Who doesn’t feel the need to buy new clothes from time to time? Let’s be honest, shopping is a great source of happiness for many of us. Fashion is an opportunity to have fun, and draping yourself in pieces that allow you to express yourself while looking great is a surefire way to feel immediately more confident. To make your next shopping trip a success, we’ve outlined some tips and tricks that will help guide you as you re-vamp your wardrobe for the season.

What to consider when buying new clothes?

Clothes can reflect your personality, profession, preferences and/or mood. For example, light colours typically express a sense joy and exuberance, while dark colours convey a sense of seriousness. Styles with colours and patterns can help you express your creativity, while minimalistic neutrals are great for creating looks that are sophisticated and office-ready. Another important thing to keep in mind is the occassions for which you are purchasing your clothes.
If you spend a lot of your free time partaking in outdoor activities, then you probably want to invest in pieces that are practical and comfortable. If parties and special dinners are your thing, it’d be worthwhile to invest in clothes that are more elegant and polished.

Which clothes suit which figure?

It goes without saying that every woman wants to look and feel good in her clothes, which is why it’s so important to buy pieces that suit your figure! When you pick the right fit, the pieces will emphasize your shape in all the right places. That being said, it’s important to first become familiar with your figure type:

The hourglass (also called the X-type):

Characterized by a narrow waist, large bust and wide hips.

If you have an hourglass figure, we recommend choosing pieces that emphasize your slim waist. Figure-hugging blouses and shirts, as well as fitted jackets and blazers, look lovely when combined with slim fit and mid-rise trousers. Slim fitting dresses or styles with waist belts also look great.

The triangle (pear type, A type):

Characterized by wide hips and a more narrow upper body in comparison.

If you have a triangle-shaped figure, round-cut shirts, balloon sleeve tops and empire waist dresses are a must. Slim fitting trousers and skirts look especially great in darker shades.

The inverted triangle (apple type, V type):

Characterized by shoulders that are wider than your hips and legs that are slim and long.

If you have an inverted triangle body shape, V-neck tops are the way to go. You can also show off your figure beautifully with dresses and blouses with an empire waist. When buying trousers and skirts, we recommend opting for lighter colours.

Round body shape (also called O-type):

Characterized by narrow shoulders and legs with a larger bust, round mid-section and wider hips.

Wide-cut tops that are airy and comfortable look especially flattering on those with a round figure. Tunics and blouses are wardrobe must-haves, and the longer the cut, the better, as this gives the illusion of a lengthened silhouette. We also recommend wearing trousers and skirts in darker shades.

Rectangular body shape (H-type, banana type):

Characterized by a small bust and shoulders with hips about the same width.

Women with a rectangular figure look lovely in straight cut clothes. Pro tip: wearing patterns like pinstripes are great for creating the appearance of a lengthened silhouette.

What to look for when buying patterned clothing?

At Olsen, we carry a number of on-trend styles in different colours and patterns. This allows for greater variety in your wardrobe and provides endless opportunities to express your mood through your outfits. But how will you know which colours and patterns go best together? We recommend pairing bold, expressive pieces with ones that are more minimalistic and simple. This allows the statement piece to really pop. For example, a floral print blouses pairs beautifully with black or white jeans.

That said, you can absolutely combine bold colours and patterns together, but we recommend keeping the patterns similar and not combining more than two. Checks and stripes, for example, are a lovely combination, whereas checks and florals do not match as well. The general rule is that less is more! Matching accessories such as a scarf, handbag, shoes and striking jewlery can also add the perfect finishing touch to any look.