’s fashionable or simply because it’s there. Learn what what works for you and why, then all these bad purchases will be just that. Plus, they will no longer languish in the back of your wardrobe with the tags still on! You can finally stop wasting money on things you never wear!

Sassy ever after live event

Behind the scenes at Sassy ever after LIVE!

Posted on by Toni Carver

In January, I was invited to be one of the guest speakers at a female empowerment event. It sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and start off 2020.

Sassy ever after LIVE!

I arrived in Sheffield early and was greeted by Kate Grosvenor, the founder who also offers 1-1 coaching sessions. She showed me around the venue which was lovely, including their own lifestyle brand of clothing, candles and more.

Kate Grosvenor

After a glass of bubbles, Kate opened up the event and spoke of ways to change habits and ways to introduce new routines. Informative and useful tips but there was one specific point she made which stuck in my mind. She asked the room full of women; how do you celebrate your successes? I’m not saying you could hear a pin drop but….we were all a bit quiet. Kate said that it was important to celebrate your wins, however small and straight away. Don’t wait until you see a friend, or until you next see your partner or the moment has passed. It did get me thinking, how about you? Try saying well done out loud, tap your own back or even a little clap of the hands could be enough to reward yourself! Visit Kate’s website here.

Deepika Venkatachalam

Deepika is a blogger from India. I listened to her story with such admiration and found her incredibly inspiring! Coming from India to study at Sheffield university with a whole host of achievements under her belt for such a young age, she is definitely one to watch and follow here.

Sarah Tattersfield

The afternoon was not only my turn, but Sarah who is a nutritionalist and the owner of Rotherham’s first and the only members only weight loss and nutritionalist club. Another inspiring and very fit lady! What stuck in my mind from Sarah’s presentation was that they operate a healthy and positive change to your diet, health and fitness. Yes you can have a packet of low fat fat crisps for 90 calories, but is that the best way to eat those 90 calories? Diets are unsustainable and habits need to be changed to create long term healthy lifestyles which is really what your body needs. See more here.

New year, new you

When it was my turn, I was a tad nervous as these ladies were amazing and inspiring but I shared a bit about my background; how I came to become an image consultant and also what the start of a new year meant to me.
It may seem silly to talk of new year, new you now given that we’re in March, but really, you can press reset or pause on life whenever you want. You don’t have to wait until January!
Changing something that you’re not happy about can be hard. Especially if it feels big. Remember; you can’t eat an elephant whole so I always try and think about what the small things are that I can do and build on them, as it’s these small changes that can make the biggest difference. I don’t believe I would be where I am and doing what I love today without breaking it down and taking the steps I did to get here.

Declutter

For instance, I started a bit of a declutter mission before Christmas. I once heard someone say that your home is your anchor and everything has a home when you declutter. Without meaning to, we can all hoard things can’t we? Even if we don’t mean to, those weeks turn into months and then before we know it, it’s over two years since you moved and that room you meant to sort out after you moved in still hasn’t been emptied…(just me?).
Given the fact that I’m an image consultant, you might expect my wardrobe to be organised and it generally is. I regularly declutter, but my declutter mission extended to each room, drawer, under the stairs and even the garage! During the declutter mission, myself and my husband both agreed we felt not only a sense of achievement, but we felt genuinely calmer knowing things were cleaned, tidy and organised. More on my clothes declutter and organisation another time.
I get a lot of women who get in touch because they feel like they’ve got nothing to wear and they are fed up of feeling like it! I help them understand what suits them and why, so they can get confident in what they wear.
When you understand what suits you and why, you can avoid having those what to wear days. You can save time in the morning and stop wasting money on things you never wear.
But, it doesn’t happen overnight. You can press reset or pause and simply try and change one thing that you’re not happy with but you don’t have to do it on your own either. Making little changes all add up to big changes, especially in how you look and feel. You know that when you feel good in what you wear – this confidence shines through and people notice. Who doesn’t want to feel good in what they wear?
All in all, an amazing afternoon spent with some amazing women. Plus, I bought a wax melt burner with the Sassy wax melts called ‘Be Flawsome’. I am trying.

Sassy ever after live event

Sassy Ever After LIVE! Sheffield – 25 January

Posted on by Toni Carver

Toni has been asked to be one of the guest speakers at this event.

If you would love a few hours off from the rest of the world then why not join us for an afternoon of bubbles, giggles, gift bags, girlie time and more…sit back, unwind, and listen to the speakers motivate, empower and support you!

Sassy Ever After LIVE! is a high energy event that will make you believe in yourself and give you a sense of confidence and self faith.

Event details:

Date: Saturday 25 January

Time: 12pm – 4pm

Venue: Sassy HQ, 8 Leeds Road, Sheffield, S9 3TY

  • A welcome glass of bubbles
  • A Sassy Gift Bag lovingly filled with beuatiful treats
  • 4 hours of motivaiton, inspiration, giggles, and more…

If you enter the code: NEWYEARNEWYOU you’ll receive £7 off the ticket price. Click here to buy your ticket.

Your biggest concerns or challenges when it comes to dressing?

Posted on by Toni Carver

Recently, I’ve been asking for feedback about your biggest concerns or challenges when it comes to dressing.

Here are the top 3 concerns raised:

  1. Colour
  2. Cost
  3. Body confidence

I thought I’d look at each area of concern and offer a few tips.

 

Colour

Colour coordination came up a few times and specifically matching tops, bottoms or outfits together when dressing. I shouldn’t be surprised as colour consultations are by far my most popular service.

Wearing colour is also the simplest way to update your look. We can all get fed up wearing the same thing, day in, day out so perhaps it’s just a pop of colour you need? Try a scarf to switch up your look. Or how about a colourful necklace or a pair of earrings? A new pair of shoes or bag could work too.

 

Identify the ‘right’ colour

It’s worth noting that everyone can wear colour, it’s simply finding the right shade for you. How do you know if it’s the right colour? Simply hold the garment up under your chin in a well lit room. It should lighten and brighten your features but, if you see any dark shadows against your face, or the colour stands out more than you, it’s not the right shade.

Dressing all in one colour will give the appearance of height too, so if you’re on the petite side, this is a good tip to follow. If you’re on the taller side, try colour blocking; where a different top to bottoms, shoes or jackets.

If you’ve got dramatic or stand out features, then a contrast will work well for you. Wear a light and dark colour together. If you’ve got less stand out features, try a more blended look by choosing a colour and wearing shades which are one or two shades lighter or darker than each other.

During a colour consultation, I’ll go into more detail. Specifically looking at the colour of your hair, eyes and your skin tone in order to determine a palette of colours which work for you. Colour me Beautiful consultants like myself work from a tonal analysis system now rather than a seasonal approach. You’ll get to take away your own personal fabric swatch wallet with 42 shades which compliment you the best based upon your physical colouring. For more details, visit my colour analysis consultation page.

 

Cost

How do you shop for clothes which don’t break the bank?

There’s a strong movement in favour of recycling clothes. Think swish and swap parties, charity shops, re-loved sites and Ebay. Opportunities to buy nearly new or used but in excellent condition mean that you can buy new clothes at a fraction of their once higher price.

Another option is to shop wisely. If you have multiple items in the same style and colour, do you really need to buy another? Think about and go and have a look at what you’ve got and what you wear. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll have seen my 30 day challenge in April and I would highly recommend that you give this a go. It might also help if you feel like you’re in a bit of a style rut and bored of what you wear.

 

Coordination

If you can wear garments with at least three other items in your wardrobe, then this really will transform it. The ability to wear an item multiple times which coordinates with other pieces means you are more likely to get your money’s worth as well as wear it. This all comes down to my £s per wear mantra. Spend £50 on an item you wear once and it’s £50 per wear, but spend £50 on an item you wear five times and it’s £10 per wear.

Don’t despair if you’ve got things that you barely wear or don’t go with anything. Think about what you could wear it with – what item don’t you have that will transform it into an outfit? I’ve found time and time again that once you nail this, your clothes will combine much more easily together.

A slight tangent, but worthy of thought. Does your wardrobe match your lifestyle? If the clothes in your wardrobe don’t match how you actually spend your time, then you’ve got clothes you probably won’t wear. Or, you’re missing key items to work for your lifestyle. I found this myself. When I left the corporate world, I had lots of suits, shirts, tailored dresses which just didn’t work for my colour, style and image business.

 

Body confidence

I was surprised to hear so many people talking so negatively about themselves. We are such harsh critics on ourselves. Concerns raised mainly surrounding people’s weight and how fat they say they felt or clothes not fitting. Even buying things which were just “fine” or “ok” – you deserve better than that!!

First things first – size doesn’t matter, but shape does. Diet and exercise can go a long way to making yourself feel as well as look good, but dressing for your body line is crucial as your skeleton and bone structure won’t change no matter how much weight you’ve put on or lost.

Think of a curvy vase. Have you ever tried wrapping a vase with thick wrapping paper? Not only does it look bad, but have you noticed that it alters the appearance? The curvy lines have been swamped with all that heavy paper, masking it’s shape but also making it look bigger. Fabric is the same. If you’ve got curves, choose fabric that drapes those curves as choosing heavy fabric which doesn’t compliment the curves means that you’ll look two sizes bigger than what you really are.

I often see people that want to hide their shape as they feel conscious. Again fabric is key here as just because you buy something bigger to avoid hugging those curves, it’s still too big making you look bigger than you actually are.

You don’t have to be a slave to fashion, I know I’m not but it’s also easier to keep your look current too. Glossy magazines and online sites are packed with image inspiration and tips on what is going to be ‘on trend’. Focus on the trends that appeal to you and then decide how you are going to incorporate them into your look in a way that is still ‘you’. You’ll feel better being you than trying to be someone else.

Buy what you love! If you put something on that you feel truly fabulous in, then go ahead and purchase it. When you wear something you feel amazing in you will exude confidence and this will guarantee you look amazing too!

If you need a little help decluttering your wardrobe, why not download my free guide which includes five steps to follow. Download it here. 

Confidence event

Know your worth! Free event Sunday 20 January

Posted on by Toni Carver

Delighted to be involved in this event organised by Emma Kirke on Sunday 20 January at 9am until 3.30pm..

We are hosting a FREE day of empowerment for you to learn to love yourself and to have the confidence to be yourself and know your own worth.

 

The event

This will consist of short talks from fierce females bossing their area of expertise.

Emma Kirke – nutrition & exercise

Gayle Griffin – make up confidence

Toni Carver – clothes/style/colour

Teresa Wrigglesworth – hypno confidence

Break

Sam – Potting shed CEO

Zoe Scaife – Pilates – posture confidence

Julia Lee – life coach and empowering godess

12.30 – 1.30 lunch

Then demos & workshops or one to one chats.

Finishing at 3.30pm

Coffee and drinks will be available but please bring your own lunch.

 

The venue

RCM Business Centre – Sandbeds Trading Estate, Dewsbury Road, Ossett WF5 9ND

 

Book your place now!

Get colour confident

Posted on by admin

Do you spend a fortune on clothes which you don’t wear?

 

If you want to shop better and wear more colours, but you’re not sure what really suits you, then reserve your place at this small group session held at my studio in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

 

During the session, we will cover:

 

  • Your colour type
  • Which 30 core colours suit you
  • How to combine your neutral and fashion colours
  • Makeup in your colour tones

 

Wearing colour creates an immediate and powerful impact and when worn well, can really enhance and brighten your overall look. But, it can also have the opposite effect and instead drain the colour from your face, making you look washed out or even worse – ill!

 

Book your place and come along to learn how you can wear colour with confidence.

You are encouraged to bring along three tops in different colours, one of which you’ve never or rarely worn.

 

Each person will receive a complimentary makeup lesson in your colour tones and a scarf tying demonstration.

You will take away with you a Style Update handout showing you the key styles and colours for the season.

Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to buy your own Colour Swatch Wallet containing your 30 colours which will help to guide you when shopping.

 

Prices

These group sessions are limited for between 3 – 6 guests.

£35 per person including makeup lesson, scarf tying demonstration and makeup lesson.

 

Optional extras!

A 30 colour swatch wallet, books, scarves and makeup are all available to purchase for an additional cost.

 

Availability

Saturday 30th September – 10am – 12:30pm

To book your place please contact me.

SU update

Learn to dress with confidence

Posted on by admin

Did you know that most women only wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time?

 

If you want to learn about dressing in clothes which flatter your body and personality, then reserve your place at this small group session held at my studio in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

 

During the session, we will cover:

 

  • Dressing for your body shape
  • Assessing your proportions
  • Fun style personality quiz!

 

Come along and learn about clothing lines, fabrics and clever dressing tips so you can feel more confident about showing off your best bits and disguising the bits that you’re not so fond of.

You are encouraged to bring along one of your favourite outfits and one that you’re not so fond of so that we can see what does and doesn’t flatter you.

Each person will take away their own personal style cheat sheets and a Style Update handout showing you the key colours and styles for the current season.

 

Prices

These group sessions are limited for between 3 – 6 people.

£35 per person including handouts.

Optional extra!

An additional makeup lesson and scarf tying demonstration can be added to this session for just £5 extra per person. Please allow extra time if opting to include this.

Availability

Saturday 26th August – 10am – 12:30pm

To book your place please contact me.