Style Tips for the new decade

We have had the mad spending trend - cheap and cheerful and slapped onto the credit card. We've adjusted to the "make do and mend" and "swap with thy neighbour" trend. Maybe now it's time to take a deep breath and go back to sensible shopping. Buying pieces that enhance your wardrobe, fit perfectly, emphasize ALL the right bits and work their magic though out your life.

Roland Mouret (designer of the much-coveted and copied "Galaxy dress") offers such no-nonsense "style pearls" in this month's "Elle" that I feel duty bound to share some of them with you:

. "Shopping is like going to the gym - it's not natural! you have to train yourself to be good at it"
. "Whatever you spend, it has to look at least 10 times more expensive than the amount you paid"
."There are two extremes: trying to to be trendy or playing it safe. Glamour is somewhere in the middle"

It is now your time to ditch EVERYTHING that robs you of your confidence in some way, and work harder at finding those items that you want to wear time and time again. Buy it because it is 100% right for you. Do not compromise and buy a cheaper version that falls short, it will end up as one the "1 out of 4 items that a woman has in her wardrobe but never wears" and that does not make good financial sense.

So what I am really saying here is - you now have permission to buy EXACTLY what you want - and that has to be a good thing. It will be your reward for exercising your shopping muscle and honing your spending habits. Marvellous!

You shall go to the ball...

So,be honest,how many of you have turned down invitations because when it came to it, you felt: too old; too overweight; too self-conscious? I know that it happens because my clients regularly tell me. If it makes you feel better, imagine what it is like for someone like me who makes a living advising others how to look good. Oh the pressure! I know what it is like to be having a "fat day" or to have to cook your kids tea before rushing out to an event.
And so I have perfected the art of not letting it get the better of me. Here are my tried and tested TOP TIPS on how to sparkle...and not just fizzle out:

. Have a plan. Decide how YOU want to look and feel beforehand. Don't care a hoot what anyone else is wearing. I have worn my dark denim jeans to a glam night out before now because they made me feel more confident than anything else I had. I went to town with the details though...

. ...And that means NEVER neglecting hair, nails and make-up. Don't allow anything to sap your confidence such as missing buttons, frayed hemlines or gaping arm holes. It just requires some forward planning. Be "all over the detail" as someone once said about Madonna.

. Focus on your BEST feature -you will have one and if you really can't find it then ask a trusted friend. Then go to town making a big spectacular show of it..with bells on if necessary. Do not, under any circumstances, point out what you don't like. Accept all compliments without fuss or deflection.

. Always take the opportunity to dress up - especially if you are unsure of the dress code. It can never be wrong to do so and it also gives you the chance to get more wear out of your wardrobe favourites. Coco Chanel once said: "it's best be as pretty as possible for destiny"...you just never know when you might meet yours.

. If it really is too late to change your outfit, lose weight or back out of the event, then try this for instant confidence: Close the door and the curtains. Put Michael Buble "feeling good" on LOUD (or on your ipod if loud is not acceptable) and let yourself go...guaranteed to make you feel sexy, desirable and at least half a stone lighter. Dancing will release all of those wonderful "feel good" hormones. Try it!

No more nights on the sofa wrapped in Pjs and dressing gown...shoulders back, chin up, tummy in and off you go heading for the night....