My Top Tips for Guys and Girls
My Top Tips for Guys and Girls – the condensed, paperback version of my makeover show Plain Jane.
For the Girls
1. Look in the mirror naked. To dress your body, you need to know your body, and few of us are aware what specific shape we are. Are you top heavy? Apple? Pear? Column or hourglass? Wherever your flesh goes in and out, there are garments in the mall designed to specifically suit your shape. ‘Will it work on my figure,’ should be your first thought when shopping, as opposed to being distracted by trend, color, price, fabric or which celebrity last wore it in the gossip magazines.
2. Buy the boy a drink. Women rarely buy the first drink, and chances are he’ll be flattered. Don’t be an aggressive cougar about it, but casually offering a beer to the guy you’ve got your eye on is a refreshing change from the usual motion of waiting for him make the first move.
3. Learn to walk in high heels. Practice makes perfect, and platforms or wedges are the easiest to balance in. Heels make you stand up straighter, they’re slimming, and they really make a difference to the silhouette and attitude you give off when you enter a room, trust me!
4. Buy a red dress. If you’re single. You’re statistically more likely to be chatted up if you’re in red. I’d go for a one-shoulder shape, it’s elegant and chic and shows just enough skin to tickle a boy’s fancy.
5. Re-organise your closet. We only wear about a quarter of the clothes we own, mainy because our wardrobes are such a mess. Most things are lost and ignored in a messy bundle at the back. So get everything out on the bed, be objective about whether that decade-old little black dress could be updated with some new accessories or by a nip and tuck from the tailor. Color-coordinate the rest and split everything into winter and summer, too.
For the Boys
6. Keep your style simple. Don’t try to be too trendy if the outfit makes you uncomfortable. A cashmere button-down cardigan over a plain white T-shirt or shirt, well-fitted jeans (and leave any kind of paint-splatters, logos and embroidery to the cast of Jersey Shore). Shoes are key: I love Jack Purcell’s, Converse and on posh boys – Fins or Tod’s can be cute.
7. Chivalry is most certainly NOT dead. The following will work wonders: Open the door for her, pull out her chair, walk on the traffic side of the pavement. Call instead of texting. And make sure you wear a great, unusual cologne such as Jo Malone – a) smell is the most powerful form of memory and b) if it’s a rare one she wont confuse you with an ex!
8. Listen and laugh. As simple as it sounds, enjoy yourself. Many of us worry so much about how we look, what we should be saying, and what everyone thinks of us that we look staged or uptight and forget to enjoy the moment. Don’t be so intent on planning your next sentence on a date that you forget to LISTEN. Don’t break eye contact if she’s speaking. Fashion and flirting are supposed to be fun, they’re not life-threatening diseases, so just relax and have a giggle. And ps. Always order dessert. We totally want to share it.
9. Let your adrenaline flow. Pick the most daring item on your bucket list and just do it. On Plain Jane we’ve been bungy-jumping, sky-diving and swimming with sharks. Don’t under-estimate how liberating facing a fear or pushing the envelope is. Stepping outside your comfort zone can help you see life with a whole new perspective, not to mention give you a little more faith in your own capabilities.
10. Get groomed. Hairy back? Get it waxed. Crusty toes? Pedicure please. The beauty salon is not just for the ladies FYI…
