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I write this with a heavy heart.

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Covid (or probably more accurately, the Governments of the World) are yet again ravishing my business.


I had literally over the last couple of weeks sorted out the new dates for the Style Retreats, both in Italy and the UK, for 2022 with a feeling of hope and optimism. Only to have the news last week and at the weekend of new restrictions on travel, more money added to any trip you want to take in the guise of PCR tests, confusion, uncertainty and the most insidious of the lot - fear. That drip, drip, drip of fear they feed us on a daily basis.


Of course, I have the systems in place to work online. I have services that I offer that aren’t as full on as the Style Retreats and I am still doing those. But, the Style Retreats are my passion. I absolutely and deeply believe that style is so much more than the clothes you wear and I passionately believe that your style is instrinsantly linked with your self-confidence, your self-respect and your mental happiness and also how others view and react to you.

Yes, you can of course buy new clothes and feel great in them without going too deeply into it, but then they end up in the cupboard with the other stuff, never worn, because there was something about them that made you feel uncomfortable, not quite “you”.


The Style Retreats are all about finding out who you are, or re-finding who you were, looking at why and how you have changed, who you want to become and to achieve that in careful, small steps, to make sure that the change is for life and not just for those few days. Learning how to dress for your personality and body shape with the colours that best enhance you are the next steps and the shops and boutiques we visit to put it all into practice, are the icing on the cake.

But, I can understand why people don’t want to commit to travel at the moment and I can also understand that people don’t want to share the same house or studio with others they don’t know.


I am hoping that this madness will stop soon, that we will be able to get on with our lives and live with Covid in the same way we have learnt to live with all the other deadly diseases and illnesses.


But in the meantime, as we can’t get to Italy easily, I am bringing it to you - in the form of a Blog and, in the New Year, a Youtube channel called “Italy Inside And Out”. It is my love letter to Italy. I will be talking about anything and everything Italy has to offer from food, history, art and culture, music, traditions, stories from people I have met, about places I have visited and of course there will be a lot about fashion, style, brands, designers and artisans.


Because, for me, as Robert Browning said, “ Open My Heart And You Will See, Engraved Inside Of It, 'Italy'”

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I hope you enjoy it and are able to join me in that wonderful Country soon.

You might also like https://www.yourstylerenaissance.com/post/the-fashion-lover-s-guide-to-milan a brilliant book by Rachael Martin on everything you need to know about shopping in Milan!

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Do you have books that make you smile? Sometimes it is because they are visually pleasing, sometimes it is because they make you feel good when you read them and others because they remind you of a special place or time.


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Well, for me, Rachael Martin’s “The Fashion Lover’s Guide To Milan” was all three!


I was sent a digital copy to review, but I loved it so much I bought it in hard copy, as I wanted to have it by me to dip into at all times!


It quickly became my guilty pleasure - I looked forward to long journeys or wet days, as it gave me an excuse to curl up and lose myself in my favourite city.


Milan is my place of work, Italian style and fashion is a huge part of my business, but I have only been able to get there sporadically over the last couple of years (for obvious reasons), so to have this wonderful book land in my life has been such a treat.


Broken down into geographical sections of the City, Rachael gives a history of each of these areas and insight into the shops and boutiques that reside there, with wonderful stories of the owners, designers and origins of each of them.



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She has also added lovely snapshots of not only the designers who have been so influential in putting Italy and in particular Milan onto the map, but the traditions and psyche of the Milanese and their attitude and connection to style and beauty, which is as important and necessary to them, as is breathing.


The pictures throughout the book make you want to jump on a plane and walk down those streets, sit in those cafes and more importantly, to me anyway, spend hours browsing around those shops!


Each section begins with a map of the area and fantastic recommendations of where to eat and drink, to recover from your shopping spree and to sit and watch the fashionable crowd pass by. The end of the book has a great section on practical information, such as dialling codes and how to get a tram!


So - for a book to make you smile just thinking about it, add this one to your collection!


Join me in Milan to visit these gorgeous boutiques and shops as part of our style retreats! For more information visit https://www.yourstylerenaissance.com/renaissance-style-retreats-italy



 
 
 

Updated: Jun 29, 2023

An unexpected must-have this autumn


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There will be many clothes this autumn that you will feel you have seen before, as the 70’s and 80’s are still with us! However, there is one unexpected garment that you probably didn’t think you would wear again! Dungarees …….


Initially, the overalls were created as a uniform for workers, but today the overalls can be styled in different ways, choosing different shapes, textures and sizes.


Today I will show you how you can wear an overall to look on trend this autumn. They are comfortable, forgiving and brilliant for trans seasonal dressing as you can wear them with t-shirts, long sleeved shirts or jumpers, depending on the weather!


Autumn sorted!




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Photo: Courtesy of Chanel, https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2021-ready-to-wear/chanel/slideshow/collection#34




When a wardrobe item appears at the fashion show of a well-known brand, it immediately becomes the trend of the season. So, Chanel presented a pink tweed overall with a long sleeve top and heeled shoes.



Today you can find many options for overalls for every taste:


– with wide legs

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www.pinterest.ru/pin/461689399305953165/




– with flared legs




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www.pinterest.ru/pin/286682332516768036/


– shortened

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www.pinterest.ru/pin/241294492520311433/



– with tapered legs






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www.pinterest.ru/pin/686869380652686628/




How to wear the overalls to look trendy this fall



1. White overall + Breton top



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www.pinterest.ru/pin/6051780726090056/


Striped Dungarees and a bow blouse -


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www.pinterest.ru/pin/323274079482071468/



3. Leather Dungarees + top + shoes — a monochrome combination



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www.pinterest.ru/pin/540009811563780954/



4. Overall + lace-up boots


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www.pinterest.ru/pin/727261039819067409/




5. Overall + a gingham blouse + cowboy boots


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www.pinterest.ru/pin/512354895094567324/



If you would like more masterclasses, "how to" advice, insight behind the scenes and much more, then join the Our Generation Style Club - https://www.yourstylerenaissance.com/ourgenerationstyle




 
 
 
Image by Igor Oliyarnik
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