Who will you be this year??

Don't you love the new year? It's almost like you can trick yourself into believing that you are a new person, a clean slate if you will. It's not uncommon at this time of year, to hear people saying things like "I'm going to get fit this year" "I'm going to get out of my awful job this year" "I'm not going to put up with my boyfriend/girlfriends crap this year"

It shows great optimism but lets be completely honest with ourselves for a second.. If you really wanted to change your lives wouldn't/shouldn't you have done something about it sooner? Why wait till 12.00am Jan 1st every year to do something about your tight boss?

I'm no life coach, so I won't delve too deep into the psychology of why people choose to act and react in the way that they do but what I do know is, the new year is the best time ever to clean out your wardrobe and start over again and the best part is that it's completely realistic because it only takes a few hours!

Cleaning out your closet doesn't have to be sad and miserable, you may be saying goodbye to some memories but you're also saying hello to new ones. I make a day of it!

I pop on some music, anything upbeat like Spice Girls will do, grab a few bags, I am a hoarder of all shopping bags and this is when they best come in handy. There's something depressing about putting what were once your beloved clothes in a bin bag so I avoid it, this way it doesn't feel like your throwing them out.

But what do you throw away? anything grey that should be black, anything grey that should be white, anything with holes, rips, bobbles, frays. Anything that doesn't fit you and be honest with yourself, are you really going to loose 3 dress sizes to fit into a dress? my guess is probably not.. give it to a better home, perhaps a farm with a big field that it can run around in!

Sometimes it hard to know what to keep for your kids, how many of you get mad at your mum when they say "oh I used to have a great pair of flares in the 70s.. if only I had kept them for you" errrmmmm.. yeah you should!! My advice is if it's in good quality and you really believe it will come back into fashion put it in a box in a cupboard, safe to pull out again in 2030.

The big question is; once we've stripped our wardrobes what should we be refilling it with?

Here's a quick rundown of the trends coming up in 2011:

Well what most excites me is that the 70s are back!!! That's right the 70s, not the 80s.. it's the year where women wore high waisted flares with clogs and oversized sunnies and men wore platforms.. I do think that's one trend that can stay in 1975 though.. eeek!

Chloe AW 10/11

Ferragamo AW 10/11

The 60s remain.. thank god! a bit of sophistication never hurt anyone and god knows women these days could do with a bit of modesty when it comes to dressing.

Lwren Scott

Jayson Brunsdon

Textures will play a big part in clothing these days, lace, crochet and macrame have been spotted all over the runways in many different styles.

Olivia Palermo looking amazing (Quelle Surprise!) in lace.

Gucci does macrame.

Bell bottoms, wide leg pants, capri pants, jumpsuits, playsuits and stripes will play a key part in 2011 fashion. 

On a personal level I believe that denim is here to stay for the new year. Did you just say duh? because if you did maybe wait till I finish!! denim as jeans is an all time classic, it's going nowhere, however denim dresses, playsuits, jackets, waistcoats and shirts is where it is at in 2011. Please take note that I did not mention denim skirts.. they are just simply horrendous, steer clear! 

Another roll over from 2010 is pastels, especially in our hot Australian summer a pastel colour will keep you feeling (and looking) cool.

Statement jewelry and lots of it, will be essential. 

And finally.. I am extremely happy to announce (to the dismay of many) the clog will be sticking around to see out summer.. woohoo! if you haven't got any, get some quick before they disappear again for another 40 years.. now there's something to keep for your kids!

So if you haven't already, get to those summer sales and fill your lives with beautiful, fashionable, on trend pieces.. it makes it so much easier and fun to dress yourself everyday when your wardrobe is fresh, new and exciting.