Kim, My client Fredwina is a 30-year-old accountant who is single but would love to meet her perfect partner. She’s a Natural style personality, curvy body shape, and a Light Spring! At work she dresses in a lovely coffee brown suit which she wears with a short-sleeved white T-shirt!
Considering her profession, should she wear 3/4 or full-length sleeved tops, or does it not matter? She is not in touch with the general public at work, just her colleagues.
I have seen her in a lovely cream large-necked jumper and looks very soft and feminine in it. I would love to see her add a bit of femininity around her neck with a nice simple, dainty gold chain. She doesn’t look good showing off much of her chest and I don’t think she would want to either. I advised round necks, boat necks, mock turtle, and polo necks. She has so many questions we’ve already booked a follow-up appointment! I’d like your comments so I can learn even more about style! Ermentrude, UK
Dear Ermentrude,
I agree with your diagnosis of Fredwina – definitely curvy, pear-shaped, Natural style personality, Light Spring, and a Green colour personality.
Accountants, lawyers, bankers, and professionals seriously looking for promotion need a minimum of three-quarter sleeves.
You still need to create the right impression around your colleagues for them to respect your professionalism (or not).
Short sleeves are for casual wear and, if you wear them in a professional environment, they say that you do not take the job seriously.
Round-neck tops are great for her approachable look, perhaps to meet her perfect partner.
When she wants to be authoritative or taken more seriously (at work), then a V neck would be a clever move
However, you might like to introduce Fredwina to the cowl neck which forms a perfect balance between the two contrasting looks. It will drape into a round neck or a gentle V shape.
Comparison with Kim – Dramatic, Red, Curvy, Cool Winter
For instance, as a very strong Red colour personality myself, with a Dramatic style personality and Cool Winter colouring, I can frighten some people at five thousand paces, especially when wearing sharp angles, like a V-neck.
This, in itself, can be extremely useful when I want to command the full attention of well-dressed professionals, especially men in suits!
But if I want to engage with people on a more personal level, the conventional wisdom is that I should replace the sharp V-neck with a round neck.
Quite frankly, I feel totally uncomfortable in a round neck and, consequently, they look dreadful on me! A round neck does not complement my true personality at all.
So the cowl neck is the perfect compromise for me for when I want to be (seen as) approachable, i.e., Classic Dramatic.
Conversely, Naturals will find a cowl provides a softer way towards wearing a more authoritative look than an out-and-out V neck. The potentially severe V-shape is softened by the draping.
Also, this will help Fredwina look more feminine, and she’ll be able to use the same tops when she’s dating.
Adding a ‘nice simple, dainty, gold chain’ might well work for you but if Fredwina isn’t comfortable with this, then you now have an alternative way to soften her look.
Add colour
You might also try adding a touch of colour under her brown suit, which will also make her look more feminine:
- Peach
- Light Clear Gold
- Pastel Yellow Green
- Periwinkle
- Light Warm Aqua
Show her the Armani colours as alternative suit colours:
- Medium Bronze
- Moss Green
- Green Grey
- Rose Brown
They will be perfect for her Spring colouring, and for the up-market look she really needs for her professional life too
- I’ve created a special Armani drape set containing these 4 colours which you’ll find in our wholesale catalogue of colour supplies.
Learn how to do all this
with my professional-level training courses:
- Colour Analysis Training in a Box– seasonal and/or tonal colour diagnosis, plus colour personality type
- Personal Style Course – learn to diagnose body shape, scale, and style personality
- Colour Psychology Course – to learn more ways to diagnose your client’s personality and who she really is