Do you want to re-emerge from lockdown with a new and refreshed fashion style?

Then here are some top fashion tips from a local specialist which will not cost the earth – in fact, often they cost nothing at all.

With non-essential stores closed you can’t, of course, go mad in high street sales, but there are still online purchases and bargains to be had.

But the tips offered by Kirsty Mack of Stourbridge House of Colour are mainly aimed at getting organized and making the most of what you already have, as well as advice on what to buy.

A French tuck and a bit of colour co-ordination can go a long way!

Here are her top tips for a 2021 lockdown fashion refresh:

• Dress for now

If you have clothes in your wardrobe that are too big/too small move them out. I’m not saying throw them away, just store them somewhere else for now. There’s no point opening your wardrobe doors every morning and being confronted with things you can’t currently wear. It also makes it much harder to see what you do have.

• File

Organise what’s left by item type (jumpers, shirts, trousers etc.) and colour so that you can more easily see what you have. I call this ‘filing’. You may also start to see new combinations.

• Shop your own wardrobe

We all full into the habit of thinking we need new clothes even though we don’t wear half of what we already have. Spend some time trying some new combinations and styling things in a slightly different way.

For example: try tucking things in (a French tuck, half in half out, is a particular favourite of mine); put a shirt/top underneath something you normally wear on its own; add a jacket or scarf; roll skirts and trousers up to try them at a different length; you can also change the length of sleeves by rolling them up, or wearing a long sleeved top under something with short or ¾ length sleeves. It can be these tiny details that stop us wearing an item of clothing.

• Accessorise

Would you put up your Christmas tree and leave it without decorations? I’m guessing not! Adding accessories can transform an outfit without spending a fortune – they make an outfit more interesting and make you feel finished. Clients always tell me that they want to look ‘put together’ – more often than not it’s the accessories that do this. They are also a fabulous way to express your personality and have some fun.

• Take photos

Take photos of your new combinations so that you can see what works, what you like, and so that you remember what you have.

• Don’t save things for best

Once you have all of your new combinations – wear them! Lots of us fall into the trap of limiting where and when we wear certain things. If you love wearing something, and it makes you feel good, why not wear it? As my mum would say – “this isn’t a dress rehearsal!” I was talking to someone recently who had a fur coat that she loved but didn’t wear because she thought it was ‘too much’. Next time I saw her on a Zoom networking meeting she was wearing it – and looked fabulous!

• Beware the sales

The sales are very tempting but remember that it’s only a bargain if you need it – and you wear it. Is there anything in your wardrobe that you bought last year and haven’t worn yet? I hope that using these tips will help you see where the gaps are in your wardrobe and plan what you need – and if you then find something in the sales that fits the gap that’s a bonus!

To contact Kirsty email kirsty.mack@houseofcolour.co.uk