Battle Of The Fashionistas

Ultimate ShopperWe all love to have new things, whether it is a dress for an upcoming wedding or birthday, some wonderful wedges for your summer holiday or that designer handbag because you can never have too many handbags! But would you pit your fashionista skills against other Belle’s to find the perfect date outfit?

Well a new show on Discovery’s latest digital channel TLC is doing just that. Ultimate Shopper is a shopaholic’s dream, each week four self-proclaimed fashionistas are let loose in their ultimate store. Here they must outdo their opponents in a series of three style-based challenges set and judged by a panel of experts: actress, singer and modern pop culture icon Holly Valance, fashion guru Brix Smith-Start (Gok’s Fashion Fix), and fashion photographer and writer, Paul Hartnett, along with a different guest judge each week. Whether it is crafting the perfect look for a first date, or donning the right outfit for a second job interview, the four top shoppers must dress to impress the judges who will be assessing them on their chic creativity and quick-thinking fashion sense.

Talking about why she chose to get involved with Ultimate Shopper, Holly Valance said “I’m passionate about fashion and this show will bring some great tips and guides to the viewer while adding a human story element.”

Ahead of the show, Belle About Town has decided to get a few tips of their own from Paul Hartnett for FashionaBelles! The renowned fashion photographer and writer has over 40 years of fashion industry experience, shoots London Fashion Week, works with Boy George, David Gandy and Agnes Deyn (to name only a few) and has style tips in abundance so of course he is the perfect person to be dishing out the advice!

So here are Mr Hartnett’s Quirky Top Ten Tips:

1 – You are what matters, not what you’re wearing. Present your best self.

2 – Know your shape. Take a look in the mirror. Get real about ‘fit’, tight is rarely right.

3 – Know what colours suit you. Decide to avoid unfortunate impulse buys.

4 – Two words: mutton, lamb. Ladies, don’t dress like your daughter.

5 – Three words to aspire to: sophistication, elegance, modesty.

6 – Horizontal stripes are to be avoided unless…

7 – Horizontal stripes can work wonders upon the shoulders and upper body of petite ladies with a slim frame.

8 – Baked bean foundation isn’t funny. Its hil-ar-ious!

9 – Joke shop eyelashes are for dollies only.

10 – Last but not least: wobble bobble. Avoid airing too much cleavage, it can attract the wrong kind of attention, can look so barmaid.

Ultimate Shopper will premiere on 2nd May at 9pm on TLC (Sky 125, Virgin 167) for the channel launch.  The series starts on 6th June on TLC.

  • Miss B

    Belinda Wanis, aka Miss B, is a Belle About Town who likes to bring a little bit of style into every aspect of her life. An experienced journalist with over 20 years in the industry she turned to the web, creating Belle About Town in early 2010, to fill a gap for tech-savvy stylish women who want the best life has to offer at their fingertips. She loves a decadent cocktail bar, a beautifully cut dress, cultural getaways, quality over quantity and is partial to Asian-fusion food. A globetrotter, who has lived in Australia, the UK and Denmark, she enjoys holidaying in the sun and you can often find her on a beach in Thailand or on shopping breaks in Sydney or New York. But her first love is, of course, London!

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