Whatever has happened to James Bond's DJ?

Gracious Heavens, I can't believe that the normally scrumptious Daniel Craig was looking so much less than his best at the premiere of 'Skyfall'.

What is wrong? Well, his dinner jacket doesn't fit properly for a start. We expect to see 007 wearing a perfectly tailored tux, but here he is showing far too much shirt cuff - those sleeves aren't long enough! Of course we know there is a fantastically toned chest under there, but the jacket shouldn't be so tight over the torso that it pulls.

If your jacket is too tight and your sleeves are too short, it looks as if you can't afford one that fits properly, and have squeezed yourself into something you wore when you were younger and slimmer. Or, that you are a nightclub bouncer wearing a jacket supplied by the Management......

No more than about half an inch of shirt cuff should protrude beyond the end of your jacket sleeve gentlemen, and you don't want drag lines across the body of your jacket when it is fastened.

I'm also very unimpressed by the shiny midnight blue fabric of Daniel's DJ. Yes, he is a fair man and yes, dark colours like black close to the face are not great for fair people, so perhaps the midnight blue was intended to soften the black/white combination. It's still so dark anyway though, that it doesn't make any difference, and the shiny non-matching material just looks odd and tacky. Is he about to start calling out the numbers for a game of Bingo?
Evening dress for men should be black only with a matt wool fabric for both dinner jacket and trousers. Anything else will make you look like a game show host.
And whilst we are about it, what's with the contrasting buttons on Daniel's shirt? No, no, no, your dress shirt (in plain white only please, no frills or strange colours) always looks best with the buttons concealed under a placket, or at least in plain white.
Here on the right is 007 in Casino Royale wearing evening dress as it should be worn and looking truly sharp,classy and elegant.

And here we can see the contrast with how much better his co-star Javier Bardem looks in his classic and properly fitting dinner jacket.

Last but not least, what has Daniel done to his hair?
That short slicked back style reminds me uncomfortably of Hannibal Lecter and has put at least 10 years on him.....

I'm looking forward to seeing the film, but come on Daniel, do yourself justice!

Cass

Colours For a Slimmer Silhouette

Many women who feel they are heavier than they would like to be choose to wear dark colours - navy blue, dark brown or grey and above all black - because they believe that dark colours are more slimming.

There is some truth in that belief.  It's certainly the case that very bright colourful patterns will draw the eye, so if you don't want to attract attention to certain areas of your body, it's best to keep vivid colours and bold patterns away from these. The current trend for patterned trousers should be treated with great care for instance! If you have very slim legs, all well and good, but for those of us whose thighs seem to be constantly seeking more Lebensraum, patterns on the legs are most definitely best avoided........

Just a monochrome look can be very dreary though, and if you are already in low spirits because you feel overweight, wearing gloomy dark colours is hardly going to cheer you up.

There is a much better and cleverer way to look slimmer, by using colour to your advantage.
How? It's easy, combine a dark and a light/bright colour to create the illusion of a slimmer silhouette.
Choose a top in a pale or a vivid colour. Then over it, wear a dark coloured jacket, cardigan or long draped wrap which falls in straight lines down your torso.
The eye is drawn inwards to the lighter/brighter coloured panel at the centre of your torso and 'skims over' the darker colours on the outside, which visually slims you.
Here's an example of an outfit which would achieve a helpful slimming effect for you and give you some fabulous colour in your look too, from  Kettlewell Colours Ltd  at www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk 

Use colour on the upper half of your body with lots going on around the neckline and shoulders - jewellery or a scarf - to lift the eye to where you want people to look - your face!

The fashion world started to pick up on the slimming benefits of the 'dark with light or bright' combination last year when Kate Winslet visually shed 2 dress sizes with her stunning red and black Optical Illusion dress at the premiere of the film 'Carnage'.
Since then, 'two tone' dresses, skirts and tops have become increasingly popular. There are a wealth of options around this season in a variety of colours and patterns to help you look slimmer and stylish too!

Right - Lace Panelled Skirt from www.next.co.uk
Below Right - Short Sleeve Colour Block Panel Dress from www.matalan.co.uk

Looking great isn't just the prerogative of the very thin! If you'd like some help with your personal style and look, then please do get in touch so see what I can do for you.
Best Wishes
Cass