Day 15. Secret Women’s Business
The number one thing that only women understand? Other women!
Cancer may seem an odd topic to discuss in an image blog, but many of us are encountering it close up for the first time. It may be that a friend or a family member is battling the disease, or our own experience – with cancer or another chronic illness..
The secret of what to say
Devastating news often divests our thought processes and it’s not unusual to be lost for words when a friend or family member says they have cancer. Obviously this is not the time for light-hearted comments or throwaway lines, simply say from your heart how sorry you are to hear such news and then ask how you can help.
Many different drugs and treatments are used to combat the disease, and the dosage and degree from the effects vary from person to person. Some chemotherapy treatments prevent other cells within the body from functioning while the treatment works its magic to stop the cancer cells from dividing.
Cancer treatment or having cancer itself can shatter the sufferer’s perception of her own attractiveness.
The gift of a beauty remedy or beauty treatment is a small thing to help your friend through a very difficult time.
Hair loss
Not all chemotherapy treatments cause hair loss but many do, and the loss can occur from the head, elsewhere on the body, or both. Many women are severely traumatised by such an assault on their self esteem.
Offer to accompany your friend to the hairdresser to have her hair cut prior to start of her chemotherapy treatment. Encourage her to have a short trendy style that will grow back quite quickly and give her something to look forward to once her course of treatment is completed.
She may prefer to purchase a wig to conceal hair loss and keep her head warm while she is undergoing chemotherapy. Go shopping with her. It is easier to match the hair colour and texture prior to treatment. Some medical insurance providers cover the cost of a wig. This might be the opportunity to try out another “hair persona” – for example a blonde may consider becoming a redhead. Real hair wigs look the most natural; synthetic wigs cost less and are cooler, easier to wash, and more comfortable to wear.
A beautiful scarf or hat is a thoughtful gift. Aqua is a universal colour that suits everybody. Some women prefer to go au naturel, but the season should be considered –30% of our body heat is lost through the scalp.
Hair often thins during chemotherapy and this is where hair extensions are useful to increase length and add volume, and the result is instant! Different widths are attached to the natural hair with small metal snaps that can be inserted and removed from the hair during treatment if need be. Extensions can be washed, coloured, cut, curled and heat-styled.
Saltwater spray products add extra body and volume to thinning hair. A textured, beach- blown look reminiscent of hair that has been in and out of the sea can be achieved with artful arranging of the strands.
A stylish friend accumulated a wardrobe of gorgeous scarves she wore with panache while undergoing chemotherapy. She wore the scarves with the ends flowing down her back or wound into a high thick turban she embellished with a glittery broach or she caught the scarf at the nape of her neck in an elegant knot. My friend’s hair grew back when her treatment finished, and she has absolutely refused to wear any sort of scarf since. That was twenty five years ago!
Skin
Some types of chemotherapy cause hyper pigmentation which darkens the skin or gives it an orange tinge. This can happen in localized areas such as the knees, elbows and soles of the feet, or it may occur all over and look like a patchy spray tan. Our skin needs to be totally protected from the sun for the duration of chemotherapy and radiation treatments when it is also vulnerable to infection. Direct exposure to temperature extremes such as very hot or cold baths can cause the skin to flake and thin. The use of a safety razor increases the chance of small nicks and cuts that can become infected because the body’s immune system is compromised. An electric razor is an obvious and safer alternative.
It is risky gifting skin creams or moisturizers to anyone undergoing radiation treatment. Cancer clinics recommend Sorbolene, an inexpensive, simple, pure, fragrance-free, colour-free moisturizer that’s generally safe to use on skin being subjected to radiation. Other creams such as Keri Lotion are nourishing and formulated to nourish dry and flaky skin. A small collection of skin care –pure skin cream, soothing oil and a pure and simple soap in an attractive gift box is a thoughtful gift.
Avoid fragranced or shiny creams. They look and smell gorgeous but they contain minute metallic light-reflecting particles that make the cream shimmer and shine. The radiation procedure can heat the miniscule metal particles and cause the skin to blister and burn.
In fact, the use of any skin product immediately prior to radiation is unwise. Creams, lotions and oils all can move around the markings the radiographer makes on the skin, causing inaccurate placement of the radiation equipment.
Chemotherapy, radiation treatment or cancer itself may cause pruritus or itchiness which, like hyper pigmentation, can be localized or it can occur all over the body. During radiation treatment the skin is sensitive, easily irritated and more likely to blister. It responds best to gentle handling. No scrubbing, exfoliants, loofahs, body scrubs, nylon knit gloves, nylon mesh sponge balls or aggressive skin care products.
Ingredients for a pampering oatmeal bath are an inexpensive gift to soothe fragile itchy skin. Fill a muslin bag, cheesecloth square or a pretty organza jewellery bag with a handful of raw oatmeal (porridge) and tie it off with a ribbon that can be looped over a tap. Swish the bag through a warm bath before having a soak. Squeeze the bag out and apply as a natural poultice to relieve any really itchy areas.
Nails
Certain chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel and docetaxel, may cause ‘Beau’s lines’ on the fingernails. These white lines run horizontally across the nail. They eventually go away or grow out.
How about treating your friend to a professional manicure? She might appreciate a pedicure at the same time. Take your own sterilized tools to avoid infections, or speak with the nail technician prior to your appointment, discuss the situation and verify that any instruments will be sterilized.
Put together a small “pamper hamper” for your friend. Buy nail clippers, a packet of emery boards, cuticle scissors, hand cream and a bottle of light coloured crème nail polish and pop them into a cellophane bag and tie it with a ribbon.
Appetite
Many cancer patients lose their sense of taste especially if treatment is centred on the upper body, neck or facial area. This often happens when the course of treatment is well underway.
Favourite foods lose their appeal, everything tastes or smells different and unappetizing – bland, soapy, oily, rubbery, sour, peppery, metallic or ‘like cardboard’ or ‘off perfume’.
Gifting an edible treat is unlikely to re-kindle a dulled appetite. In all likelihood your thoughtful (and probably expensive!) temptation will be devoured by the cancer sufferer’s family.
An alternative could be your handwritten I.O.U. promising to take your friend to an up-market coffee shop or gorgeous chocolate café when her taste buds have recovered. Sometimes the promise of an outing becomes something special to look forward to at a very ordinary time.
When I asked friends who have recovered from cancer what they most appreciated when they were undergoing treatment, they each said it was the gift of personal time.
One friend was grateful that her friends organised a transport roster, taking turns to convey her to and from the clinic where she underwent treatment. She said the knowledge that one of her buddies would be waiting to drive her home after radiation and chemotherapy medications made her feel less alone.
Another friend valued telephone calls, cards, text messages and emails from her family and friends. She said the continuous wishes of encouragement and love, prayers, little anecdotes and people’s thoughts helped sustain her throughout a long and difficult time.
Another enjoyed the chats, reminiscences and companionship she shared with friends who sat with her in the hospital while she received intravenous chemotherapy drugs. Their humour, support, optimism and firm encouragement lifted her spirit and heightened her determination to recover.
Remember that it’s a rotten time and the focus needs to be on the sufferer’s comfort.
The dreaded Mammogram and Pap Tests
Women who’ve undergone mammograms or Pap tests often complain that they can’t think of anything worse. Actually, there are worse things. One is the ordeal of cancer. It is very much worse.
Women in Australia have a 1 in 8 risk of developing breast cancer. The biggest risk factor is simply age; being over 50 years old. A mammogram can detect problems early - long before you notice any changes yourself.
The actual breast screen (mammogram) procedure is uncomfortable for the moments when each breast is flattened between two metal plates while the mammogram is taken, but it’s not invasive.
BreastScreen in Australia is a state government entity and every state has central breast screening locations. Mammograms are available free of charge to Australian women aged between 50 and 69 years. A reminder is sent every two years. Once you’ve been screened there is a 10 day wait for the results, which are posted to you. If any abnormality is detected you are asked to return for a second mammogram, the results of which are often available the same day. The radiographers, technicians and staff at the BreastScreen centres are pleasant, efficient, compassionate and discreet.
A pap smear test is also vitally important, but it is intrusive, undignified and having to undergo one is totally bleh! Pap smear tests can detect cervical cancer in the early stages, long before you or your doctor notice any changes.
Pap smear tests are done by a medical doctor in the surgery. There is no central location for Pap smears like there is for mammograms. Tell the doctor’s receptionist you require a Pap smear appointment. This will allow appropriate time allocation – a Pap smear takes longer than a usual quick consultation appointment. Doctors approach the procedure in different ways; discuss your concerns with the doctor to establish exactly what is going to happen.
As with mammograms, Pap smear tests are free to women over 50. Reminders are sent out every two years once you’re in the system.
Swallow your dignity and make sure you have regular mammograms and Pap smear tests. If nothing else, at least you are getting something back for all the tax dollars the government has relieved you of!
Cosmetic Surgery
Now here’s an interesting statistic – 65% of women seriously consider undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure at some stage, but only 5% of those women actually go ahead with it.
• Shop around if you’re considering plastic surgery. Costs vary enormously. Most surgeons expect you to ask for testimonials and follow them up.
• Plastic surgery isn’t a guarantee that you are going to look more youthful. A face-lift may hoist out the wrinkles, but if, at the end of it all, you look as though you’ve had work done then everyone will assume you’re old enough to have had it done!
• Build a recovery period into your timetable.
The Big Hit Parade –10 things that are so not youthful or chic!
In our youth-obsessed society age is an issue. As we slip into the chasm of maturity we can tumble unwittingly into characteristics associated with middle age. You can look as youthful as all get out, but if you do any of the following you’ll be busted!
• Sauntering over pedestrian crossings and unnecessarily holding up the traffic.
• Faffing around in the car looking for the car park exit ticket (store it in a designated pocket in your handbag), reapplying your lipstick, fiddling around adjusting the seat belt, locating another radio station, inserting a new CD into the CD player and adjusting the car seat position - whilst another car is waiting for your car spot.
• Wearing your reading glasses dangling from a chain around your neck. Diamante chains count as old-looking too.
• Making statements beginning “In my day, When I was your age, When you get to my age, In the old days,” etc.
• Adopting sayings or words too young for us – such as “sick” in an attempt to be cool. Wait until the word or saying becomes main stream before you start trotting it out.
• Jargon; unless you are intimately linked with its origin, will always sound too try hard.
• Expletives date us. Younger people do not say “bloody”. They say “fuck”. A lot!
• Any action such as sitting down, getting up, alighting from a car or any activity that causes an audible “ooh, aaah or oomph” as you do so makes you seem very, very ancient.
• Words such as “snazzy, grouse, nifty or groovy” slot us into an older generation. Timeless adjectives – “fabulous, awesome, fantastic, and gorgeous” are alternatives that effortlessly sweep across the generations.
• Mature women have personally experienced many things. It’s very easy to be disparaging, derisive or sarcastic when confronted with an issue or situation we’ve seen before. Be alert, a belittling put down is interpreted as mean and petty and old lady-ish. Find an encouraging remark instead. Non judgmental acceptance and understanding is always youthful and appreciated
The Golden Rule across the board is the adage your mother taught you.
“If you can’t say anything nice; don’t say anything at all!”
If you’re a mother yourself you’ve probably instilled into your own children’s psyche!
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Use it or lose it!
When the Australian Women’s Weekly magazine conducted their Voice of Australian Women Survey, fear of memory loss was the major concern of 62% to the 15,000 participants. I am sure that women across the world must share this concern.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales found the amount of physical and mental exercise we do has an enormous bearing on how healthy the brain remains as we get older. The studies showed that people who keep actively involved in diverse interests, both mental and physical, and who participate in lots of activities from crosswords to martial arts have larger hippocampuses (the part of the brain controlling short-term memory and navigation skills) than those who are less active and whose shrinking hippocampuses are known to be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Here are some of the things that will keep you in the game and help eliminate those CRAFT moments:
• Working out. Any exercise from walking to vigorous cardio activity four to six times a week raises levels of neuro proteins (brain food) which lead to better connected brain cells.
• Blueberries help improve short term recall and protect the brain’s memory storing cells. Eat some every day. It doesn’t matter whether you eat fresh, canned or frozen blueberries. Make a smoothie for breakfast with a handful of frozen blueberries, a ripe banana, a couple of heaped tablespoons of fat-free yoghurt, a pinch of nutmeg, a teaspoon of runny honey and a cup of skimmed or semi skimmed milk. Blend it all together.
• Turmeric helps increase brain function. Every now and then stir 1 teaspoon into soups, casseroles, sauces (and curries of course!).
• Red wine (about one glass per day) slows the build-up of plaque in the brain, reducing the risk of dementia.
• Analytical left brainers can activate their right brain by sketching, tracing and doodling. Studies show that doodling keeps you focussed during mundane activities so go ahead and release your inner Picasso!
• Intuitive and creative right brainers can activate their left half with crossword puzzles, word jumbles and Sudoku.
• Talking to someone for at least 10 minutes increases the memory as much as a brainteaser puzzle does. Make sure you do some of the talking and not all the listening which is one of the traps we fall into as we age.
• Do you name drop? There are many theories why we forget a person’s name after an introduction. To help prevent the name from dropping out of your mind repeat it in the conversation as soon as possible and as often as possible after you’ve been introduced. In other words – use it or lose it!
Secrets of coping with children-in-law
It is unlikely your child’s partner will be, or will ever become, your best friend.
The opportunities to fall out with our children-in-law are limitless, but most family feuds can be diverted with a little fore-planning and bucket loads of diplomacy, respect and tact!
As we know, most things have a way of working themselves out with time. To avoid offence, both real and imagined, here’s the heads up on some of the measures you can take. And if all else fails, close your lips and bite your tongue until your mouth fills with blood!
Chinese Whispers
It is extremely unwise to criticize your child’s partner. To anyone! You can bet your bottom dollar that whatever you say, even in the strictest confidence, will get out. Your words will be magnified, exaggerated, convoluted and dissected. And then they will find their way back to the person you were talking about. Criticism doesn’t endear us to anyone; and it causes deep rifts within families.
I know someone who for years blurted out every single unkind thought that came into her head about her daughter’s partner. Whacko, away she went! When she was confronted she used the excuse that it’s just how she is and she can’t help it. Eventually she shut up, but not before irreversible damage was done!
It’s no consolation that a soft heart lies beneath hard comments. It’s the out-there-mean words that are remembered.
Refrain from articulating unkind thoughts and never write them down!
Focus on all the good points in the relationship your child shares with the partner and elevate and magnify those.
Loving and sharing, giving and kind.
Finding acceptable an gift for your child’s partner can often be a challenge; the most well-ntentioned gift can so easily be misinterpreted as criticism or disapproval.
• A magazine subscription is a reasonably priced present that indicates you’ve put thought and effort into. Pop the subscription notification inside a really great card, not one of those one dollar photographic cards that every young person knows cost a dollar.
• Check out weekend markets for interesting and unusual tems. Look out for potpourri sachets or lavender pillows, jewellery (a bracelet is less personal than a necklace, ring or earrings), scarves, key holders or handcrafted items such as sunglass cases, jewellery or travel pouches, belts, or scented candles in simple, attractive candleholders.
• Items such as handmade soaps can be tricky; apart from the implication the recipient might be slightly on the nose, if the soap has been made from scratch and contains lye it could react upon the recipient’s skin.
• A plant in a pot is a neutral gift. Do resist the temptation to follow up a few weeks later with solicitous enquiries about the plant’s wellbeing! Bonsai trees are best left to the experienced Bonsai enthusiast who knows how to care for them and has the time to do so.
• Photo frames are items people tend not to buy for themselves and therefore make a great gift. Locate (or download) a photograph of the partner with your child to put into the frame.
• Failing all else, a gift voucher is a rather unimaginative but quite acceptable present. Check the store has a branch or outlet nearby where the voucher can be redeemed, and give the voucher in an attractive card, not a tacky white envelope! A surprising statistic from one of Australia’s leading department stores – 35% of the gift vouchers sold annually are never redeemed.
• Keep the receipt when you give a surprise.
Grandchildren
If you want your grandchildren to wear a garment you’ve knitted, crocheted or sewn; or if you want them to use or play with an item you’ve made; discuss the project with their mother before you embark on it.
If you lovingly create something and the mother doesn’t like the colour, fabric, texture or anything else about it, the article may never see the light of day once you’ve handed it over. So, involve the mum. Ask for colour preferences, show her samples of materials you intend to use and reconfirm sizes. If she seems non-committal, disinterested or unenthusiastic, then read the signs she doesn’t want her child to have the item. You could suggest an alternative, but in all honesty it’s better to abandon the idea, keep your money in your pocket and think of something else to make later.
Women’s secrets – the heads up
• To retain the of depth of colour in black clothes launder them in fabric softener or Radiant Black Clothes Wash. Washing powders and washing liquids often contain bleach.
• Check out $2 (one pound) stores for interesting stocking fillers such as headbands, lip gloss, belts and eyebrow tweezers.
• Safety pins are our secret little treasures! Secure the underside of a cross-over top to one cup of your bra with a small safety pin; it is undetectable and infinitely more preferable than pinning the cross-over in the centre at your cleavage where it is very obvious.
• Use a couple of small safety pins to secure shoulder pads to the shoulder seam of a dress or top to prevent the shoulder pads slipping around. Velcro damages your bra straps.
• Dab a little toothpaste on sudden skin break outs. Toothpaste also bleaches nicotine stains around the mouth. Quitting smoking works better!
• A squirt of hairspray temporarily halts a ladder in pantyhose.
• Use a nylon net ball (from a clip-strip in the supermarket aisles) to clean shower tiles and the shower screen.
• Soap-free gel such as ‘Radox Oxygen’ won’t build up soap scum on the tiles or glass shower screen.
• A golf ball stuffed into the toes of too-tight shoes can help to stretch them.
• Remove chewing gum by hardening the item it is stuck to in the freezer. If the article won’t fit into the freezer (such as a chair!) run ice over the chewing gum in situ and then scrape it off.
Cosmetics – Down to the last drop!
We expect a certain level of commitment from cosmetic products and it’s a nuisance when they stop delivering – this usually happens when they’re nearing the end of their life and about to break up. Here’s how to eek out the max from some cosmetics:
• If lipstick, eye liner pencils and lip liner pencils soften and start to melt in the heat use your fingertips to re-shape them then pop them in the fridge overnight to harden.
• Put lip liner and eye liner pencils in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to sharpening them and you won’t waste that soft chunk of colour that gets stuck in the sharpener blade.
• To realign a lipstick that’s snapped heat the broken sides of each half over a candle flame for a few seconds (no more, or the lipstick will get sooty from the candle) and press the warmed sides together. Set it in the fridge.
• A drop or two of nail polish remover poured into thickened nail polish will allow you to use it one more time. Give it a good shake.
• If the cap of a nail polish bottle glues itself shut, wipe a smear of Vaseline around the top of the bottle before you close it next time and it will open easily.
• Clean a mascara wand with a dab of Vaseline applied with your finger, then wipe it off with a clean fabric rag (tissues flake and get stuck to the brush). Don’t use soap and water to clean a mascara wand however tempting it may be, soap can irritate the eyes and water can carry bacteria into the mascara. Mascara should be replaced every four months.
• To get the last drop from a plastic tube of liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer when no more can be squeezed out, cut the tube in half. You’ll find at least another spoonful clinging to the sides of the tube. Scoop it out and store it in a mini travel pot.
That's it for the moment! Next time we enter the world of High Flyers - Intrepid Travel. We look at getting the most out of your suitcase space, how to combine 13 garments and create 114 outfits, altitude with attitude, air travel and how to arrive at your destination looking a million dollars plus a few of the pitfalls we can encounter during our travels. We also delve into the world of shopping for swimwear and re-vamping swimwear you already have. So, until then, kisses. Dawn.
Retail details and magic products
Hair thickening products
Salt Spray by Fudge, $18, from Priceline.
VO5 Surf Style Matte Effect Texturising Paste $5, from Coles
Diva Extensions, natural hair extensions that can be cut, coloured and styled just like your own hair. They come in different lengths – 12inches, 16 inches and 20 inches and cost from $230 to $480 plus the cost of a cut and style. Available from professional hairdressing salons. Contact www.g12hairstudio.com for a quote.
Add-on 40cm 100% Human Hair (2 extensions per pack) by Headlines Hairpieces $158 ph 1800 251.215 or www.headlineshairpieces.com.au
HairUWear 10 piece Clip-In Synthetic Extensions, $120 by Hairdo. www.hairdo.com.au
Body Lotions
Sorbelene Cream, fragrance free with 10% glycerene 600mls $3, Priceline’s own brand
Alpha Keri Lotion Dry Skin Treatment 1 litre, $16, Priceline and pharmacies
Sun Protection Products
Cancer Council Tinted Moisturizer contains SPF30 $12, from Priceline or The Cancer Council stores.
Face of Australia Tinted Moisturizer contains SPF25 in three colours – Light, medium and dark $12, from Priceline
BreastScreen is operated by every state government health service. There is no central national number. The New South Wales BreastScreen website is www.bsnsw.org.au and so on. Or try: www.cancerscreening.gov.au or phone 13 20 50 freecall.
Blueberries
Creative Gourmet Frozen Blueberries 500g $7.20 from Coles and Woolworths or try their own home brands which are a little cheaper and equally as good!
Frozberries, Frozen blueberries, 1kg $9, discounts available for bulk purchases, organic blueberries (frozen) 350g $6.50. www.frozberries.com.au
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Day 14. Savvy Shopping
Day 14. Savvy Shopping
Bargain hunting the smart way
• Check out the sales rack or bargain table the moment you walk into a store. Sales racks and ‘special reductions’ are usually prominently displayed inside the store entrance in the area known as the ‘compression zone’ or ‘transition zone’. This area is so named because it’s where we tend to pause and orientate ourselves when we’ve stepped inside a store; it is known to be the area where we are most influenced by promotions.
• If the sales rack isn’t at the front it’s likely located at the back, leading you through the shop and past all the current (non-sale) stock. Stay focused! Check out that sales rack first - wherever it may be!
• Neutral coloured items are the best buys because they are wardrobe basics. Neutrals are versatile and can be styled up with accessories - jewellery, belt, scarf, and handbag or shoes you already possess.
• A bargain is not a bargain unless it is in a colour and style that flatters you and you know you’ll wear it.
• Ask yourself: Will the item coordinate with garments you already possess? The gorgeous yellow silk skirt is not a good buy (even if it is drastically reduced) if the perfect top and footwear coordinates are not already sitting in your wardrobe at home! We’ve all wandered around the shops clutching an impulse purchase, searching for something (anything?) to team with it. Don’t make that impulse purchase in the first place unless you’re absolutely positive you already possess its soul mate to team it with. Search out coordinating garments such as a skirt and top at the same time (and in the same store) and buy them together.
• When you find a bargain item take a moment to think about the accessories you already possess - shoes, belts, handbags, jewellery etc. and whether they will enhance the item. Nothing is a good buy (no matter how great the price is) if other garments or accessories have to be purchased to enable you to wear it.
• If you really must have a garment and it’s not available in your size, go up a size. Do not buy a smaller size and hope it will fit because believe me, it won’t! Obviously it’s easier to alter a garment that’s too big than to alter than one that’s too small.
• Take the tailoring costs into account when considering something you know will have to be altered. If you don’t sew and the garment needs extensive alterations the chances are that it will not be such a bargain after all.
• An inexpensive too-small garment bought with the proviso “I’ll start the diet on Monday and slim into it” is never, ever a bargain! Give the garment a miss and go back to the store when you have gone on the diet and have lost the weight.
• Jackets and coats that are too small are usually too short in the sleeves and too tight across the shoulder blades. Lengthening sleeves is complicated and expensive; generally seam allowances within ready-made garments do not have enough fabric to be let out. Inserts constructed from different fabric become a costly exercise for a bargain jacket that may well end up looking like a patchwork quilt!
In the fitting room
Regardless of your size, weight or body shape, clothes that fit you properly are the most flattering. Just because you can get into a garment doesn’t mean it fits well.
A well fitting inexpensive garment can look a million dollars; a poorly fitting expensive garment will look cheap.
You owe it to yourself to ensure that your clothes fit perfectly; it’s the most important step on your journey to gorgeous.
Shop when the stores are quiet. You’ll receive better service and more attention if you hit the shops early on a weekday morning; and the beginning of the week is better than towards the end. If you can’t avoid shopping in the weekend, be waiting outside the stores when they open! Late in the evening is an alternative.
The more crowded times are lunchtimes, just before schools get out and about half an hour after schools get out.
Allow plenty of time and go alone. It is easy to get side tracked when you’re shopping with a companion. This is about you. You don’t want to be rushed and you don’t need someone hovering outside the fitting room fidgeting around and loudly wondering when you’re going to be ready to go for a coffee.
If you do shop with a companion (friend or family) don’t ask the companion to hold up garments or accessories against themselves so that you can see what the garment looks like against the body - unless your companion is your identical twin! Chances are that your scale, size and colouring will be different, and something that looks good on your companion may not look as good on you and visa versa. Also your companion may instinctively dislike a colour or style because it’s incorrect for her - and pull a face or say so, which could put you off it when it may just be the perfect one for you. Take the garment to a mirror and hold it up against yourself.
If you intend to buy items in the sales, suss out the garments you’re interested in and try them on beforehand thus avoiding wasting time standing in long queues at the fitting rooms. Most stores will not hold items until the sales for you.
• Get to sales early.
• Wear loose, easy to remove clothes (separates are ideal) and comfortable shoes. This is not the time to wear a shirt with zillions of buttons or a skirt with a difficult zipper, or buckle-up boots!
• You’ll be pulling garments over your head so ensure your earrings are secure and wear an inexpensive necklace. Lost property departments are full of items abandoned on fitting room hooks.
• Take an old chiffon scarf to cover your face when you are pulling clothes over your head. It protects garments (yours and the shop’s) from make-up stains.
• Find a large fitting room containing a couple of mirrors – ideally one will be adjustable so you can get a back view of the garments you are trying on.
• There is no stock standard garment size. Sizes are approximate, some companies cut their designs generously and some do not. Take a couple of different sizes of each style into the fitting room. Some shops provide a buzzer arrangement with a sales consultant available to fetch alternative sizes for you, but most do not.
• Examine the garment thoroughly to establish whether the quality, the workmanship and the finishing of the garment is satisfactory.
• Are the seams and hems secure without any loose threads? Embellishments such as buttons, pockets, topstitching and zips should be stitched securely, in working order and correctly placed for your figure. Are spare buttons or thread included – they’re usually attached to the washing instructions label. And make sure the care instruction label is there too, you’d hate to ruin a dry clean only garment by throwing it through a hot wash.
• Check how the fabric pattern is placed on the garment. If the centre of a flower or swirl falls directly over your breast, if lines or whorls lead the eye to your nether regions or if a large circle lies smack bang in the middle of your tummy, crotch or butt (don’t forget to check the back of the garment) return the garment to the rack and find another one with better pattern placement.
• Wrinkles, whiskers or folds in the garment when you put it on are indicators of poor fit.
• Tight whiskers occur across the body when a garment is too short or too small or both. Loose folds occur when the garment is too long or too big.
• Does the garment actually feel comfortable?
• Move around the fitting room in the garment. Bend, squat, stretch and sit down. How does it feel in action?
And now for the million dollar question… Does it flatter you?
No matter how classy, trendy or hot of-the-moment the item might be, if it’s not in proportion to your body shape - don’t buy it.
If it doesn’t look good on you – don’t buy it.
If it doesn’t make you look slimmer or younger – don’t buy it!
This is the hardest fashion lesson to learn. Many of us have wasted money on unflattering items that have languished unworn and unloved at the bottom of our cupboards until we’ve bitten the bullet, forgiven ourselves and slung them out. Sometimes it takes years to muster the courage to do this, and in the meantime the item is a reproachful reminder of our folly. We have to confront enough in our lives without elements of guilt, annoyance, discouragement or frustration tempting us into wearing anything that doesn’t flatter us.
If you don’t love it, then don’t buy it.
Forget the brand name on the label.
Forget the size tag (no matter how enticing it might be) and forget what the price ticket says.
If the piece doesn’t flatter you, if you don’t love it, if it doesn’t empower you and if you don’t feel absolutely great in it - walk away!
Keeping up-to-date and current
Shops showcase their coolest and most recently arrived stock on manikins; they’re a fantastic source of imaginative coordination ideas. Check out the accessories displayed on the manikins; you might have something similar at home.
If your favourite boutique or preferred clothing brand regularly accessorizes displays with the same handbag, shoes or jewellery you’ll know they have been carefully coordinated by professional stylists. Do you own similar accessories? Would they work with your wardrobe? Accessories can make or break an outfit. Stylists and window dressers do get it right.
Another great way to keep up with current fashion is to pay attention to brand posters on the walls around the stores. It’s a pleasant surprise to find you already own similar garments that can be coordinated to imitate a hot-looking outfit on display in the store.
Where to shop?
You may have a store you can always count on to deliver exactly what you want in terms of size, colour and the level of appropriateness you require. However, most of us purchase a piece here and a piece there in the hope that when we get home it will team with what is already in the wardrobe. The established fashion houses have recognized the spending capacity of the mature age market and tailor at least a portion of their seasonal ranges to meet those demands.
Be smart when you are shopping;
Will a garment allow you to showcase your jewellery?
Will you actually wear a sleeveless top?
Remember that you don’t have to have full body cover-up just because you are dancing in your summer years. The number after your name doesn’t make you who you are!
Factory outlets are discount constants and most major cities have a cluster of them somewhere. Don’t approach factory outlets with high expectations of finding items that are currently available (or recently available) in retail stores. Such items are unlikely to be heavily discounted at the outlets. Treat your visit as a fun outing, factory outlets are lucky-dip places where you could come across bags-full of amazing bargains or you could leave empty handed, it depends on the day and what’s in stock. Tuesday is a good day when the weekend rush is over, the stores have re-stocked on the Monday, and extra discounts might be offered to further tempt you.
At the outlets be prepared:
• To search through disorganised racks and racks of clothes.
• There will be junky and tatty items and you’ll wonder who on earth would buy them (the answer is no one; the store needs to have a clear out!).
• To check garments or accessories that you’re interested in buying are fully intact without bits (buttons, zips, embellishments) missing or broken and fabric ripped, pilled or damaged.
• That you are likely to be walking a long way on concrete flooring or other similar hard flooring.
• To keep an eye out for items (such as the LBD) that you aren’t specifically shopping for.
• That there will be a lot of items in sizes that don’t fit you.
• Not to have high expectations, treat any item you find as a bonus and have fun!
Brand Sales
Do you have a favourite clothing brand (or two) you can pretty much rely on? It might be the cut of the garments, the quality of the fabric, the styles, the sizing or the colours, whatever it is you know that label usually works for you.
Not all brands or labels operate factory outlets. Many have warehouse clearance sales a couple of times a year (or more) when they jettison last season’s unsold stock. If you do have a favourite brand of clothing it is well worth enrolling on their preferred customer list to be notified by email or post when special promotions, end of season sales and product events are coming up. Google your favourite brand and have a snoop around the website to see what they are doing, or call the marketing department. Some fashion houses offer very generous discounts that bring items that were price prohibitive during the fashion season down to an affordable cost.
Mass Retailers
It is always worth checking out mass retail stores for garments and accessories. These stores have their fingers on the fashion pulse and prices are competitive. Mass retailers are a great source for of-the-moment items that you’d love to wear for a season or two but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on because you know they will quickly become outdated. Mass retailers are always good for a tee shirt or two, slippers, exercise pants, underwear and shapewear, sleepwear, socks, etc. Some of the wardrobe basics – black skirt, white shirt, black pants, can be smart purchases from a mass retailer. Sizes aren’t particularly generous; you may have to go up one or two sizes depending on how loose-fitting you wear your clothes.
Hair and beauty products and some of the light pharmaceutical product (non prescription) prices are almost unbeatable so it is well worth stepping into the stores to purchase these items. While you’re there you might as well have a look around! Footwear
We don’t want ugly orthopaedic nightmares or boring practical classics, or shoes we can hardly walk in, or anything so sensible that we feel elderly and Nanna-ish. What we do want is stylish sexy footwear that fits. We should wear fabulous footwear and we can! It’s all in the buying!
What to do?
• Have both your feet measured next time you go shoe shopping. Chances are that you’re wearing the wrong size footwear and could have been doing so for years! Our feet change shape and size as we progress through life, when we hit the middle years most of us should be wearing one size bigger than we wore when we were twenty. Interestingly, most of us don’t buy shoes that fit properly.
• If you have one foot larger than the other (this is not uncommon) fit shoes to the larger size and use a padded insert, heel grip or insole in the other shoe.
• Lunchtime to mid afternoon is the best time to go shoe shopping when the feet have settled into the day.
• Uncomfortable footwear is not worth buying. Many of us have a pair (or several pairs) of shoes lying unworn in the wardrobe. These are the shoes that are so incredibly gorgeous that we can’t bear to part with them but we can’t bear to wear them either - because they totally kill the feet. There is no miracle cure for these shoes. Frame them, ditch them or give them to your daughter!
• Width is important – footwear that’s too narrow will pinch (it never stretches properly no matter what the salesperson says when they are pushing you to buy the shoes), paving the way to painful long-term foot problems.
• When you are trying on shoes wear the leg wear (pantyhose or socks- especially if you are test driving sports shoes) that you intend to wear with them.
• Ask for a new pair of shoes out of the box. Floor stock can become misshapen, stretched, discoloured, scuffed or mismatch the mate in the box in the storeroom.
• Stand up when you try on footwear. Walk around on different floor surfaces and look at your feet in the mirror from all angles.
• If you decide to buy two pairs in the same brand and style take the time to try on both pairs. Occasionally the fit can change from colour to colour even when the style, the size and the brand are identical.
• Once you’ve brought new footwear home and worn it outside and scuffed the soles, unless there is a manufacturing fault, the footwear is yours! If you have doubts about your purchase walk around inside on carpeted areas until you have reassured yourself that you want to keep it.
Retail details and magic products
Here are some of the labels who produce chic, simple, stylish and youthful-looking garments in the medium to lower price bracket in Australia: Most brands are available in larger shopping centres, or have a boutique counter in one of the department stores. To find them on the internet do a www. Then type the brand name in lower case without any spaces followed by dot com dot au.
Aero – knitwear, casual jackets and vests
Andiamo – classic casual pants that launder well, in a range of current styles and a choice of lengths, widths, fabrics, sizes and colours. They are well worth paying a little extra for. Available in boutique shops, not department stores
Anthea Crawford –this label can be relied on for elegant and chic garments in the medium price range.
Country Road – all garments but not all styles!
David Lawrence – conservative garments, generous sizes, worth checking out!
French Connection – edgy and well priced, great for tops, bottoms and jackets, some accessories
Gordon Smith – laid back casual garments and some accessories
Howard Showers – pants, glamorous eveningwear
Jump – knitwear, skirts and dresses – well priced and great colours
Just Jeans – jeans, boots, belts, some jewellery, trendy and casual, if you used to shop this label and stopped, re-visit it, offering lots of clothing appropriate for the mature person.
resort report – classic knits, tops and casual jackets
K-Mart – skirts, some knitwear, underwear, sleepwear
Marco Polo – knitwear, pants
Perri Cutten – it’s hard to go past this label for trendy, detailed, interesting quality garments in the medium price range.
Peter Alexander – up-market pyjamas
Portmans – jackets, straight skirts, jewellery- some edgy styles has this label back on the radar.
Queens Park – glamorous clothes for the over 30’s. Medium price range, spectacular colours, lots of bling and embellishment, great separates, jackets, dresses and accessories.
Re-launch – all outerwear, great seasonal colours, forgiving fabrics and of-the-moment styles.
Sportscraft – casual classic white shirts, pants, tops and jackets – this label has undergone a sexy style makeover. Check it out
Sportsgirl – jackets, some tops, skirts and accessories
Supre – great, inexpensive tee-shirts, some jewellery, pants if you have slender legs.
Sussan – basic garments such as black pants, tee-shirts and tops (always!) sleepwear, knitwear.
Target – skirts, swimwear, tops, some footwear, lingerie, you may need to go up a size, prices are excellent.
Trenery – Country Road’s new spin-off for women aged 40 plus
Veronika Maine –outerwear
Witchery – jackets, tops, some shoes, jewellery, belts
Wombat – pants, some shirts, some knits
Plus sizes
Maggie T. – great casual jackets, shirts and straight legged pants and underwear. Tend to be a little pricier – but the quality is fantastic.
Piper Woman – dresses $129 upwards, lovely colours and reasonably priced.
ts+14 – gorgeous colours, interesting textiles mixes and youthful styles at very reasonable prices – a great label for the goddess and diamond curvy shapes. Wear ts+14 pants with consideration as they tend to be wide legged; straight legged pants are more flattering to the curvaceous figure.
The following labels have seasonally affordable accessories:
Barcs – jewellery
Diana Ferrari – footwear. The ‘supersoft’ label is part of Diana Ferrari, comfortable, stylish footwear in wide fittings.
Diva – jewellery
Equip – jewellery and hair accessories
K-Mart – swimwear, sunhats, casual tote bags
Nine West – footwear and bags
Sportscraft – scarves, belts
Sportsgirl – jewellery and flat summer sandals
Target – sunhats, some footwear, lingerie, some swimwear
The Two Mrs. Grenvilles – jewellery, bags, hats
Trenery – belts, bags
Wanted – shoes, boots and sandals
Bargain hunting the smart way
• Check out the sales rack or bargain table the moment you walk into a store. Sales racks and ‘special reductions’ are usually prominently displayed inside the store entrance in the area known as the ‘compression zone’ or ‘transition zone’. This area is so named because it’s where we tend to pause and orientate ourselves when we’ve stepped inside a store; it is known to be the area where we are most influenced by promotions.
• If the sales rack isn’t at the front it’s likely located at the back, leading you through the shop and past all the current (non-sale) stock. Stay focused! Check out that sales rack first - wherever it may be!
• Neutral coloured items are the best buys because they are wardrobe basics. Neutrals are versatile and can be styled up with accessories - jewellery, belt, scarf, and handbag or shoes you already possess.
• A bargain is not a bargain unless it is in a colour and style that flatters you and you know you’ll wear it.
• Ask yourself: Will the item coordinate with garments you already possess? The gorgeous yellow silk skirt is not a good buy (even if it is drastically reduced) if the perfect top and footwear coordinates are not already sitting in your wardrobe at home! We’ve all wandered around the shops clutching an impulse purchase, searching for something (anything?) to team with it. Don’t make that impulse purchase in the first place unless you’re absolutely positive you already possess its soul mate to team it with. Search out coordinating garments such as a skirt and top at the same time (and in the same store) and buy them together.
• When you find a bargain item take a moment to think about the accessories you already possess - shoes, belts, handbags, jewellery etc. and whether they will enhance the item. Nothing is a good buy (no matter how great the price is) if other garments or accessories have to be purchased to enable you to wear it.
• If you really must have a garment and it’s not available in your size, go up a size. Do not buy a smaller size and hope it will fit because believe me, it won’t! Obviously it’s easier to alter a garment that’s too big than to alter than one that’s too small.
• Take the tailoring costs into account when considering something you know will have to be altered. If you don’t sew and the garment needs extensive alterations the chances are that it will not be such a bargain after all.
• An inexpensive too-small garment bought with the proviso “I’ll start the diet on Monday and slim into it” is never, ever a bargain! Give the garment a miss and go back to the store when you have gone on the diet and have lost the weight.
• Jackets and coats that are too small are usually too short in the sleeves and too tight across the shoulder blades. Lengthening sleeves is complicated and expensive; generally seam allowances within ready-made garments do not have enough fabric to be let out. Inserts constructed from different fabric become a costly exercise for a bargain jacket that may well end up looking like a patchwork quilt!
In the fitting room
Regardless of your size, weight or body shape, clothes that fit you properly are the most flattering. Just because you can get into a garment doesn’t mean it fits well.
A well fitting inexpensive garment can look a million dollars; a poorly fitting expensive garment will look cheap.
You owe it to yourself to ensure that your clothes fit perfectly; it’s the most important step on your journey to gorgeous.
Shop when the stores are quiet. You’ll receive better service and more attention if you hit the shops early on a weekday morning; and the beginning of the week is better than towards the end. If you can’t avoid shopping in the weekend, be waiting outside the stores when they open! Late in the evening is an alternative.
The more crowded times are lunchtimes, just before schools get out and about half an hour after schools get out.
Allow plenty of time and go alone. It is easy to get side tracked when you’re shopping with a companion. This is about you. You don’t want to be rushed and you don’t need someone hovering outside the fitting room fidgeting around and loudly wondering when you’re going to be ready to go for a coffee.
If you do shop with a companion (friend or family) don’t ask the companion to hold up garments or accessories against themselves so that you can see what the garment looks like against the body - unless your companion is your identical twin! Chances are that your scale, size and colouring will be different, and something that looks good on your companion may not look as good on you and visa versa. Also your companion may instinctively dislike a colour or style because it’s incorrect for her - and pull a face or say so, which could put you off it when it may just be the perfect one for you. Take the garment to a mirror and hold it up against yourself.
If you intend to buy items in the sales, suss out the garments you’re interested in and try them on beforehand thus avoiding wasting time standing in long queues at the fitting rooms. Most stores will not hold items until the sales for you.
• Get to sales early.
• Wear loose, easy to remove clothes (separates are ideal) and comfortable shoes. This is not the time to wear a shirt with zillions of buttons or a skirt with a difficult zipper, or buckle-up boots!
• You’ll be pulling garments over your head so ensure your earrings are secure and wear an inexpensive necklace. Lost property departments are full of items abandoned on fitting room hooks.
• Take an old chiffon scarf to cover your face when you are pulling clothes over your head. It protects garments (yours and the shop’s) from make-up stains.
• Find a large fitting room containing a couple of mirrors – ideally one will be adjustable so you can get a back view of the garments you are trying on.
• There is no stock standard garment size. Sizes are approximate, some companies cut their designs generously and some do not. Take a couple of different sizes of each style into the fitting room. Some shops provide a buzzer arrangement with a sales consultant available to fetch alternative sizes for you, but most do not.
• Examine the garment thoroughly to establish whether the quality, the workmanship and the finishing of the garment is satisfactory.
• Are the seams and hems secure without any loose threads? Embellishments such as buttons, pockets, topstitching and zips should be stitched securely, in working order and correctly placed for your figure. Are spare buttons or thread included – they’re usually attached to the washing instructions label. And make sure the care instruction label is there too, you’d hate to ruin a dry clean only garment by throwing it through a hot wash.
• Check how the fabric pattern is placed on the garment. If the centre of a flower or swirl falls directly over your breast, if lines or whorls lead the eye to your nether regions or if a large circle lies smack bang in the middle of your tummy, crotch or butt (don’t forget to check the back of the garment) return the garment to the rack and find another one with better pattern placement.
• Wrinkles, whiskers or folds in the garment when you put it on are indicators of poor fit.
• Tight whiskers occur across the body when a garment is too short or too small or both. Loose folds occur when the garment is too long or too big.
• Does the garment actually feel comfortable?
• Move around the fitting room in the garment. Bend, squat, stretch and sit down. How does it feel in action?
And now for the million dollar question… Does it flatter you?
No matter how classy, trendy or hot of-the-moment the item might be, if it’s not in proportion to your body shape - don’t buy it.
If it doesn’t look good on you – don’t buy it.
If it doesn’t make you look slimmer or younger – don’t buy it!
This is the hardest fashion lesson to learn. Many of us have wasted money on unflattering items that have languished unworn and unloved at the bottom of our cupboards until we’ve bitten the bullet, forgiven ourselves and slung them out. Sometimes it takes years to muster the courage to do this, and in the meantime the item is a reproachful reminder of our folly. We have to confront enough in our lives without elements of guilt, annoyance, discouragement or frustration tempting us into wearing anything that doesn’t flatter us.
If you don’t love it, then don’t buy it.
Forget the brand name on the label.
Forget the size tag (no matter how enticing it might be) and forget what the price ticket says.
If the piece doesn’t flatter you, if you don’t love it, if it doesn’t empower you and if you don’t feel absolutely great in it - walk away!
Keeping up-to-date and current
Shops showcase their coolest and most recently arrived stock on manikins; they’re a fantastic source of imaginative coordination ideas. Check out the accessories displayed on the manikins; you might have something similar at home.
If your favourite boutique or preferred clothing brand regularly accessorizes displays with the same handbag, shoes or jewellery you’ll know they have been carefully coordinated by professional stylists. Do you own similar accessories? Would they work with your wardrobe? Accessories can make or break an outfit. Stylists and window dressers do get it right.
Another great way to keep up with current fashion is to pay attention to brand posters on the walls around the stores. It’s a pleasant surprise to find you already own similar garments that can be coordinated to imitate a hot-looking outfit on display in the store.
Where to shop?
You may have a store you can always count on to deliver exactly what you want in terms of size, colour and the level of appropriateness you require. However, most of us purchase a piece here and a piece there in the hope that when we get home it will team with what is already in the wardrobe. The established fashion houses have recognized the spending capacity of the mature age market and tailor at least a portion of their seasonal ranges to meet those demands.
Be smart when you are shopping;
Will a garment allow you to showcase your jewellery?
Will you actually wear a sleeveless top?
Remember that you don’t have to have full body cover-up just because you are dancing in your summer years. The number after your name doesn’t make you who you are!
Factory outlets are discount constants and most major cities have a cluster of them somewhere. Don’t approach factory outlets with high expectations of finding items that are currently available (or recently available) in retail stores. Such items are unlikely to be heavily discounted at the outlets. Treat your visit as a fun outing, factory outlets are lucky-dip places where you could come across bags-full of amazing bargains or you could leave empty handed, it depends on the day and what’s in stock. Tuesday is a good day when the weekend rush is over, the stores have re-stocked on the Monday, and extra discounts might be offered to further tempt you.
At the outlets be prepared:
• To search through disorganised racks and racks of clothes.
• There will be junky and tatty items and you’ll wonder who on earth would buy them (the answer is no one; the store needs to have a clear out!).
• To check garments or accessories that you’re interested in buying are fully intact without bits (buttons, zips, embellishments) missing or broken and fabric ripped, pilled or damaged.
• That you are likely to be walking a long way on concrete flooring or other similar hard flooring.
• To keep an eye out for items (such as the LBD) that you aren’t specifically shopping for.
• That there will be a lot of items in sizes that don’t fit you.
• Not to have high expectations, treat any item you find as a bonus and have fun!
Brand Sales
Do you have a favourite clothing brand (or two) you can pretty much rely on? It might be the cut of the garments, the quality of the fabric, the styles, the sizing or the colours, whatever it is you know that label usually works for you.
Not all brands or labels operate factory outlets. Many have warehouse clearance sales a couple of times a year (or more) when they jettison last season’s unsold stock. If you do have a favourite brand of clothing it is well worth enrolling on their preferred customer list to be notified by email or post when special promotions, end of season sales and product events are coming up. Google your favourite brand and have a snoop around the website to see what they are doing, or call the marketing department. Some fashion houses offer very generous discounts that bring items that were price prohibitive during the fashion season down to an affordable cost.
Mass Retailers
It is always worth checking out mass retail stores for garments and accessories. These stores have their fingers on the fashion pulse and prices are competitive. Mass retailers are a great source for of-the-moment items that you’d love to wear for a season or two but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on because you know they will quickly become outdated. Mass retailers are always good for a tee shirt or two, slippers, exercise pants, underwear and shapewear, sleepwear, socks, etc. Some of the wardrobe basics – black skirt, white shirt, black pants, can be smart purchases from a mass retailer. Sizes aren’t particularly generous; you may have to go up one or two sizes depending on how loose-fitting you wear your clothes.
Hair and beauty products and some of the light pharmaceutical product (non prescription) prices are almost unbeatable so it is well worth stepping into the stores to purchase these items. While you’re there you might as well have a look around! Footwear
We don’t want ugly orthopaedic nightmares or boring practical classics, or shoes we can hardly walk in, or anything so sensible that we feel elderly and Nanna-ish. What we do want is stylish sexy footwear that fits. We should wear fabulous footwear and we can! It’s all in the buying!
What to do?
• Have both your feet measured next time you go shoe shopping. Chances are that you’re wearing the wrong size footwear and could have been doing so for years! Our feet change shape and size as we progress through life, when we hit the middle years most of us should be wearing one size bigger than we wore when we were twenty. Interestingly, most of us don’t buy shoes that fit properly.
• If you have one foot larger than the other (this is not uncommon) fit shoes to the larger size and use a padded insert, heel grip or insole in the other shoe.
• Lunchtime to mid afternoon is the best time to go shoe shopping when the feet have settled into the day.
• Uncomfortable footwear is not worth buying. Many of us have a pair (or several pairs) of shoes lying unworn in the wardrobe. These are the shoes that are so incredibly gorgeous that we can’t bear to part with them but we can’t bear to wear them either - because they totally kill the feet. There is no miracle cure for these shoes. Frame them, ditch them or give them to your daughter!
• Width is important – footwear that’s too narrow will pinch (it never stretches properly no matter what the salesperson says when they are pushing you to buy the shoes), paving the way to painful long-term foot problems.
• When you are trying on shoes wear the leg wear (pantyhose or socks- especially if you are test driving sports shoes) that you intend to wear with them.
• Ask for a new pair of shoes out of the box. Floor stock can become misshapen, stretched, discoloured, scuffed or mismatch the mate in the box in the storeroom.
• Stand up when you try on footwear. Walk around on different floor surfaces and look at your feet in the mirror from all angles.
• If you decide to buy two pairs in the same brand and style take the time to try on both pairs. Occasionally the fit can change from colour to colour even when the style, the size and the brand are identical.
• Once you’ve brought new footwear home and worn it outside and scuffed the soles, unless there is a manufacturing fault, the footwear is yours! If you have doubts about your purchase walk around inside on carpeted areas until you have reassured yourself that you want to keep it.
Retail details and magic products
Here are some of the labels who produce chic, simple, stylish and youthful-looking garments in the medium to lower price bracket in Australia: Most brands are available in larger shopping centres, or have a boutique counter in one of the department stores. To find them on the internet do a www. Then type the brand name in lower case without any spaces followed by dot com dot au.
Aero – knitwear, casual jackets and vests
Andiamo – classic casual pants that launder well, in a range of current styles and a choice of lengths, widths, fabrics, sizes and colours. They are well worth paying a little extra for. Available in boutique shops, not department stores
Anthea Crawford –this label can be relied on for elegant and chic garments in the medium price range.
Country Road – all garments but not all styles!
David Lawrence – conservative garments, generous sizes, worth checking out!
French Connection – edgy and well priced, great for tops, bottoms and jackets, some accessories
Gordon Smith – laid back casual garments and some accessories
Howard Showers – pants, glamorous eveningwear
Jump – knitwear, skirts and dresses – well priced and great colours
Just Jeans – jeans, boots, belts, some jewellery, trendy and casual, if you used to shop this label and stopped, re-visit it, offering lots of clothing appropriate for the mature person.
resort report – classic knits, tops and casual jackets
K-Mart – skirts, some knitwear, underwear, sleepwear
Marco Polo – knitwear, pants
Perri Cutten – it’s hard to go past this label for trendy, detailed, interesting quality garments in the medium price range.
Peter Alexander – up-market pyjamas
Portmans – jackets, straight skirts, jewellery- some edgy styles has this label back on the radar.
Queens Park – glamorous clothes for the over 30’s. Medium price range, spectacular colours, lots of bling and embellishment, great separates, jackets, dresses and accessories.
Re-launch – all outerwear, great seasonal colours, forgiving fabrics and of-the-moment styles.
Sportscraft – casual classic white shirts, pants, tops and jackets – this label has undergone a sexy style makeover. Check it out
Sportsgirl – jackets, some tops, skirts and accessories
Supre – great, inexpensive tee-shirts, some jewellery, pants if you have slender legs.
Sussan – basic garments such as black pants, tee-shirts and tops (always!) sleepwear, knitwear.
Target – skirts, swimwear, tops, some footwear, lingerie, you may need to go up a size, prices are excellent.
Trenery – Country Road’s new spin-off for women aged 40 plus
Veronika Maine –outerwear
Witchery – jackets, tops, some shoes, jewellery, belts
Wombat – pants, some shirts, some knits
Plus sizes
Maggie T. – great casual jackets, shirts and straight legged pants and underwear. Tend to be a little pricier – but the quality is fantastic.
Piper Woman – dresses $129 upwards, lovely colours and reasonably priced.
ts+14 – gorgeous colours, interesting textiles mixes and youthful styles at very reasonable prices – a great label for the goddess and diamond curvy shapes. Wear ts+14 pants with consideration as they tend to be wide legged; straight legged pants are more flattering to the curvaceous figure.
The following labels have seasonally affordable accessories:
Barcs – jewellery
Diana Ferrari – footwear. The ‘supersoft’ label is part of Diana Ferrari, comfortable, stylish footwear in wide fittings.
Diva – jewellery
Equip – jewellery and hair accessories
K-Mart – swimwear, sunhats, casual tote bags
Nine West – footwear and bags
Sportscraft – scarves, belts
Sportsgirl – jewellery and flat summer sandals
Target – sunhats, some footwear, lingerie, some swimwear
The Two Mrs. Grenvilles – jewellery, bags, hats
Trenery – belts, bags
Wanted – shoes, boots and sandals
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