Spring cleaning

March has arrived and although today's rain does not really inspire spring cleaning this time of year usually does make me want to blow away the winter cobwebs and have a clear out. Top of my list is sorting through my wardrobe to create more space for what I really want and do wear, eliminating the many items that I haven't worn in years. I hate opening my stuffed drawers and squashed hanging space, but the task at hand seems so over-whelming that it's hard to know where to start. If this sounds like your wardrobe too please keep on reading as I'd like to share a few strategies with you to make spring cleaning it less daunting.

First off - a stress free way to decide on what to keep and what to give away is by turning around all the hangers in your wardrobe so that they hook onto the rail from back to front. Set yourself a time limit - a few months or one year. Then, every time you wear an item, turn the hanger round and put it back the right way. At the end of the time period you will clearly see what clothes you wear and which are staying put. Clear out all those which are still facing backwards and voila! you will be left with your favourite and, I'm certain, most flattering pieces.

Once the weather gets a bit warmer make sure to pack up and store your winter items. You will not only create more room in your wardrobe, but come the next winter you'll be able to get out all these items and feel as though you've just been on a huge shopping trip. Changing your wardrobe according to the seasons isn't just practical it also helps keep your clothes feeling fresh and new for years. 

Gather up all clothes that no longer fit and which you therefore don't wear. Be honest with yourself and assess whether you are likely to fit into them again in the future. Decide which ones to let go of and donate them to charity. Consider replacing items that you loved like for like with your current size. If the thought of hitting the shops fills you with dread, consider enlisting the help of a personal stylist to put the fun back into shopping for you. If you need a recommendation do get in touch. 

Another option is to ask a tailor to recreate your favourite trousers, dress or jacket and tailor it to fit your current size. Having an item to start from can make the prospect of having an item tailor-made less daunting. You already know that the style suited and flattered you before. You will be involved in the process of creating the garment, choosing the fabric and colour - a whole new way to discover fashion.

Host a swap party for your friends. Make sure you have a good mix of sizes and ask everyone to bring a few pieces they no longer wear or have never worn. Provide some drinks and nibbles and enjoy an evening of good company and style. It is quite likely that the top that never worked for you looks amazing on your friend and vice versa. Don't forget to trawl through your jewellery box too!

Ask your employer to host a suit drive for International Women's Day. You'll be making space in your wardrobe whilst helping women get started in their careers. Here are a few organisations you might wish to consider for this: 

www.smartworks.org.uk

www.dressforsuccess.org

I hope these tips will help you get started and inspire you to start your own wardrobe detox. Let me know how you get on in the comments and / or add your own ideas. 

Please feel free to share this post.

Dara

Bespoke wedding service

Today is a beautiful sunny day here in London and although it is cold outside the warm colours are making me think of Spring. For many this is that special time of year when they have chosen to marry and some of you might be looking around for your perfect wedding dress or outfit. Creating a wedding dress for a bride-to-be is a very special process and one that I enjoy immensely. I have created a few wedding dresses over the years and today I'd like to share a small selection with you. To my mind the dress should be as unique as you are. It doesn't have to be white or long or indeed a dress. The important thing is that the outfit you choose is comfortable, suits you and gives you a sense of occasion.

Working from toe to top

I created this dress and belt for Gurcharan back in May of 2012. She had asked me to design a cocktail dress that would go with a pair of red shoes she had bought some time ago. This is the beauty of bespoke tailoring; you can start with the accessories and then get the clothes to match them, rather than buying a dress and then searching for the matching shoes and belt. Although you can't see it on this picture the shoes have a metallic silver heel which we picked up on in the choice of dress colour. The dress is cut from a beautiful silk satin cloth with a silk chiffon upper section. The skirt is cut on the bias which creates a lovely drape from the hips down. It was hemmed after it had been hanging up for a while allowing the fabric to drop. The hem is therefore perfectly straight and not wobbly as you would find with a ready-made dress.

It was a pleasure to create this fully bespoke dress and I hope that Gurcharan will enjoy wearing it for years to come.

Dara x

New Year's Mail

Happy New Year! What better way to launch into 2013 than this wonderful photo I found in my mail on returning from my Christmas break. Doesn't she look stunning? This is what clothing is all about: Complementing your looks and making you feel confident and comfortable. For me it's wonderful to see that an outfit that was designed four years ago still looks great today. You can really see the quality of the cloth and cut shine through. Timeless fashion indeed. It's always great to see my designs modelled by my customers, so if you have a picture of yourself wearing your Dara Ford piece and you'd like to share it with me please do send it through.

Laura is wearing the Panelled Jacket and Peg Trousers in Pebble with a Burgundy Twisted Front Blouse from my Capsule Collection 1.

Thank you, Laura, for allowing me to use your photo!

Bespoke Maternity Dress

I recently had the pleasure of creating a bespoke cocktail dress for a pregnant client who was attending a wedding in Poland. She came to me with a piece of turquoise satin that her aunt had hand-embroidered long ago. It's a beautiful motif of a wheat sheaf with golden leaves seemingly drifting away in the wind. Creating a dress from a limited piece of fabric(less than two metres) and using the full motif to its best advantage whilst respecting the grain of the cloth was no small challenge, but one I relished. The resulting asymmetric dress gently drapes over the baby bump, but will, because of its bias cut, look just as beautiful once the baby is born and my client has regained her usual shape. Here's what she had to say: 'We had a brilliant time at the wedding in Poland and I had a lot of comments on my dress so thank you so much.  It felt great!'.

Do you  have a special event coming up soon? I can work with you to create a unique outfit that not only suits you, but will also fit you perfectly. Just drop me an e-mail and we can have a chat about the possibilities.

Dara x

Some Twisted Spring Love

This is Ida from London wearing her Twisted Front Top in Black Silk with jeans for a casual Spring look. A big thank you for sharing this great picture. It's wonderful to see my designs out in the 'real world'. Keep 'em coming.

Happy New Year

It's not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year is it? I hope 2010 will be a great one for us all with new exciting prospects and challenges ahead.

To start the year off I'd like to invite you to share your pictures with me wearing your Dara Ford outfit. As you know it is my mission to design beautiful clothes for real bodyshapes - and how better to show that off than by you being the model?

Here's one to start this off - thanks to H. from Germany for sharing.