Written by Wendy Mak

Years and years of styling hundreds of bee-yoo-ti-ful ladies leaves me very qualified to write this post!! And I thought it was high time we address the 4 fashion mistakes women make when it comes to their wardrobe.

1. Say no to black

I'm the first to admit that if you NEVER wear black you're in for a world of pain. After all most clothing comes in black. And it is genuinely slimming. But there are two situations where I think it's time to say no to black.

The first is if you always wear it. And I mean always. It gets boring. You start to feel dull. Life gets sucked out of you if you only ever wear black (true story).

Live a little - try something in a colour. Start slow by wearing just a coloured accessory and graduate to a whole blouse or dress when you're ready.

Try a bold coloured scarf like this one from Marcs

Graduate to a whole piece of colour like this Diana Ferrari blouse when you're ready

The second is when you start to get older. Skin tones can change and if you're noticing your complexion getting a little less bright, it's time to keep black in the bottom half of your body (ie in skirts or trousers) and try for a charcoal or light grey instead on the top.

Alternatively if you're wearing a black dress, make sure you wear a bright and bold accessory such as a necklace, scarf or big earrings to compensate.

2. Come out of hiding

Women baffle me. I know I sound like a total dude when I say that, but truly, they do. I can't tell you how many beautiful curves and figures I've seen hiding under oversized clothes (now I REALLY sound like a dude!!).

The minute our bodies show any sign of weight gain or (heaven forbid) ageing, we hide it.

"But my jacket HAS to be square and long to hide my butt", is an oft heard line. "But I can't wear skirts anymore, I hate my knees", is another.

Remember my volume and proportion rule when it comes to dressing your body shape in this post? While it's ok to wear something loose to camouflage certain areas, you want to avoid "hiding" your entire body as it will only give you a square, shapeless silhouette.

Below is a quick catch up on that rule if you missed it:

3. Bust out a fashion accessory.

Accessories make an outfit POP. And I don't mean small, tiny, wee little things. I mean stuff that's big enough and bold enough to change the look of an outfit.

Do not be scared. This is the one time you can afford to think #oversized. And I know you'll feel self conscious - but if anyone's looking it's only because they are tres jealous of your amazing sense of daring & style.

Here's the difference between accessorising and not:

4. Leave your hang ups behind

Women can be so fabulously skilled at the art of self criticism. In the majority of cases we're our own worst enemy. We're always so hard on ourselves and in 99.99% of cases it's completely unjustified!

Be kind to yourself and be gracious and accepting of your amazing body. It's the only one you've got.

As always, if you've enjoyed this post please like it and share it with your friends.

Until next time, stay stylish & successful!