What to wear: Sept06 - Michelle Borg

Makeover expert Chata Romano shows Sydneysider Michelle Borg how to look fabulous at 40.

About Michelle
Michelle Borg, 39, leads a busy, active life, and wants to learn how to dress for her body shape. ”I am short-waisted and find it hard to coordinate clothes so they don’t make me look frumpy,” she says. ”And as I’m approaching the big 4-0, I’m also looking for a sexier look.”

Michelle has some great assets, including well-proportioned neck and arms, a small waist, shapely legs and tapered ankles. But like anyone, she also has a number of areas that can be enhanced with clever use of make-up and clothing; these include narrow shoulders, curvy hips and a long face.

Chata’s colour system is divided into four skin tones: Soft (pale), Medium (golden), Deep (light dark) and Rich (dark). Michelle is a Medium, so her best colours are clear and bright, such as emerald green, warm orange and fuchsia pink. She should avoid wearing dull colours, including moss green and dark plum, as they make her look tired and emphasise dark shadows under her eyes.

Evening
The wide, ruched straps of this Martini Dress make Michelle’s narrow shoulders look wider, while her low bust gets an instant lift with the empire-line waist band.

Exposed skin on the foot visually lengthens and slims the legs. Sachi shoes, $199.95.

Weekend
The deep V-neckline and longer length of this top camouflages Michelle’s short waist and wide hips. Seduce halter top, $129.90; Equip necklace, $29.95; Jacqui E red necklace, $14.99.

Correctly fitted jeans like these Country Road jeans, $139, lift a low bottom while flat front jeans flatten a rounded stomach.

To emphasise shapely legs, avoid square-front shoes. These tapered-front shoes are more flattering. Zoe Wittner shoes, $139.95.

Office
Small earrings shorten a long face, while the soft pink shirt complements the grey suit. Diva earrings, $8.95; Herringbone shirt, $189.

Pinstripes lengthen the look of a short waist, while the tapered pencil skirt is slimming; knee-length is perfect for Michelle’s shapely legs. Herringbone Diva pinstripe jacket, $675, and pencil skirt, $249.

Choose classic accessories for a classic suit. Wittner shoes, $129.95.

Hair and beauty
We trimmed Michelle’s hair to suit her long face, and added soft layers around her face abd jawline to bring out her beautiful features. Short layers at the back created extra height and body. A warm chocolate brown colour and half a head of highlights brings out her natural glow while being very versatile for her active lifestyle.

For make-up, we emphasised her lovely cheekbones and widened her eyes by shading the outer corners and highlighting the inner eyelids. Great mascara and eye lash curlers gave the illusion of long lush eyelashes. People with strong jaws should be careful with bold lipstick colours, so we were careful to choose exactly the right shade of red.

Want a makeover?
For more about this makeover and how to apply for one yourself, check out the Noticeboard on at Notebook: forum.

Photography: Steven Chee. Image consultant: Chata Romano. Stylist: Nadene Duncan. Hair & make up: Angie Barton

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