It's that time of year again, time to put in the online shopping orders so they get here in plenty of time for Christmas. I absolutely hate the hot and dusty search through the shops to find Christmas presents, dragging a reluctant husband and two tired children in tow. For years now I've been doing all my Christmas shopping online.
Here's my pick for those little gifts for the women in your life, friends, work-mates, secret santas or perhaps a treat for yourself:
Mor Sealed With A Kiss Bauble
Mor products are always packed so beautifully they're great for gifts and when she's taken out the product there's a pretty tree decoration left behind. $12.95.
Lush Secret Santa
A cute little package, my favourite soap (Honey I Washed the Kids), and a good price point too. I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't love Lush. $9.95.
Lust Have It
This one's good if you need to send a gift through the mail. If you haven't heard about this program yet you're missing out. For $14.95 you (or your giftee) gets a sample box of beauty products to try. I'm a subscriber myself and I enjoy getting a box of goodies in the mail. You can purchase just one month for your friend, or a whole year's worth! The photograph is of my very first Lust Have It box, ahhh nostalgia.
This slim red volume wouldn’t quite fit into your pocket, but it is a wardrobe staple. It provides advice that doesn’t date: how to choose the classic building blocks for an amazing wardrobe. Once you have the skeleton, then you can just add one trend based item to a look to keep current.
Farr says, and I agree, that finding a good tailor is essential. She goes so far as to say that “great tailoring… is the single most critical factor in raising your style profile”.
A recurring theme is choosing fashion to fit your body type. Farr is adamant that any women can look good if she dresses to what she looks like now, not waiting until she’s the size she wants to be. Theoretically I agree with this, but for those on a limited budget this just isn’t practical. Why spend a lot of money on clothes you’ll only wear for a few months?
One tip from this book that I intend to try as soon as I can is the use of a clothing steamer to remove creases. So many fabrics just don’t cope with an iron but still need creases removed. And I have to admit I just like the idea of waving a magic wand in my closet and the clothes appearing perfectly pressed.
The Pocket Stylist is not so much of a fun read as, say, "Fashion Babylon", but it’s recommended to those who are really starting from scratch in improving their wardrobe. For the more fashion savvy, the advice is probably mostly what you’ve already worked out for yourselves.