Ditch the black and glam it up a bit

Tomorrow is the first day of spring, heralded by new lambs, spring flowers - and a change in wardrobe.
But when you're digging your spring and summer clothes out of the closet, there's one item you might want to leave behind, according to stylist Lisa O'Neill.
"I'm not fond of cropped, wide pants in the summer with a flat shoe," she said.
"It's a bit of a thing that happens in New Zealand, it's a big trend unfortunately."
Mrs O'Neill will speak in Tauranga on Thursday night on "what not to wear" and how to add colour to your wardrobe.
The event is part of the 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty promotion.
But there's no need to be intimidated even if you're wearing your wide-legged cropped pants - Mrs O'Neill is no scary Trinny or Susannah.
"The whole point is to inspire women to look their best, that's my mission in life.
"I want women to lift their game and be the best version of themselves, rather than dieting and exercising themselves into a state."
And when it comes to the new spring fashions, Mrs O'Neill wants to encourage women to branch out of boring black.
New Zealand women tended to be "really scared" of colour, she said.
"I think black is great, and I wear a lot of black, but sometimes it's nice to add a bit of colour.
"People get stuck in a rut. Especially heading into spring and summer, there are some really wonderful colours that are well worth having a look at."
New colours in vogue for spring include pastels, peach, watermelon and coral.
"There are lots of feminine colours coming through and a really feminine look, lots of florals.
Another trend is the nautical look of navy, red and stripes, as well as spots.
And Mrs O'Neill said there was no need to be afraid of the 1980s and 90s "throwback" look .
She is a fan of the "drapey look" which is on-trend and recommended a drapey cardigan as a must-have spring buy.
But when it comes to fashion, the most important thing was to dress to your figure, she said.
"People get so hung up on age, [but] body shape is more relevant. If you have really skinny legs, it doesn't matter if you are 80 or 15.
"It's all about feeling good. If you feel good, you will look good - that's the bottom line."
Mrs O'Neill wants to see Kiwi women making more of an effort to look good.
"I think New Zealand women need to glam it up a bit, be a bit more glam and gorgeous."
While heels are great, scarves are another easy way to add glamour.
"I'm a major fan of scarves and think everyone should have a collection of at least 20. I think scarves are really under utilised. They are really great at hiding figure flaws, and great at covering up tummies."
Lisa O'Neill's Tauranga event is fully booked.
See today's Bay of Plenty Times for LISA'S TOP TIPS