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Email: olwen@olwenshawstyle.co.uk 

Phone: 01227 709555

Mobile: 07720 445600 

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 Vouchers for all other gifts and services (on my website) are available at full price.

The article is very timely as it is just what we are covering in our workshops at Iffin House on 13th November. The morning is ‘Fabulous at 50+’ and the afternoon is ‘Dressing for the Party Season’. Book for one or both. £35.00 each or £60.00 for both. Lunch is included after the morning session, and afternoon tea for the Party Season ladies. Can you afford to miss them?Details on the Events page.

This next week is very busy. Three BNI meetings in one week (Sandwich, Faversham and, of course, Canterbury). A Look Good Feel Better workshop at the Kent & Canterbury Hospital on Tuesday afternoon and 2 colour consultations on Wednesday, followed by a talk at the William Harvey Hospital.

Thursday is our B2B meeting at Iffin House from 13.00 – 15.00. We have a few new guests this month, including Emma Reid from Grey Sells whom I met at a Business Link Marketing seminar a couple of weeks ago. Please contact me if you’d like to attend.

Because the magazine is published on 8th November and the submission date 18th October, this was not as easy as I had thought as many of the shops and concessions had their mid season sales and not all had their Christmas stock.

We decided to go for day and evening looks and chose Hobbs, LK Bennett , Coast, Desigual and Marks and Spencer. Have a look at the Whitefriars magazine in November to check out what we bought.

A series of ‘thank yous’ next. Firstly to my models, for your time, willingness to participate and overall star quality and Jenny, in addition, for the champagne at the end. Samantha Jones saved the day and did a brilliant job with the photos (www.samanthajonesphotography.co.uk Tel: 07786 314973), making the ladies feel at ease and looking even more gorgeous.

Adam Bateman and Jill at Fenwicks for helping with the clothes, Amanda and Kat at LK Bennett (Fenwick), Julia at Hobbs (Marlowe Arcade) and Claire Johnson (Whitefriars) whose genius idea it was initially. It ties in really well with the work I did for the BBC some time ago (clip on my home page).  Can’t wait to see the published article. Draft should be ready on Friday.

The ladies all had a fun and informative day and some of the comments we received are below.

“I live by the phrase ‘look good, feel better’ and you made me feel more than better today! A thousand thank yous”

“Thank you so much for more beautifying and confidence-building”

“Thanks for the bra tips!”

“Olwen – Never mind Gok or Trinny & Susannah – you’re Kent’s answer to them all!”

“Olwen shares her expertise & knowledge in such a personable, friendly, yet professional way, and I certainly came away from the day with some fantastic tips and a refreshed approach to my image and style”

Looking forward to the next ones on Saturday 13th November. The morning workshop is ‘Feeling Fabulous at 50 (and forever)’ and the afternoon, ‘How to choose your party wear for the festive season’. You can book either or both. Please call me on 01227 709 555, 07720 445 600, or email me at olwen@olwenshawstyle.co.uk for further information.

Draping ladies at the workshop

I had a fantastic day at The Ritz with Sylvia Rattenbury yesterday, working with Nat Mags (Good Housekeeping and Prima) at their Clairol event – Confidence to Shine. Eight 25 minute workshops (4 in the morning and 4 after lunch), giving the ladies taster sessions of Colour Analysis and what Colour me Beautiful is all about.

They were all very well received and we had some very positive feedback.

Working at The Ritz was a joy; what a beautiful hotel with brilliant and very attentive staff. Nothing was too much trouble. A big thank you  to Fiona Wellins for her help on the day, and also to Veronique Henderson, for asking us to be part of it.

Recruitment manager, Keiran How from Eden Brown, says that ‘it is vital you give a good first impression by wearing the right clothes or you may have ruined your chances before you’ve even opened your mouth’.

True, very true, but how do you know what are the right clothes?
81% of employers said wearing a suit to interview suggests you are ‘organised and efficient’. However if the job or company culture is such that a suit is inappropriate, you will put yourself at a disadvantage. Wearing a suit to an interview in the Creative Arts for example would imply you had no creativity at all.

Bearing the old adage, ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ in mind, do your research. Dressing for interview is not just about smart, clean clothing, it is also about appropriateness.

For more information, or help about dressing for interview, please check out my website (www.olwenshawstyle.co.uk) and contact me.

Autumn, of course, sees a change in the fashion season and on 3rd September, at the London Regional Meeting, Colour me Beautiful is launching a brand new Style Workbook, as well as the Style Updates for Autumn/Winter 2010. Please look for dates on my website next week for your diaries. Learn how to work the new trends with items already in your wardrobes and save loads of money!!

Camel is the colour for Autumn, but wear it with care. If you are a Cool, with silver or white hair, it is best avoided near your face. Much better to go for the greys which are also around and keep the camel as far away from your face as possible.
However, Warms with red toned or honey blonde hair, will look fabulous in a warmer Camel. Mixed with Olives and Rusts will be sensational.
Lights, with pale, Scandanavian colouring can wear almost any shade of Camel, but liven it up with Aqua to avoid looking too washed out.
Clears should contrast their Camel with black, purple or jewel colours, while Deeps can contrast with strong Chocolate or Pine.
Soft and Muted ladies should work their Camel tonally; oatmeal and bronze for example will produce a very chic effect.

The Daily Mail recently ran an article on ‘The cream of camel coats’ and New Look came out top. 17/20 for a £59.99 coat (80% wool) and Marks & Spencer 14/20 for a £99.00 coat (100% wool).

Textured fabrics – suede, leather and fur – are all making an appearance this season and look out for lace tights. Great for the younger ladies, but the more mature among us can work the trends too.

It has now stopped raining, the sun is making a (weak) appearance, so it’s off for a walk in my old barbour and new Boden Biker boots!