Frock Advisor

There seems to be a lot of green happening out there; can Irish people wear it without looking faintly ridiculous?

There’s never been a better time for the wearing of the green, everyone from Prada to Reed Krakoff has presented it for autumn/winter 2013 and it is carrying through strongly for spring/summer 2014.

The wonderful thing about green is that it can be anything you want it to be, from the palest pistachio to the inkiest forest, and everything in between. Perhaps the most challenging to us as a nation is the in-your-face Grace Kelly or emerald green. In fact, Emerald 17-5641 is Pantone’s “Colour of the Year”. What a luscious colour, rich and strong like freshly cut grass. A colour that does party tricks, such as looking as beautiful on Naomi Campbell as it does on Julianne Moore. It is a no-holds-barred statement of confidence when worn as clothing, and a cheeky accent when worn as accessories.

But that’s green at its boldest and most uncompromising, and if you don’t have those attributes, there are other options.

Most of us have some form of khaki in our wardrobes. Whether we succumbed to skinny stretch combats or a parka, shades of army green are lurking somewhere. A fresher approach, in all ways, is the newer, colder, pine forest green, a deep teal that is great on pale and dark skin alike. We urge you to find the envy-inducing colour that’s right for you this season.

I’ve heard tell of a mythical creature called the in-house personal shopper. Is this service for celebrities and women with deep pockets only?

Fashion is a a challenging smorgasbord from which we select our personal style. Sometimes we don’t need help, either because we think we know it all or we do indeed know it all. Sometimes, we find ourselves in the wasteland, when we try to reconcile our interior self with our exterior self. We feel that we buy the same things every time we shop. We are frustrated by our clothes and can’t find a doorway to an alternative. It is at this time that we need personal shoppers, an impartial, unemotional, fresh perspective.

Let’s dispel some myths. You don’t have to pay for a personal shopper if the store offers their services. You’re not obligated to buy what a personal shopper selects for you. Let’s set some ground rules: you will have to book an appointment. You have as much right to be there as anyone else. You will accept that opening your mind to the guru’s suggestions is the key to a successful mission.

Frockadvisor’s top tip, when approaching a personal shopper for the first time, is to very clearly set out your stall. If it’s your first time with the consultant, we advise that you broker trust and manage expectations by saying that, because you’re a personal shopping virgin, you’re not yet sure if you’re going to part with any money. This takes away the anxiety of commitment and relaxes all parties, although in truth, all the anxiety will have been on your part. Your new friend is only doing her job.

What will happen is that your preconceptions will be challenged. Things that you would never have tried on, unaided, will be brought to you and laid at your feet. You will resist these garments because they are outside your comfort zone and threaten your anatomical weaknesses. At this point, hold your nerve and keep the faith. You will be rewarded with a new style, a new silhouette and a sense of awe at how your new best friend knew what to bring you to make you smile on the inside and the outside.