Sole searching

Mount Maunganui photographer and creative Tasha Meys, better known on Instagram as @tastefullytash, shares her top winter footwear picks from SOLECT

Boots in

“A high-quality black boot is a staple in my winter wardrobe. Pair with jeans, winter dresses or smart trousers.”

Timberland Cortina Valley Chelsea Boot $360

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Cream please 

“I’m all about a sneaker which works as well for a run up the Mount as it does with jeans for a casual vibe.”

ASICS Gel 1130 $190 

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 Cosy toes

“These pink sheepskin slippers feel like a fluffy hug for my feet. Snuggly indoors yet easy-wear outdoors due to their hard soles.”

EMU Australia Mayberry Slippers $80

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Shear comfort

“A shearling-lined cold-weather version of these classic Birks is a dream. Wear with cute socks for extra warmth. They feel like slippers but are totally acceptable to wear in public!”

Birkenstock Arizona Shearling $350

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Star turn

“I love that the lift gives you that extra bit of height! Leather is warmer than the canvas version, so perfect with jeans for cooler days, or a dress and trench for an evening look.”

Chuck Taylor All Star Leather Lift Low $150

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Support local

“Alongside a black boot, I love a brown boot in winter for a softer look. Ideal with blue denim and a white shirt.”

Chaos & Harmony Montreux Boot $390

solect.nz

Under pressure

A revolutionary sensory therapy is bringing clients a deep sense of wellbeing and inner peace.

Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor

Desiree De Spong loves how her working life is strongly focussed on offering people the chance to be wrapped up and supported, to feel warm, relaxed, calm and even healed.

All that is possible thanks to Desiree’s knowledge of the body’s lymphatic system and her associated desire to help facilitate life-changing results for a variety of people. 

The Tauranga woman is a lymphatic specialist and developer and designer of Flowpresso®. Flowpresso, Desiree explains, is a sensory therapy system designed to reset the body’s physiology to support healing and general health.

The system is a result of Desiree’s desire to combine holistic therapy with scientific rigour, driven by a conviction that lymphatic therapy offers “a missing link in health”.

Essentially, Desiree tells, Flowpresso the product is a special bodysuit – one that comprises individual chambers that inflate in sequence and cover the legs, abdomen, arms and torso. It is non-invasive natural therapy, with reclining clients remaining clothed while enjoying a sensory treatment based on compression, thermodynamic heat and deep pressure (“pressure of a good kind”). Hence the feeling of being wrapped up, hugged and calmed.

Among those endorsing the suit is our constabulary. A research study, which involved 135 first responder candidates, showed the suit improved sleep by 92 percent, reduced stress by 63 percent and reduced anxiety by 55 percent. The WBOP Police became early adopters – that was two years ago – and remain users. Following their lead were other first responders, such as nurses and firefighters – people dealing with community stress and then their own. Referrals also come from counsellors, psychologists and others within the health field. 

So, what’s the magic behind this suit? Flowpresso’s purpose is to release toxins, switch off the body’s fight-or-flight mechanisms, and encourage a rest and repair state, which is the optimum state required for a body’s healing process. Time in the suit once per week for three weeks is recommended. 

For Desiree, Flowpresso is the realisation of her dream to create an evidence-based therapy that helps with mental health and sleep crisis.

It’s a field that’s a far cry from what she did in her “past life”: She worked in IT and finance for the NZ Fire Service.  

“I made the change as I wanted to be involved in something that helped people. I became spellbound when I attended workshops in lymphatics. It was like a lightning bolt moment, as I saw lymphatics as the missing
link in health,” says Desiree, who went on to train in the USA and Australia. 

She’s been a lymphatic specialist for two decades now, constantly building upon what she can offer. Flowpresso is a relatively new development, resulting from extensive worldwide study of existing technologies and their efficacy. This keen entrepreneur soon realised she would need to design an effective device and develop an initial prototype. 

The first Flowpresso suit was manufactured only four years ago. Updates and refinements followed and the full Flowpresso system was launched in February 2020 with support from NZ Trade and Enterprise.

Close to 500,000 sessions per year are going on in the world now, Desiree tells. Exports are predominantly to the USA, Australia and the outskirts of Europe. In the USA alone, the suits are used in about 240 clinics and donned by those in law enforcement there too. Desiree has been hosted on a couple of occasions at the NZ Embassy in the USA to speak to those involved in defence, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting. 

Back home, Desiree and fellow wellbeing advocate Karen Gemmell, own Neuro Bar (with Tauranga, Te Puna and Matamata clinics) where Flowpresso therapy is available. Other clinics have purchased the suits, so Flowpresso is available in various locations nationwide.

Creating something pivotal in facilitating people to experience positive change in their lives is the best thing ever, Desiree says. "It's heart-touching and I’m elated. Users talk about how relaxed they feel after a session – some hadn’t necessarily realised how stressed they were. People say they’ve noticed improved sleep quality and energy, and a decreased stress response. Many feel they’ve been hugged all over.”

“Among other things, hugs release the feel-good hormone, but a lot of people don’t have access to hugs. And as the saying goes, we need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and 12 for growth,” Desiree smiles. 

theneurobar.com
flowpresso.co.nz

Turning heads

A stylish new salon in Te Puna makes waves.

Words Nicky Adams | Photos Jahl Marshall

Opening its doors at the end of last year, Kevin & Co is a new hair salon based in the heart of Te Puna village. With its stunning fresh décor, wooden accents and spacious layout, the aesthetic is everything that owner/founder Amanda Sutton had envisaged when she set out to create a calm space where clients could relax and zone out.

Together with stylist/executive assistant and “right-hand woman” Hayley McCabe, Amanda has concentrated on setting the tone for a retreat-style salon. Using premium hair care products was hugely important to her, and she raves about luxury brands Oribe from the States and premium Australian haircare from Kevin Murphy. 

“In the colour range, the Kevin Murphy tints are honey based and ammonia free, so they’re super soft on your hair, giving heaps of shine, and are nice and gentle on the scalp – which is really important for people these days.” In addition, when it comes to colours, it’s “hands down the best powder lightener I’ve used in my life, although their colours are really good across the board.”  

I comment the brand must be good to have inspired the salon name – to which Amanda laughs: “It’s not actually after the brand; this tracks back to when I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted an English bulldog; his name was going to be Kevin, and he was going to be a salon dog – the salon just happened to come before the dog!”

Based in Hamilton until around five years ago, she moved to Tauranga, and met Hayley when they worked in a salon together. They formed such a great bond that when Amanda opened Kevin & Co, Hayley coming on board was a natural step. They are, says Hayley “very much a team.” They recognise the great synergy they share is important as they expand, which will be the next natural step. But while Amanda plans to take on more staff, maintaining the calm vibe remains central to her vision.

The atmosphere is zen, but the feel is modern. I wonder where each of their passions lie as stylists. Amanda says she thrives on finding that perfect hue for her clients – “I love anything colour related. I’ll figure something out for you – if it’s blonde, brown or copper – as long as I can make you feel good, I’m happy.” Hayley equally enthuses about the colour process, and she fizzes when she talks about blondes: “I love the transformation with blonde. It’s not just one shade – you can do so much with it – you can create dimension and you can make the client bright or creamy, cool, warm.”

They are both aware that part of hairdressing is being up to speed with the latest looks, although most “new” trends have been done before. “All the grunge, and the 90s is coming back – the wolf cut, undone, messy – it’s following the same curve as fashion.” I wonder what their dream style would be to create. Amanda would go for the total redo “100 percent! People do their best work when they are left to do it; bring in your inspo pictures and we’ll dive in and figure out what you like most out of each picture, but the creative freedom to bring it to life is amazing. I also love colouring, a lot of people don’t take into consideration eye and skin colour – all of that comes down to what kind of hair shade they should have.” Hayley, on the other hand, is all about the cut – “I love a good blunt long bob. If someone comes in and wants it, I’m like, ‘Let’s do it!’”

For those people who have tricky hair, or who may be reluctant to try a new style or salon, Amanda agrees it can feel like a big step. “We offer free consultations; for anyone who is second-guessing, that’s a really good tool. You can come and scope out the environment and space and see if you feel comfortable here – talk to the stylist, see if you form those connections. We would cover everything from past experiences, products used, styles tried, then we can hone in on what you’re after.” Excited about the journey, both stylists are committed to staying ahead of the curve. As Amanda rounds off, “The second you stop wanting to learn as a hairdresser, you should stop hairdressing”. 

Amanda’s top haircare tips

• Start with a good foundation, to make sure you get the best out of your new hairstyle. A personalised shampoo and conditioner will make dealing with your hair on a daily basis much easier.

• Protect your hair when heat styling. Heat protection comes in many forms, such as a spray, cream or foam, and is essential to ensure minimal damage.

• Maintaining colour between appointments is easy: For blondes, use purple shampoo, and brunettes, pigmented conditioner. Some shampoos even have UV filters to protect against sun damage.

• Keep hair healthy with a weekly treatment. My favourite is a scalp scrub followed by a deep-conditioning treatment. It keeps my scalp happy and my ends lush.

• Maintain long hair with a micro-trim every six to eight weeks. Taking off the smallest amount promotes health and ensures it grows happy and long.

Kevinandcohair.co.nz

Feel-good fashion

Sister boutiques Urban Vogue and George Edward keep fashion at the forefront.

Words Nicky Adams | Photos Salina Galvan

Buying clothes is a bona fide spirit lifter. There is joy (and adrenalin) involved in finding that perfect outfit, but a huge part of the experience is being comfortable and confident in your surroundings when you make those choices. Vicki Burns, owner operator of Urban Vogue and George Edward in Bethlehem, and her team are exactly the sort of people you want to be there to help with those – sometimes complicated decisions. 

Despite 30 years in the industry, Vicki has not been caught up in the smoke and mirrors of the fashion world. What drives her is knowing that her customers can enjoy all the attractions of a boutique surroundings but have access to attainable but individual pieces. With her own style leaning towards a casual steampunk aesthetic, what Vicki loves is that she has found her niche in the market by bringing her client base a range of looks that are influenced not by her personal preference, but by good style and high quality rather than moving trends. In fact, she tells me, her best feedback is when customers come back and say, “I’ve thrashed that piece – can I have something similar?” Not, she laughs, the best business model in a trend-led industry.

Her small team are, like Vicki, there to help with their considerable experience and expertise, rather than to tell people they look good to secure a sale. The success of this ethos is reflected in the fact that the majority of the two stores enjoy predominantly repeat custom. The team have mostly been with Vicki from the very beginning, or the early days. Urban Vogue was established 16 years ago when Bethlehem Town Centre was developed, and Vicki took over George Edward a year or so later. She finds it works well having the two stores so close together. There’s a slightly different emphasis on stock, with Urban Vogue catering to those looks that you won’t find elsewhere, and George Edward leaning more towards classic, modern chic. But with the same staff working between the two shops and having knowledge of the entire stock, there’s a synergy that means customers have the benefit of a far more extensive pool that they would first have thought. The team of Kim, Sonia, Robyn, Megan and Donna all bring a unique skill set, from Sonia with her flair for individualism, to Megan who is an instore professionally trained colour consultant, able to assist customers with their best looks.

The concept of doing things a little uniquely filters from the looks to the interior design of the stores, specifically Urban Vogue, which has been set out in the style of wardrobes. Typically arranged by colour, it streamlines the process for the customer. Vicki holds that for the store her initial mission statement was “to develop a space where people could come and tell us the dog’s sick or the bird’s having its beak clipped
– I wanted a friendly space. For people to come and connect. And that’s what they did – and those people have carried on supporting us.” When it comes to the labels held in stores the idea was “trying to get things that were a little bit outside the square, but not to the point where it’s scary for the consumer.” Over the years the brand choices have evolved organically, as Vicki continues to strive for a feel of exclusivity – along with this, Vicki has her own unique spin on the styling of her pieces. This, she puts down to her personality. “It’s really good, because although there are other lovely independent boutiques locally, we’ve all got quite different personalities – and that comes through in our stores.” Along with the different looks is an emphasis on body inclusivity and wearability. “I want things people will wear above all else. I don’t buy for a fleeting trend; I buy for my customer. And they need quality and affordability.”

Vicki’s boutiques are well known for the fabulous fashion shows they put on locally – often for a charitable cause. She loves the community aspect of these and sees it as a way of giving back to her loyal customers as much as showcasing her lines. As someone uncomfortable with limelight and fanfare, Vicki is level-headed about the perceived glamour of the fashion world. Instead, she thrives on representing the ordinary woman in fashion’s extraordinary world. What she does love is “the changing landscape – you don’t know from one day to the next what you’re going to get out of the industry. I might not buy the passing trends if it’s no good for my customers, but I love to look at them, keep up to speed, to feel the fabric and know that the quality is being upheld.” For Vicki and the team at Urban Vogue and George Edward, the real joy is customer service, satisfaction and the camaraderie that fashion produces. 

urbanvogue.co.nz
georgeedward.co.nz 

Matters of the heart

Anna Rolleston of Tauranga’s Centre for Health highlights the importance of protecting your ticker and keeping an eye out for any warning signs of heart disease.

Photo Jahl Marshall

Did you know your heart is not just another organ in your body, but rather a life-sustaining force that keeps you going day after day? Unfortunately, heart disease remains one of the biggest killers worldwide, accounting for a staggering one-third of all deaths globally. But why are we still struggling to get a handle on heart health? Despite the alarming number of heart attacks that occur every day, many of us still underestimate the importance of taking care of our heart.

Your heart is the ultimate powerhouse that pumps oxygen-rich blood to every corner of your body. Without its proper function, your body simply cannot work at its best. Heart disease is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. These conditions can lead to serious complications such as heart attack and cardiac arrest, which can be fatal if not treated in a timely manner.

Did you know there’s a difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest? While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re two entirely different things that can go wrong with your heart. A heart attack happens when there’s a plumbing issue caused by a blockage in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself. This can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and sweating. Cardiac arrest on the other hand can be likened to an electrical problem that results in a sudden loss of heart function. This can be caused by a heart attack, but also stems from underlying inflammation, trauma, or irregular heart rhythms. Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment with CPR and defibrillation.

Knowing how to perform CPR could save someone’s life, and it’s an easy
skill to learn – you don’t need to be a healthcare professional, and I highly recommend taking a course.

It’s crucial to be aware of your risk factors for heart disease. Factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, a family history of heart disease, being overweight and inactive can all increase your chances of developing heart disease. However, even if you don’t have any of these risk factors, it’s still important to take proactive steps to protect your heart health. After all, your heart has to keep ticking for your entire life. Without proper care, you can’t expect it to function smoothly year after year.

Heart disease affects men and women differently. While it’s often thought of as a man’s problem, heart disease is just as significant for women. Shockingly, around 55 New Zealand women die every week from heart disease. It’s important to be aware of the key differences between
the sexes when it comes to heart health. For instance, women may be more susceptible to some risk factors, such as smoking. Women with diabetes are also at a greater risk of heart disease than men with diabetes. Furthermore, having a family history of heart disease can be a stronger predictor of heart disease in women than in men. Men are more likely to develop heart disease at a younger age than women, while the risk for women increases with a drop in protective oestrogen levels close to, during and after menopause. Women also tend to experience different symptoms of heart disease and heart attack than men. Symptoms such as nausea, indigestion, and back pain may be more common in women, which can make it harder to diagnose. 

So if you feel something is off, you’re just not feeling right, and you have risk factors for heart disease or a family history, go and get yourself checked out. 

thecentreforhealth.co.nz

A new era

Registered nurse Leanne Cashmore from the Cashmore Clinic has more than 26 years' experience in women’s skincare. Here she takes us through the challenges that menopause can have on skin, and what we can do to combat them. 

Menopause can have a dramatic effect on the skin. Without hormones, our aging accelerates by around 30 percent. Because our skin is so visible, being the largest organ on the body, it is one of the areas we first notice the most rapid changes. 

Often people tell me they feel like it happened overnight. One of the reasons for this is that oestrogen receptors are very abundant around the face and the decline of oestrogen is part and parcel of menopause.

Tell-tale signs can include thinning skin, wrinkles, skin laxity and dry skin, as well as hair loss, thinning of the hair and hirsutism (abnormal hair growth in women on the face).

The best way to treat perimenopausal and menopausal skin is to find a good skin therapist, and make sure it’s someone you can trust. Take a hormone replacement if your doctor recommends it for you, too.

There are many cosmetic options these days, including amazing bio stimulator hyaluronic acid dermal fillers that promote hydration. This involves basically injecting moisturiser into the skin and stimulating your own collagen by way of regular needling appointments. 

Needling helps with tightening and minimising the visibility of fine lines, and it has been scientifically proven. So if you don't already do it, start now! The latest technology, Secret RF radio frequency needling, uses heat to tighten the skin and needling to cause collagenesis.

Peels and resurfacing treatments brighten the skin and diminishes
pigment and irregularities.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is another way to promote collagen. Your own blood is full of growth factors that can be injected or infused into the skin, to produce collagen for fine lines and thinning skin.

Low-level light therapy promotes skin rejuvenation by stimulating
collagen production.

Outside of the clinic, it’s a good idea to consistently stick to a skincare regime which includes lots of hydrating serums and moisturisers. Never use soap. Use a cleanser that is suitable for your skin and try to use a mild cleanser at night, which will allow serums and moisturisers to absorb.

Use an SPF daily, take oral supplements such as zinc and collagen powder, and adhere to a healthy diet while getting plenty of sleep and limiting alcohol and sugar. All these combined will have an amazing effect on the skin.

You can get away with ignoring these health principles when you're younger, but it's impossible after 40.

Treating your skin is a journey. It's maintenance that is no different to maintaining a car or a house. It’s no different to colouring your hair or
whitening your teeth. It's a commitment, and the changes don't happen overnight. If you’re considering using botox or fillers, a good canvas to work with is important.

We have to remember it has taken years to get our skin to get to where it is today, and it's going to take some time and patience to bring it back to life. But it's never too late. Small changes over a course of time make big changes to your confidence when you see the results.

Visit Leanne at Cashmore Clinic and have your skin analysed with the latest technology, Observ 520, or simply get some skincare advice. 

cashmoreclinic.co.nz

An age of empowerment

When it comes to recent research around menopause, it’s become apparent that we don’t really have to go with the flow. UNO talks to two local experts, Dr Stacy Sims and Dr Linda Dear, about how women can take charge.

Words + Styling Nicky Adams
Photos Graeme Murray
Hair + Make-up Desiree Osterman

Whoever said there were two certainties in life – death and taxes - missed out the third, menopause. Historically perceived with a similar gloomy acceptance as the other two, finally an increased conversation around menopause is encouraging the idea that women can have more control over the experience, along with a realisation that there has been a failure to support women in mid-life. Targeted research and, most importantly, a move to de-stigmatise what is not an illness, but a life stage, has brought a shift of this topic into the public arena. Now open discussions are taking place everywhere, from the boardroom to breakfast TV.

Part of the problem is the general confusion out there; add to this the masses of misinformation and myths and the subject becomes a hotbed that makes most of us just want to bury our heads in the sand. The traditional definition of the menopause would be that it is the last menstrual period a woman experiences as the result of the ovaries no longer producing eggs. A woman is considered to have gone through menopause if she hasn’t had a menstrual bleed for 12 months. The average age that women experience this is 51, but the last-ever period can occur between 45 and 55 and it’s still considered normal. However, the additional curveball is perimenopause: Typically, a woman will enter the menopause transition – or perimenopause – two to four years prior, although this can be for a far longer period. 

As a starting point, for many facing the end of their fertile years, it can be an emotional mountain to climb. While there is the upside of the cessation of periods (and I doubt any female has ever lamented their loss), the essence of this event is that it signals a move to a different life stage. And one that comes with the additional slap in the face of feeling as though we are passing into the unpromising land of being an ageing female.

Perhaps this might explain why it’s so common to approach such an important time of our lives with trepidation or lack of preparation. Because, in fact, preparation is something that can transform the experience and, as our experts Dr Stacy Sims and Dr Linda Dear agree, ensuring that the menopause is managed will help navigate many of the unpleasant aspects. 

We all know what those wee peskies are. From the hot flushes to night sweats, sleeplessness, anxiety, cognitive fog, aching joints, tiredness and lower sex drive. Oh, and thinning hair and abdominal weight gain (and if you’re lucky, across the bust as well). Of course, these are a lucky dip of blanket symptoms, experienced to varying degrees and lengths of time. The other tricky thing is that even though when put together, in conjunction with a change in your cycle, each of these symptoms can be easy to mistake for the side effects of being stressed, busy and suffering from “rushing woman syndrome”.

Body Matters

Mount Maunganui local Dr Stacy Sims has a PhD in Environmental Exercise, Physiology and Nutrition Science. She works globally with female athletes, runs an online educational program sourced by everyone from health care professionals to individuals, has written books, and presents and makes podcasts. Her qualifications and research have been built on over the last 20 years. 

"I started looking at sex differences in extreme environments and the more I got into that, the more I realised how much wasn’t known," says Stacy. "So I ended up doing my post-doctoral work with the Women’s Health Initiative, the big US study that was looking at menopause hormone therapy.” That was in 2007, and her quest to change the perception that when it comes to exercise, nutrition and medicine “women are not small men” has led to her becoming one of the leading voices in this arena. 

Stacy and I talk about the necessity to get ahead of the game when it comes to menopause, but with this comes the difficulty of recognising the signs and symptoms of perimenopause. There is a blood test that can be done, but this is deemed unreliable. “When you look at what’s happening in perimenopause, you have all these changes in the ratios of oestrogen and progestogen, so if you go and have a blood test and they’ll say your progesterone is low and your oestrogen is at this point, and your follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) is really high, so you must be perimenopausal,” Stacy says. “Then you’ll go back a couple of weeks later and you get your bloods tested again and you’re at a different phase of your cycle and your hormones are at a different level, and your FSH has dropped, and it’s like – oh, maybe you’re not. Because you have
to look at the trends, you can’t do a one-off blood test.

“What we can look at is how you’re sleeping, how you’re responding to exercise. Do you have any overt symptoms of vasomotor night sweats, what about your concentration? Do you have brain fog, are you to-the-core fatigued? There’s many different things, especially when women are in their late 30s, early 40s,” she continues. More key as an indicator are patterns within your cycle. “We also look at the menstrual cycle itself (which doesn’t help if you’re on the oral contraception pill), but if you look at the menstrual cycle you start to see changes in the bleed pattern, not necessarily cycle length, but you’ll start noticing nuances in your own unique bleed pattern.” 

Critically, I wonder, how can you understand the signs if you’re not looking for them? “I always tell women they should be tracking their cycle,” Stacy explains. “Because then they start to understand how they feel throughout the cycle. The more you track, the more you can see: When you feel flat and when you feel good. When those individual patterns start to change, and we start to see a change in the cycle itself, that’s when you know something’s going on.” 

Feeling helpless

“I always have women say, ‘All the training I’m doing isn’t working. I’m not adapting, I’m getting slow, I’m getting fat, I’m getting tired. I’m trying this diet and it’s not working.’ And it’s like, okay, we definitely know you’re in perimenopause,” Stacy says. “You have women who say, ‘I don’t understand. Three months ago I was really lean and thin and now all of a sudden – boom – I have an extra five or six kilos on my boobs and my stomach. So I say, your body’s really responding to this sympathetic stress from hormone shifts. There’s this wicked circle going on.”

Where it can feel confusing is that it’s easy to assume most of the changes will happen in the 12-month window that your body is winding down. Seemingly this is not the case; in fact, it’s happening prior. Stacy tells me, “All the body composition changes happen in about the five years before that one point of time of menopause. It can be 15 years that you’re having a whole bunch of irregularities, but we really see the major amount of changes and effects the five years before that one point in time. We call it late perimenopause.”

Train your body and brain

As both an academic and an athlete, Stacy is uniquely positioned to address the journey with women who want to regain control over their bodies, and indeed mitigate the symptoms, which in some cases can quite literally stop women in their tracks. And importantly, how do we get results? I ask what steps Stacy would recommend to someone. 

“I want them to track how they slept, what kind of training they’ve done, how they feel, what their heart rate variability is. You look at that, and on the overlay of training we look at the training stress score and how they are adapting,” says Stacy. “And a lot of time they’re putting in the work and nothing’s happening – they’re like a zombie through it all. They might be training for a race; they might be training for life. They get up and go to boot camp and are going through the motions but are not seeing any difference; they’re just getting more and more tired. Even if they’re doing progressive overload and they’re following this program or they have a PT, but they’re just not getting anywhere. 

“When we look at that we know we need to get you out of modern intensity work – the boot camp – and into true high-intensity work. If you’re doing true high-intensity work, it’s a different story. True high intensity is short, sharp intervals – think 85-110 percent of maximum effort – with an entire session including warm-up and cooldown not exceeding 35 minutes,” Stacy explains. “What gym HIIT classes do is put women in moderate intensity, an intensity that is too easy to have any kind of adaptive changes, and too hard to give you a boost to your parasympathetic drive and recovery. It just keeps you in this state that drives cortisol up, that keeps you tired but wired and signals you to put
on belly fat.”

The key, Stacy tells me, lies in true high intensity interval training. “This is one to four minutes at 85 percent or more of your max and you have a variable recovery in between. The longer the interval, the lower the intensity, and you might have one minute on, two minutes off, repeat – and you’re really taking those two minutes to really recover. So, if you’re running and your one-minute pace is a 4.5-minute kilometre, then your two minutes would be probably an eight-minute kilometre. You’re totally polarising them, so that when you go to do that next minute, you can hit that 4.5-minute kilometre again. You might do that four or five times and that’s it. 

“Sprint interval training (SIT) is a subset of high intensity that women should really incorporate. SIT induces better body composition changes, metabolic and cardiovascular health. SIT intervals are no more than 30 seconds as hard as you can go, with enough recovery (two to four minutes) to allow you to hit it at full gas again – and you might do those five times. This is 110 percent – like running up three flights of stairs and you’re going redline, and then you’re dropping your heart rate. And if you want to keep on going up, you start climbing really, really slowly. Then once you hit that four-minute mark, you go as hard as you can again. The goal is that recovery is a central nervous system response. But if you’re holding that stress for 20, 30 or 45 minutes when you’re not really going that hard, your central nervous system never really learns that this stress is something that it can overcome.”

Sprint training can be multifaceted in its benefits. The options of testosterone for mid-life women in the form of gels or creams is a route some explore; however, as Stacy points out, through exercise you can form your own pathway. “The other thing that sprint interval training does is when you’re done with that parasympathetic response that comes later, you also get an increase in growth hormone and testosterone. And women’s testosterone often starts to plummet more with natural age decline, which is a conversation a lot of GPs are having – that is, do we do testosterone replacement or not? Do the sprint interval training, because post-exercise there is a natural boost of testosterone, IGF-1, and growth hormone.”

Where to begin

While the big rock for exercise at this age is resistance training, this is relatively terrifying for the non-sporty among us. I wonder just how this type of regime works for the women in this camp. “We always phase people in – this isn’t just a training programme. We’re looking at what we can do to maintain quality of life for the rest of your life. We want to introduce you into lifting loads – I want to make sure you move well; I want to see what your mobility is before you start moving loads. Resistance training is not just for lean mass, it’s also for brain health. Cardiovascular work is really good for increasing total brain volume and maintaining the grey matter, but resistance training is critical for that neural adaptation because it increases the nerve growth factor. So, it’s vital for attenuating dementia and Alzheimer’s risks because you’re developing new nerve pathways.”

Then there’s those who recognise they need a plan of action, but simply can’t find the time in their schedule. According to Stacy, all is not lost. “This doesn’t have to take a lot of time – it can take 10 minutes here or there. Get moving, get outside, do a couple of surges upstairs, or squat jumps or lunges or pushups – something for 10 minutes three times a week is the start. If we really want to make it work, we do jump training: Skipping, trampoline, running or hopping up your stairs. It’s all really good for your bones, and your bones really suffer in peri- and post-menopause.”

Food for thought

Of course, how we eat is a key aspect of this life change. “Nutrition is part of the whole evolution. Women become very anabolic resistant, so it’s hard to build and maintain lean mass. We need more regular protein doses throughout the day – palm-sized doses of protein (20-30g) with every meal, and then 10-15g in every snack, a handful of almonds or half a single-serve of Greek yoghurt. And as many colourful fruit and veg as we can. We want to take care of the gut microbiome through all the fibrous fruit and veges and help our body with neurotransmitters, lean mass and body composition through protein. Even if you don’t exercise, but you have a higher protein intake diet, you can completely recomposition your body over the course of 12 weeks. Protein is so powerful. It’s not just meat, it’s eggs, yoghurts, cheese, nuts and so on.”

Not just a hot mess

Dr Linda Dear runs MenoDoctor – a medical practice dedicated to giving extended holistic consultations to women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The concept is “Medicine meets lifestyle – the best of science, the best of nature, for women to choose from – to help them know their options and come up with a recipe that’s going to help them.”

Linda, like Stacy, is rooted in educating women with the purpose of empowering them – and in a wholly positive way, because while menopause signals an ending, it’s also a beginning. “We should know about it before it comes. Everyone feels too young for perimenopause
– anything with menopause in it makes us feel old, makes us feel used up and uncomfortable; it has a negative vibe about it. Even though it shouldn’t do because for many women it’s a liberating new chapter in their life that’s actually better than any of the others, as long as its handled right… Not every woman suffers bad symptoms; some breeze through it and come out the other side feeling surer of themselves, and more confident. So, this newfound irritability can sometimes be a positive thing as you get comfortable saying no. You start putting yourself first a bit more, which I don’t think is a bad thing.”

Grasping the difference between perimenopause and menopause is a crucial first step in wrapping your head around the journey. Linda breaks it down to a simple analogy: “Perimenopause is when your ovaries hand their notice in, and menopause is when they officially resign and leave. The notice period varies between women and when you hand your notice in you’re not doing your job like you used to. And that reflects what perimenopause is – not fully gone yet, but not quite as good as they were.” The reason the effect is felt throughout your body is because the ovaries have many jobs to do, with the hormones they make going everywhere in our body and brain. Understanding this helps us appreciate all the things that change once they stop doing their job.

Perimenopause is what Linda terms “the great disguiser”. As we talked about with Stacy, it’s all too easy to miss the signs or misdiagnose. “Menopause has been a blind spot in medicine, but in women as well, who feel too busy and too young for menopause.” For this multitude of reasons, it often becomes hard to recognise and then proactively address the physical fallout. Add to this the confusion around Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that still prevails, and you have, quite literally, a hot mess. The burning question is, of course, is HRT safe?
There’s so much information and misinformation that it really is hard to know. 

Linda is very reassuring. “When anyone hears HRT, the first thing they think of is breast cancer. Those things got stuck together 20 years ago from a big study in America that announced to the world there was an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, clots, and strokes. Those four nasty things got attached to HRT, so everyone stopped using it. Doctors stopped prescribing it, med students stopped learning about it. HRT was dead, and the rates of use plummeted overnight. Was that fair, was that right? No. The increased risk of breast cancer was so small that it wasn’t statistically significant – out of every 10,000 women, HRT caused an extra eight of them to develop breast cancer. And this risk of eight extra cases was only after taking HRT for at least five years.”

Ironically, Linda continues, this is “lower than the risk of breast cancer from being overweight. Lower than the risk from drinking two or more alcoholic units a night. It was really overstated, and it frightened everyone away. There was an article last year in the Cancer Journal that talks about how amazing HRT is for women’s hearts and their mortality – their lifespan. They say very clearly that the breast cancer risk from HRT is not big at all.”

So, if there is a takeaway from this, it is that the benefits massively outweigh any risks. “You have to acknowledge the small increased breast cancer risk from combined HRT; the women on oestrogen only shouldn’t be worrying at all because the WHI study actually found lower rates of breast cancer in women taking oestrogen-only HRT compared with women taking no HRT. The women on combined, we have to say yes, there were eight per 10,000 extra cases, but it’s in comparison a small risk to take.”

Knowing that we can take back an element of control amid what can feel like a vortex of uncontrollable elements is incredibly empowering. It’s certainly a lot to try and get your head around, and aspects are daunting. However, for the woman who was told by her doctor to “harden up” to her symptoms, and for the woman who was asked by her boss to cut out the “mid-week drinking” as her memory loss was impacting her performance, the key message is hugely heartening. Changes are coming, and changemakers are among us.  

For more information: drstacysims.com menodoctor.com

Time’s on your side

Personal trainer Kelly Rennie from Busy Mums Fitness demonstrates that high-intensity exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as this 20-minute workout three times a week.

Whether you’re in perimenopause or menopause, the importance of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or resistance training, is so important. These exercise modalities offer numerous benefits to women going through this transitional phase. 

HIIT, characterised by short bursts of intense activity, helps boost metabolism, burn fat, and improves cardiovascular health. It also enhances insulin sensitivity and promotes hormonal balance. 

Resistance training, on the other hand, strengthens muscles and bones, mitigating the risk of osteoporosis. It can also combat age-related muscle loss and promote a healthy body composition. 

Combined, HIIT and resistance training help alleviate perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, enhance overall wellbeing, and empower women to navigate this stage with greater resilience.

Each move should be repeated for 40 seconds, with a 20-second break in between. Repeat for four rounds. Start with 3-5kg weights and work up from there every few weeks.

RENEGADE ROW

CHEST PRESS

PLANK

SQUAT

BENT OVER ROW

LUNGE

For more info, head to busymumfitness.com

Mythbusting with Dr Linda Dear

Should you be guided by your mother’s menopause?

We always ask the age of your mum (especially if your mum has gone
through menopause early), but you can have a completely different version of menopause than your mum. Looking to relatives can be vaguely helpful but not definite.

Can you have menopausal symptoms but still have a period?

You can still be having horrendous perimenopausal symptoms and your periods have not changed one bit.

Is there an accurate test for menopause?

You can have normal hormone blood tests and be perimenopausal as hell. Blood tests can slip everyone up – there is no test for perimenopause. There is a test for menopause but the woman’s body tells you by not bleeding for a whole year. If you have a bleed within that time, you start the clock again. FSH (the hormone measured) fluctuates in peri, and sometimes it looks like it looks in menopause, so we can’t rely on that being measured.

Can you check for menopause if you’ve had a hysterectomy when there’s no womb or period?

You can check FSH but we want to know on two separate days – so if you get two high FSH readings in a woman, we’re more willing to say she’s been through it. The higher they are, the more confident we feel. From a medical point of view it doesn’t change options when a woman has had a hysterectomy. We can offer a woman all the same treatments whether she’s post-menopausal or perimenopausal – her symptoms matter more than her blood test results.

What if you don't have a period because of a Mirena?

If the woman has a Mirena, then it’s sometimes useful to do the FSH to confirm that she has actually gone through the menopause and her periods have now stopped naturally. That way we know that if we remove the Mirena, she isn’t going to get pregnant or get the heavy horrible periods back.

Is it true the symptoms of menopause can continue after you’ve been through it?

There are a fair number of women who continue to have hot flushes for the rest of their life, and they never sleep a whole night through until the day they die, and some of these women are really struggling. For most of us, it does not last forever; for the vast majority, whether you take HRT or not, your body adapts.

Will HRT prolong my menopause, or will I get addicted?

Nature happens in the background even if you’re on HRT. Most get off HRT and the symptoms have gone, they go through the choppy bit
relatively unscathed. Then it’s fairly smooth post-menopausal sailing.

Beauty and the bump

This pregnancy-focussed natural product range transforms skincare into an act of self-care.

Words Karl Puschmann

The idea for Pure Mama came to Lara Christie when she was newly pregnant herself. As her body changed, she felt overwhelmed and confused by the skincare options for pregnant women.

She’d find herself inspecting the backs of bottles trying to navigate the safety and efficacy of ingredients. What she found either wasn’t suitable
or smelled terrible.

“I thought to myself, what a horrible way to connect with my body,” she recalls. “As a result, I didn’t take care of my skin as well as I could have during my first pregnancy.” 

She realised this was a common problem and that women often put themselves second when pregnant. With all their focus on their growing baby’s wellbeing, they often overlook their own self-care.

“The mother is doing so much hard work and going through a lot, both physically and mentally. For so many women it comes with a myriad of challenges,” she explains. “Everything from sickness, aches, pains, insomnia, diabetes, not to mention the hormonal and emotional rollercoaster.”

This is what Lara wanted to help remedy with Pure Mama’s range of skin care products for pregnant mamas that use organic and natural ingredients. They were a little luxury they could give themselves each day.

“I am a big believer in acknowledging what your body is going through and taking the time to connect with it to truly appreciate how incredible it is. We get so busy, and I often hear women say that there are days where they forget they are pregnant. I was very much one of them,” she says. “At the very end of a busy day, I would feel a kick and that would be
a gentle reminder to take a moment to be present with my pregnancy.”

Pure Mama’s products help alleviate some of the common skin concerns around pregnancy including dryness, tightness and reducing the appearance of stretch marks. It’s all to make women feel as supported and comfortable as they can throughout their pregnancy journey.

“Pregnancy and motherhood really does have its highs and lows. Women often think they are going through something alone or are too scared to talk about it out loud. I have learned to be more confident in sharing the very real, and raw aspect of the journey because I think women need this,” she says.

To that end, a supportive and welcoming community has sprung up around Pure Mama. 

“I absolutely love connecting with our community. We talk about everything from leaking boobs, messy houses, sleepless nights, right through to miscarriage and IVF,” she smiles. “Building our community has been one of the most enjoyable things about my business.” 

puremama.com

Hidden gems

Jewellery making is a special and specialised art form that these local businesses have mastered with skill and creativity.

Words Nicky Adams

The craft of jewellery making, or manufacturing, is ancient and highly skilled, and like any art it is one that combines talent, skill and often years of experience. While there are many jewellery shops to choose from, not all of these are manufacturing jewellers (that is, where the jeweller makes the pieces themselves). The jewellers with an atelier are the places you can go to have bespoke pieces designed or find pieces that are truly handmade. UNO spoke with some local jewellery manufacturers about their craft.

Jewellers Boutique Bethlehem

Three years ago, after 12 years of owning Bethlehem Jewellers, a full-service village jewellery store, Adrian and Helen Redding identified that, in Helen’s words, “The industry was at a tipping point. There’s a huge amount of change and we were keen to move ahead of it.” Adrian clarifies, “With chain stores becoming more generic, we wanted to take the service back to working on those relationships with people; that’s how we can understand the vision of what they would like created.”

In order to do this, they needed to provide the environment where they could have those conversations, hence a move of premises, a change of focus, and realignment of their business. The dream was to become a bespoke manufacturing jeweller providing “consultation and development of design, from procuring the right gems to creating the piece.” With an existing thriving business, and loyal clientele, Adrian and Helen felt confident to take the next step, and opened a new, exclusive premises in Bethlehem that operates on a combination of restricted opening hours and an appointment basis. A stylish, intimate boutique destination with a workshop on site, here they sell a curated selection of fine jewellery and take on a limited amount of specialist repairs – the real emphasis is on bespoke manufacturing. 

A love of the traditions of jewellery making is at the core for Adrian, who, after 29 years in the business, has a deep passion for his craft. He was literally plucked from Otumoetai College, where his skill at engineering, woodwork and metal work had identified him as an emerging talent. He was then offered an apprenticeship as a manufacturer of fine jewellery by respected Tauranga jeweller David Peet. Jewellery making, Helen notes, “is like engineering in miniature form – looking at how to build something so it is strong, durable and will last, and then making it beautiful, so it’s really a combination of engineering and design.” Adrian chimes in: “A fusion of aesthetics to structure.” For the Reddings, the art of designing that treasured custom piece is a skill that has come with experience. The result, is why Adrian is an award-winning jeweller – because what he creates “is not just unique, it is the perfect balance of proportion, and beauty, custom-designed for the individual to wear every day.” 

jewellersboutique.nz

Alexandra Mostyn Jewellery Papamoa

Working from her small workshop in Pāpāmoa, Alexandra is a silversmith. This love of silver is rooted in a combination of practicality, cost, and personal preference. ”Silver is visually cool… Set with beautiful pastel stones, the two just marry together so beautifully.” Alexandra moved to New Zealand in 2010 from the UK, where she had studied silversmithing and jewellery design at Kensington & Chelsea College. She then refined her skills at Guildhall University at Whitechapel, completing a pre-apprenticeship while working on the retail side for prestigious jewellers Tiffany &Co and Theo Fennell. Jewellery making as a business only happened years later, when suddenly the timing felt right. Turning her shed into a studio, she started creating – and, she says with a bit of surprise, “people said, ‘I like that, can I buy it?’ It’s all just through word of mouth and Instagram.” 

Alexandra enjoys every element of the making process. “I love sitting down with clients, where I get the essence of them – we talk about design and stones, then I get into the studio. I get lost in the creativity of it all – there’s the problem-solving (if the cut of a stone isn’t right and I have to vary the design), lots of swearing along the way, then the moment when they pick up the ring and hug you.” The relationship side of it all is hugely inspirational to Alexandra, as is the concept of being able to upskill and learn. As a result, she started holding workshops, which she now runs on a regular basis from the Incubator Hub in Historic Village. She fizzes as she talks about the workshops, “I make them really fun and inclusive. I love the energy I get from my crowd; I love that these people are here to learn to create and are really proud of what they’ve made.”

Alexandra is a huge believer in the connection between herself, the piece, and the client: “All the jewellery I make, I would personally wear.” The semi-precious stones she uses (aquamarine, opal and peridot are among her favourites) reflect this – “I know I’m going to sound like a tree-hugger, but every stone has different properties with different energies. It’s really important to get it right.” 

f. alexandramostynjewellery

Did you know?

• New Zealand jewellery is held to higher standards than jewellery manufactured overseas. 

• When purchasing a piece, take into account whether the ring/bangle/chain you are looking at is solid or hollow – it’s easy to forget that you’re not always comparing like for like. 

• Think about the quality of the stone; whether it’s synthetic or natural, a real diamond or a lab diamond, consider size versus higher grade, which is less likely to fracture.

Artisan Manufacturing Jewellers

Trained in Auckland under the guidance of two ex-Hatton Garden Jewellers, Andrew Linn is an award-winning jewellery manufacturer who has been in the trade for 35 years. It’s an industry in which the combination of experience and skill can be seen in the workmanship, one glance in the display cabinet gives a clear reflection of his talents. Andrew and wife Kay run a manufacturing and retail store, where they hold to high standards. “We see a lot of low-grade stuff from overseas but we tend to go down the higher end because if something’s low-grade and full of inclusions, if it gets knocked it can fracture.” 

Andrew sees a lot of people who come in to remodel a piece of jewellery. “Lots of remakes, all the old broken jewellery. We’ll do 3D images for them, we’ll sit down and spend time going through books. Most people will want to use Grandma’s gold or Grandma’s diamond.” Bespoke pieces are also created from scratch, and the jewellery in the cabinet provides inspiration – “We don’t have a huge range, just basic to give people ideas. If you don’t have stock people struggle to see what you can do. That goes for your handmade chains, anything.” 

“Everything is one-off and unique; there will be other cluster rings, for example, but none the same,” says Andrew. Alongside all of this, Andrew works on a steady stream of repairs. Much of the work is done by hand, using the same traditional methods he learned as an apprentice. There are innovations in the jewellery industry: “Technology is starting to take over, 3D for drawings and printings (to use as a mould) – but the cost in our trade to do it is really expensive at the moment. But it will come down. 90% of our stuff is done by hand. I have several hundred patterns and I’ll cast a replica; as much as we handmake, we do cast some stuff.” Trends don’t really affect their market; however, at the moment, Andrew says, “We’re doing a lot more platinum work, which is more affordable than it used to be.” Andrew and Kay believe in traditional skills and traditional values: “Anything I make I look after for life. So if you want it cleaned, or checked – well, unless it has been run over by a bus, of course!” 

artisanjewellers.co.nz

Caring for your jewellery

Jewellery needs regular upkeep. It is, says Helen from Bethlehem Jewellers, “like changing the tyres of a car.” Try to avoid wearing rings when gardening or to the gym, and remove jewellery in bed, as cotton is actually very abrasive. Andrew from Artisan also uses the car analogy, saying, “You wash a car to clean it, you polish it for shine.” If you clean your jewellery at home, use a soft brush, warm soapy water, and a tissue to drain the water away. All the jewellers recommend avoiding hacks you’ve seen on the internet (don’t put in the microwave or boil in gin). When it comes to jewellery, the chances are what you have is priceless to you – it’s the ultimate emotional investment.

Style status

Wardrobe staples to see you through autumn and beyond.

Words Nicky Adams

Leather A-Line Skirt $799, Gathered detail blouse (sandstone or petal) $229, countryroad.co.nz

LOOKS TO LAST

The beauty of fashion in the southern hemisphere is the ability to be one step ahead of the game. Technically, what is being rolled out in the February fashion shows for European winters won’t yet be in our stores; however, fashion has increasingly embraced the view of longevity over trends. This means much of what is being predicted for next year can actually be sourced from the autumn trends hitting the stores now. Gone are the days of crazy catwalks; post-COVID what we’re seeing are multiple everyday looks for everyday women, with just enough pizzazz here and there to keep us fully engaged.

One look that is sure to catch the imagination is the return of layering a dress over pants. For many, this never really went away, but revived for this year the styling is tunic-style dresses with sheer fabrics and lots of detailing in hemlines. Another firm favourite is the shirt dress which, accessorised with an oversized tote, is almost painfully practical but still ultra-glamorous when the shirt dress has been well cut. Key things to look for in this universally flattering style is a cinched waist, full fit-and-flare skirt, roomy top that will accommodate – not squash – the bust, long sleeves for this time of year and, perhaps most importantly, a good weight of fabric that will fall beautifully around your legs. Pair with chunky Chelsea boots or loafers. Another absolute wardrobe staple is a leather skirt; team this with a high-fashion trend of a blouse with exaggerated cuffs falling below the fingertips, and totally elevate a piece of classic styling.

Fitted denim shirt $75.90, ZW fitted cargo jean $109, zara.com/nz

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Warning: This is not a drill. Double denim is back. When you’ve seen it on Michelle Obama, you know that it’s coming our way; more polished and structured than some of the attempts we’ve seen before, this designer interpretation of the Canadian Tuxedo is seriously wearable. Throw on a pair of denim boots, trainers or shoes and you have the trifecta.

For party pieces, the cut-out continues to dominate – from the midriff to side, to back, depending on which area the wearer is most confident revealing. The latest look is one-sided oblique cutouts.
If this feels too adventurous for a pub quiz night, then the slash neck is a hot look that is subtle but super stylish. 

Grunge is having a revival, but this time it’s being used in a more sophisticated way as a detail rather than an entire look. Think faux leather or shearling vest over a dress. The sleeveless silhouette is huge, particularly pairing a tailored waistcoat with matching pants, and the fitted look avoids the androgynous feel often associated with suiting. 

Asymmetric sequinned dress $109, zara.com/nz 

MIXING IT UP

Metallics are still omnipresent, to the extent that not only are silver and gold mainstays as partywear, but they have also been translated into daywear. Animal print, particularly leopard, has managed to work its way right up to cult classic status, while faux snake is fabulous for footwear. Velvet has been re-imagined and is the perfect fabric for autumn leading into winter with options for age, budget and taste. From dresses to coats to blouses, look to the celebrity set and you’ll see that the velvet pantsuit is having a moment. With careful styling, tartan, usually seen as a traditional trend, can be modernised to look more chic and less conventional. Spring/Summer 2023 runways were awash with plaid, which means it will be a transitional pattern, so for longevity pick something in a lighter fabric to carry through and pick a style that puts a twist on a classic piece.

LOW-KEY LUXURY

Recreate an outfit to add some classic elevation. 

Stealth wealth, quiet luxury – all buzzwords for a style of dressing that is understated, empowering and universally flattering. Essentially polished minimalism, it is a look that has been reflected in several blockbuster shows over the last few years – from Shiv Roy in Succession to Sophie Whitehouse (played by Sienna Miller) in Anatomy of a Scandal. Even if you don’t recognise the characters, you’ll know the style. This elegant, classic dress code is one that has been bubbling below the surface in the form of luxe minimalism for some time. So, when it comes to its current popularity, it’s hard to know if life has imitated art, or if these shows have picked up on a micro trend and made it mainstream. What we do know is that this vibe is one that can be successfully translated to every wardrobe and every figure.

While I’ve always admired the sleek streamlined look, it’s never one I’ve considered until I saw Sienna Miller looking utterly serene whilst she
diced vegetables in a white (possibly cashmere) cardigan. Such was her poise and beauty that I decided I, too, should look like this as I loom over my chopping board. As the series progressed, and she showcased look after look of sartorial mastery, my obsession continued, along with a determination to recreate as many of the outfits as possible. Essentially the silhouette is centred around clean classic lines, and beautiful tailoring, and while Sienna Miller’s comes with a hefty price tag
with pieces from The Row, Celine and Max Mara, this doesn’t need to be the case to achieve a similar look.

A start point is a few key pieces, which lend themselves perfectly to autumnal dressing. Head-to-toe neutral tones are a baseline, with shades of white, cream, beige and biscuit as building blocks. White is a strong colour, and there is an immediate elevation of a look when the shade is perceived to be hard to wear – in fact within this colour wheel there will be a hue for every skin tone. In terms of the practicality of wafting around your kitchen in winter white with no apron, this is where choice of fabric is key. Rather than pure silks or cashmere, if your lifestyle is robust, consider polyester and viscose. Something that is machine-washable and man-made is far more durable and stain-resistant, even in pale shades.

Pivotal to achieving this dress code is the concept of a capsule wardrobe, so a number of pieces that can be interchanged, and that will all look fabulous together. A beautiful camel coat would be considered a statement piece, as would a timeless trench. Mixing textures will give added interest to balance the subtlety of the colour shades, so wool skirts or pants worn with silky shirts become striking, or a thick knit jumper over a satin slip dress. Skinny fitting turtle/roll necks styled with straight or wide leg pants is elegant in the extreme – proportions are an important element of the look. Tweed is a fabric as timeless as is it sophisticated, and is currently having its own moment, so a Chanel-esque jacket would be perfect. A tailored feel is more important than figure hugging, and there’s absolutely room for a few vintage pieces within this wardrobe. 

It is the notable absence of labels in this look that has led to the coining of the term ‘stealth wealth’, and the reason why it is so easy to recreate this high end look on a lesser budget. There are multiple New Zealand and Australian designers who produce stunning pieces that fit into this aesthetic – Bassike, Jac + Jack, Silk Laundry and Caroline Sills, to name a few.

To sum it up, “quiet luxury” is elegance without a hint of flashiness. With the key components of neutral colours, high-quality fabrics and a perfect fit – the result is understated at its best; soft power dressing has never been so achievable.

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FASHION FORECAST

Winter is coming – and so are these cool, fun fashion trends.

BRIGHT NIGHTS

Winter will be anything but dull. The continuing fixation with bright colourways scream energy and excitement. Pantone’s colour for 2023 is Viva Magenta – alongside this will be fuchsia, vibrant orange, cherry red, even chartreuse: Statement dressers will love the saturation. While head-to-toe block colour is a key look, a vibrant hue can be significantly toned down; try khaki, which is not only on trend, but will also match with multiple bright sheens.

COMING UP ROSES

Emerging trends have seen the traditional floral print superseded by a three-dimensional iteration. The appliqué effect is being used as an embellishment on everything from skirts to dresses to bags; one step further is the garment itself translated as an entire floral fabric structure. Early adopters will find it’s an easy trend to incorporate as an accessory – a fake flower choker around the neck will put you straight in the fashion set.

GOTHIC GLAM

As the darker days draw in there’s a bit of a push for a city-girl aesthetic; this preppy vibe with a bit of goth/grunge thrown in draws a little from the Netflix hit show Wednesday, which has popularised the appeal of A-line silhouettes, Mary Janes and Peter Pan/crisp white collars. The leading colourway for this look is black and white – moody but chic. If you’re having a déjà vu moment with gothic mini dresses and feature collars, you’d be right. It’s all very 2010.

STRAIGHT LACED

The lace-up knee boot is a sophisticated take on the still-super-popular combat boot. A dressier version than the comfort-oriented lug-soled combat sees a chunky or skinny heel with laces running up the back or even the side. Those wedded to walking distances be assured the knee-high combat will be a winter staple.

Pause, Breathe, Smile

This groundbreaking programme is making a real difference to our children’s emotional wellbeing, both in school and at home.

Words Catherine Sylvester

It goes without saying that life can be both challenging and stretching at the best of times. Throw into the mix a global pandemic, its repercussions, and the odd cyclone, and nerves can get more than a little frayed. As adults, many of us have needed to dig deep and prioritise mental health over the past few years, drawing on all the tools at our disposal. Our tamariki (children) have also had to weather these proverbial – and at times, literal – storms right alongside us. Factor in the unique aspects of growing up in this digital age that seems so different to many of our childhoods, and the potential for anxious thoughts and behavioural concerns increases. Now, thanks to charity Pause, Breathe, Smile (PBS) children don’t have to navigate these feelings alone.

Launched in its current form in 2017 by Grant and Natasha Rix with support from the Mental Health Foundation, PBS brings mindfulness-based wellbeing programmes into schools, to support, nurture and empower children to live their best lives.

By engaging and equipping teachers with the ability to share a series of eight lessons incorporating skills such as mindful breathing, mindful movements and kindness practices with their classes, the programme aims to give tamariki the tools they can use to feel good and function well the majority of the time.

“Feeling good is about emotional wellbeing, or an ability to manage emotion,” explains Grant. “Functioning well is speaking to psychological wellbeing. Integrating certain positive attributes, and how children can relate to others, while having control over their own emotions is super important.” Grant acknowledges that to feel this way all the time is unrealistic, but wholeheartedly believes “it’s possible to live in a way where we experience positive mental health most of the time.”

The charity is seeing results that reinforce this vision. Darren Scott, deputy principal, and Year 5 whānau leader, Yvette Brown, from Tahatai Coast School, Pāpāmoa have noticed marked improvements since the programme’s implementation in 2021.

“Children are coming back from playtime more ‘present’,” Yvette says. “They’ve learned that it’s normal to have worries, but now they know how
to identify their concerns and have strategies they can use to deal with them.”

It’s not just within the classroom environment that positive results are being seen. “We’ve received a lot of feedback that what the children are learning in school is being brought into the home,” explains Darren. “These are skills for life!”

Pause, Breathe, Smile has now reached over 100,000 tamariki in 323 schools, thanks to funding from Southern Cross, who partnered with the charity in 2020. A survey undertaken by more than a thousand teachers enrolled in the programme produced many encouraging results. Positive classroom behaviour had increased while a decline in negative behaviour was observed. Twelve months on from the introduction of PBS, general student wellbeing was up 16.6%, and the number of students flourishing increased by 8.1%. In general, greater perseverance, less anxiety, and less worries were reported. 

“For me, the research and evaluation has been hugely important,” says Grant. “I only want to be doing something that works and achieves the benefits we’re after.”

With PBS now being fully funded, expansion is on the cards. “Follow-up lessons for schools, and unique ways of working with new entrants are on the wish list,” Grant excitedly explains. “An app is also in the works.”

Committed to positively impacting tamariki across New Zealand, PBS has piloted a programme within full immersion kura (schools), with all resources available in te reo Māori. “We’ve worked with Māori teachers in these schools and had a Māori educator facilitating so that we can be certain that the work we’re doing is properly contextualised with a Te Ao Māori worldview,” Grant says. “It’s an ongoing process, but we’re at a place now where we’re able to train kaiako (teachers).”

Backed by solid funding, extensive research and enthusiastic educators,
the future is looking bright for PBS and the children it reaches. Take it from someone already positively impacted by the initiative, Tahatai Coast pupil, Poppy (8): “I feel way calmer, and it’s really good to just be able to slow down my thoughts and think about things for a while now.” 

pausebreathesmile.nz

Suits you, sir

Jason Dovey is known as the best in the biz. Even 007 himself would approve of his crisp collars and on-trend tailoring.

Words Nicky Adams  |  Photos Salina Galvan + supplied

Seeing a Bond & Co tailored suit worn in 2019 by Black Cap captain Kane Williamson, to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II at a tea party at Buckingham Palace, was a career-defining moment for Bond & Co owner Jason Dovey. Over the years he has built up a loyal client base of repeat customers that includes everyone from high-profile local businessmen to sportsmen, politicians to musicians – but when it comes to his threads being showcased at a royal palace, as Jason says, “That doesn’t happen to everyone in their lifetime.”

Jason, his wife Michelle and the Bond & Co team do, however, consider each event that they dress their clients for of equal importance, whether it be a wedding, black-tie occasion, board meeting or simply someone investing in a cornerstone piece for the wardrobe. “I love making people look good and feel good – that’s the drive behind it,” says Jason. “It’s about sending them out feeling a million bucks.” There’s care and attention for each and every customer: “It’s not a help yourself, that’ll do set-up.”

Jason is a stalwart of high-end men’s fashion in Tauranga, having started in the trade in 1987, initially at Warnocks before moving to Molloy’s Menswear on Devonport Road in 1992. In 2012 he bought the business, rebranding to Bond & Co in 2015. The store still proudly sits on Devonport Road, albeit on the other side – a small change (along with a stylish refit) that, despite the continuity, denotes a fresh feel.

Over time, Jason has watched menswear both evolve and, in some cases, circle back. Over the last six or seven years, he has seen a resurgence of black tie and the tuxedo (“You can’t beat a guy in a tux – it’s just a transformation”). However, for less formal attire, there is a trend towards soft suiting of blazers and jackets. As Jason says, “The office is not as corporate as it used to be. Yes, people are still wearing a suit, but there’s a lot more blazers, smart-casual chinos and that sort of thing being worn.” This move to more casual workwear has prompted stylish alternatives. “Shirting has become more interesting,” Jason muses. “There’s more variety with, trims, buttons and so on to make the shirt the statement and pop. Men have definitely become more adventurous in the last 10 years and are prepared to wear a floral shirt.” 

An exploration of a wider tonal palette for wedding and occasion suiting is another development, with green currently the strongest colour leading the way. Jason illustrates the point by bringing out a rich forest-green suit jacket with contrasting stitching – this, together with a linen lichen-green jacket has been flying off the shelves; the jacket paired with black pants proves a striking look for a wedding party.  

While eventwear is a motivator for purchasing an off-the-rack or tailored suit, in general, formalwear has been updated by the “slim fit”. This is particularly appealing to the younger market, as it feels fresh and modern. Developments in fabrics have also increased the wearability of a suit. While wool is still the most popular fabric, and velvet is the ultimate in luxe and polish, for everyday wear the addition of stretch to classic wool is looking to be a game-changer. Demonstrating the classic male crossed-arm flex/hunch move, Jason illustrates just how great it is to have fabric with movement “for men sitting on an aeroplane, or just for comfort in general.” The fabrics used for suiting are sourced from fine Italian and British mills, with the main suppliers the illustrious Rembrandt and Holland & Sherry. 

Along with roots steeped in the culture of high-quality tailoring and impeccable service, Bond & Co is a very modern entity. Providing head-to-toe styling with accessories such as shoes, ties and pocket squares, there is a wide range of off-the-shelf shirting, suits, jackets and pants, along with selected pieces of casualwear, all of which can be quickly altered to fit to perfection via the onsite alterations workshop, operated by Michelle (she also caters to casual walk-ins for both menswear and womenswear). Should a client be after a made-to-measure piece, the choice of fabric is enormous, and typically a garment would take approximately
six weeks to make. Tailored shirting is produced in New Zealand in around four weeks – a bespoke waistcoat can be made in store with an even more impressive turnaround time. Additionally, Bond & Co offers the option of occasionwear hire.

While specialising in menswear, Jason and Michelle have recently extended their repertoire to include a curated collection of womenswear. It made sense to offer the ladies – who would often be in store assisting their partners – something to browse. Along with a beautiful line of shirting, the option of made-to-measure appeals to women who appreciate the sartorial value of a tailored garment; equally for those that can never find the perfect piece off-the-rack, a bespoke fitted investment piece is invaluable. This move is just another innovation that Jason and Michelle have introduced, proving that beneath the traditional exterior is a business with its finger on the pulse. 

Bondandco.co.nz

Systemic change

UNO’s new health and wellness columnist,
Anna Rolleston, shares how a plant-based diet
may benefit your life – and the earth.

Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor 

Photos Jahl Marshall

For most people, working with professional sporting teams might be considered the pinnacle of their career. Holding a PhD in nutrition and metabolism, Anna Rolleston was the exercise physiologist for both the NZ Warriors and Waikato/BOP Magic. She was responsible for the team members’ performance monitoring, a critical part of keeping these elite athletes working at their fittest and best.

But Anna isn’t “most people”. In 2010, she felt a calling to shift her life’s work into the health and wellbeing space. With whakapapa to Tauranga, she moved home from Auckland to launch and become director of The Cardiac Clinic. In 2016, the business took on a more holistic direction, rebranding to become The Centre for Health.

The Centre for Health focuses on lifestyle management – through programmes, services, and research – for long-term conditions like heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety and depression, and more.

“We cover everything from medical management to lifestyle change – nutrition, exercise, dealing with stress – and Māori traditional healing practices and complementary and alternative modalities for health management,” Anna explains.

She and her “excellent” team feel strongly about creating a health system that really works for people. And it’s far from a one-size-fits-all approach.

“We recognise people have different ways of viewing health, different cultural contexts, different conditions. People want to be heard and listened to, and there’s not always a lot of time in the health system to get off their chest what they need to,” Anna says.

“We like to think we are pathfinders, listening to people’s stories and then supporting them in a solution that moves them forward on a health and wellness journey.

“We talk about ourselves as a bridge between potentially disconnected worlds: medical and non-medical, cultural and Western, illness and wellness.” 

At The Centre for Health, some of the bridge-making incorporates a te ao Māori approach and is backed by community-driven research undertaken by Anna’s team. “Our strong research arm provides evidence that what we do works, and it supports communities to answer questions people have about their health,” Anna explains. “We also support clinical trials, and combine clinical and qualitative research too.”

As well as research, The Centre for Health team’s capabilities cover clinical exercise physiology, nutrition, sport science, nursing, and Rongoā Māori.

One of the more recent offerings they’ve developed is FastTrack Kai ā Nuku, which offers recipe packages promoting healthy eating. It’s been well received by The Centre for Health’s clients and is now available to the public via its website (fasttracknz.co.nz).

FastTrack – a plant-based approach to eating – started as an idea from the centre's clients. Recipe creation and testing followed, and the programme was launched late last year. FastTrack offers recipes and menu plans for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner and smoothies. 

“FastTrack is a way of living that supports flourishing. It is not a diet,” Anna emphasises. 

At its heart, FastTrack encourages clients to eat foods that promote good health. The programme is linked to the health and wellbeing services provided at The Centre for Health.

Anna says that The Centre for Health isn’t prescribing a specific way of eating – “We are just about helping people eat more healthily in their lives and sharing various ways to do that, but knowing that plant foods are key in good health.”

FastTrack may be particularly helpful for people who might suffer from diabetes and heart problems, for example. “Our clients were saying, ‘Surely we can eat our way well!’” recalls Anna. “Evidence says this is about reducing meat and dairy intake and increasing plant-based food, so that is FastTrack’s focus.”

This grounded approach to eating has benefits not only for our bodies, but also for the planet. “Eating food that comes mostly from plants is good for our bodies and also helps to support Papatūānuku (the earth),” Anna explains. “We have used evidence from science, principles from BlueZone communities, and the mātauranga (Māori knowledge) that is unique to our place in the world. We’ve combined those three spaces and created an Aotearoa-specific plant-based eating approach.”

The principles behind FastTrack’s recipes and menu plans:

• 90 percent plant-based

• Daily dose of beans of
  any variety

• Meat on special occasions
  only, or limited to one serving per week

• Eggs limited to four per week 

• Sourdough bread only, maximum of two slices per day

• Fish and other seafood are allowed, three servings per week

• No dairy; use goat’s milk products, plant milks and coconut yoghurt as alternatives 

• No added or refined sugar

• Limit caffeine and alcohol.

Every FastTrack recipe has been trialled and rejigged if necessary. Processed foods are out, but fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough and coconut yoghurt) get the big tick. There is even flexibility to include seafood.

But the main criteria is, the recipes have to be delicious, Anna says firmly. 

“In terms of our Centre For Health clients, FastTrack is going great guns. Now we’re ready to spread it more widely.” 

fasttracknz.co.nz

Inside out

Women realising their
self-worth is integral to this world-class retreat centre.

Words Hayley Barnett

Think women’s health retreat and you’ll no doubt conjure up images of kumbaya circles and cleanses. Think weight loss retreat, and there will surely be some scary ideas of restriction and quiet shaming. 

Resolution Retreats aims to do better. Founder Joelene Ranby started the retreats in 2012 after her own inspiring health journey led her to move away from her corporate life and into helping other women to slow down. She discovered the focus should be more on what to do, rather than what not to do when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

Situated on Lake Karapiro, Resolution Retreats offers luxurious resort accommodation at a reasonable price, compared to other retreats that cost thousands of dollars a day to attend. It’s in line with the vision Joelene had when she started the business 10 years ago.

“I come from a family of people who don't prioritise their health,” explains Joelene. “And so I was never taught or encouraged to take care of my health from an early age. It wasn’t until I was an adult in my twenties that I decided to make changes, and implement some healthy options into my life.”

Joelene says she had to learn these changes “through the school of hard knocks”. Her journey took her from an overweight, stressed-out financial accountant to a relaxed and vibrant 30-something woman giving workshops to help others in the same dark place she was all those years ago.

“I wish I could have done something like this back then, but it didn’t exist,” she says. “I started learning about the psychology behind taking better care of yourself, and studying habits.”

Today Joelene offers a range of retreats with varying themes from weight loss to resilience, perimenopause and menopause and fasting – but all the retreats have a focus on changing behaviour.

“If there was a degree in habits, I would have it,” laughs Joelene. “I'm obsessed with how they're formed and how people respond to them. It's just very, very interesting to me. Everything comes from a place of practicality, and never from just science.”

At the end of each retreat, which range in days from three to 20, Joelene and her staff have one-on-one consultations with each guest to work out what their goals are and how they can best support them.

Coming away from a three-day weight loss retreat, there’s a feeling of lightness, not just on the scales, but also in the mind.

“Some people see a weight loss retreat as simply going there and losing some weight, because they didn't eat as much as normal, but it’s psychological,” says Joelene.

“I believe the true difference between somebody who is ‘healthy’ and somebody who is ‘unhealthy’ is what they do when they fall off the wagon. Because unhealthy people perceive that 'healthy' people don't fall off the wagon, but it's not true. They do, they’re just kinder to themselves. They go, ‘Oh no, I'm off track. Let's get back into it.’”

That’s the main aim at Resolution Retreats – to teach women to be kinder to themselves.

“A lot of women just reinforce what they are already thinking when they ‘fail’ at another diet, particularly people who have a really low self opinion of themselves. They can find that difficult to do and even more difficult to hear.”

The challenge, she says, is in getting people to realise that they need to slow down and, perhaps not smell the coffee, but more their own sense of self-worth.

In the future, Joelene wants to offer more specialised retreats, such as her mother/daughter focused workshops, and plans to launch a charitable trust this year, to help make the retreats that much more accessible to low-income earners.

“I want to get the message out there that, if you are struggling with your health, there is somewhere you can go for help, no matter your circumstances, to instil those healthy habits in a safe, non-judgemental space,” says Joelene. 

resolutionretreats.co.nz

Style status

Explore the summer aesthetic with go-to seasonal looks.

Words Nicky Adams

Jets Floreale bikini top $148 and pant $127, Isla Rib one-piece, $254, Temptationslingerie.nz 

In the heat of summer, air flow and comfort are golden. This season, "coastal grandma" is trending – and it’s not just an aesthetic, it’s a lifestyle. Essentially laid-back oceanside minimalism, age is immaterial (Anne Hathaway is a big fan) – it’s a state of mind. Easy-fitting dresses, loose low-rise wide-leg trousers that sit on the hips, capacious shirts that billow in the breeze, all providing cover and keeping you feeling and looking cool all at the same time. Simple chic, monochromatic, light tones and, of course a dash of linen. With oversized silhouettes ruling the room, footwear needs to provide balance – enter the chunky leather slide. This classic style will keep you grounded all day long. 

Deadly Ponies slides, $449, deadlyponies.com

At the other end of the spectrum of holiday wear is sporty athleisure – track tops, bike shorts and polo shirts. This streetwear vibe translates well to the beach – just throw on a pair of robust slides. Swimwear is another seasonal must-have. From experience, I can vouch that buying quality is money very well spent; the difference in price is reflected in fit and longevity of fabric; sustainability is also high on the agenda for an increasing number of brands. This summer you can push aside reservations about body type, as there’s a style for every figure – one-shoulder, textured, ribbed, metallic, cutout. Lots of high-end design houses feature beautiful swimwear, but it’s hard to get past the trusted brands that emphasise longevity, style and durability. This year you’ll see swimwear that doubles as daywear "beach to bar" – a one-piece worn as a bodysuit, styled with a flowing skirt or pants. 

Aphrodite maxi gown, $140, taylorcovecollection.com

The Bold And The Beautiful

With fashion increasingly accepting that personal style should dictate your wardrobe as much, if not more than the latest looks, the scope for creativity has blossomed. 

It’s fair to say that bohemian chic always feels as though it’s low-level trending. However, some of the signature styles that define boho are featuring this summer under their own steam, and it definitely feels as though you can pick up a little hippy without going full Woodstock. Fringing (a boho mainstay) is very much back on the radar, as is beading as an embellishment. Crochet in its many iterations has moved from the catwalk to the high street, and we’re seeing tops, bottoms, dresses, and even swimwear, all with a 2022 vibe about it. A silk scarf is another runway to real-life trend
– from a headscarf to worn through your belt, style it how you will. 

Percival dress, $845, magalipascal.com.au

While pink still rules as the colourway for summer, designers are bringing us orange, tangerine and pumpkin spice in mouthwatering hues. At this time of year we’re all reaching for event wear – party gear, racewear, Christmas do – and it’s hard to resist going all out. It’s also hard to avoid satin and sequins, and why would you want to? If embracing the joy of fashion is your thing, then look no further than the wave of "hyperfeminine", championed by designers such as Simone Rocha. The ruffles, tulle and pastels are a perfect dip into fashion wonderland. Currently red carpets abound with white suits, which is a personal "gotta have it/make it stop" moment. Having tried the look in the late 90s (when, on reflection, I looked like a dentist), my preference is the equally on-trend but less structured head-to-toe white look, which perfectly nails low-key luxury.

GUESSED DRESSED

Suit and tie, or smart casual? Haute couture, hat and heels, or cocktail dress? Where to start (and what not do to) with wedding guest wear.

The invitation is on the mantelpiece, and excitement is building – there’s no doubt a wedding is the ultimate occasion to really have fun with fashion. This is one event when you can flex every sartorial style muscle in your body, but it is one that requires a high degree of outfit planning. 

I was fizzing to attend a school friend’s wedding recently, so much so that “whittling down” still included at least five dress options. The day itself turned out to be a freakish 40 degrees, and let’s just say full-length satin was not going to be a practical choice. I ended up in none of the dresses I had optioned, instead in far more casual (but infinitely cooler) silk shorts and camisole, jazzed up with a headband, an upgraded handbag, and heels. The moral of the story: Don’t disregard having a backup option, or make sure you check out the weather forecast.

Aside from the practicalities of the time of year, you’ll need to read between the lines as to the type of occasion this wedding will be: Relaxed or formal. This can often be given away by location – a church or city event may indicate a tighter dress code; country or beach might imply more relaxed. Then, of course, a key consideration will be your role, and whether it is that of guest, or as part of the bridal party itself.

With mindful fashion choices increasingly at the fore, as well as budget-consciousness, there’s far more of an emphasis on finding something that can be worn again and again, rather than a one-hit wonder. This will generally lead you to avoiding fleeting trends and sticking with colours that suit you. That is, of course, unless those colours are black or white – etiquette dictates that for anyone other than the bride or groom, shades of white should be avoided at all costs. Black has a little more leeway; while traditionally considered off-limits, it has started to creep into wedding guest attire. And although head-to-toe may feel a little bleak on such a joyous day, if you really want to wear black, work it into your outfit by way of bag, shoes, or part of a pattern.

So, where to start? For guests, while style is important, comfort is key. 

FORMAL

Fashion has become more flexible, meaning it’s easier to be formal without looking stuffy or as though you’ve aged 20 years overnight. For a more modest look something with a hemline below the knee or with sleeves could easily be found within the multiple maxi dresses in vogue. If you prefer a slightly shorter hemline (emphasis on slightly), then a cocktail style dress might be just the ticket. Think about both style and fabric choice, a high sheen silk or satin immediately smartens, and a voluminous style such as a shift can be super chic. And then there’s the men – if we’re talking formal then for summer a light-coloured suit such as a pale blue or grey can be stunning but avoid shiny fabrics and look for a high-quality fine wool. To tie or not to tie is often the question, but if you’re wearing a suit then a tie finishes the look nicely. Or you could opt for a single-breasted jacket with smart pants and an open-neck linen
shirt, which can still look very smart.

BEACH COUNTRY / CASUAL

If we assume that we’re working with the summer months and a beach location, the chances are you’ll want something that will withstand a high temperature. "Elevated comfort" is pivotal to this look. A natural fibre such as silk will keep you cooler, and when it comes to choosing a style, consider that you could be standing in blazing sunshine, so it may be worth picking something with a degree of coverage. Footwear is critical – barefoot may look fabulous in magazine fashion shoots, however in reality you risk scalding the soles of your feet, so find a shoe that won’t sink in the sand, but that will complement your outfit. Equally for a low-key occasion the scope is endless. There’s a definite move among guests to embrace colour (think Amal Clooney at Harry and Meghan's wedding), which coincides with a huge fashion shift towards dopamine dressing. If complete saturation feels too much, use a colour pop as a springboard to accessorise. If you want to change it up from a dress, then smart jumpsuits can be versatile and flattering. For men, a low-key look
is a breeze – short sleeved shirt, smart shorts, and suede loafers. Job done.

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE OR GROOM

The golden rule is to never outshine, or draw attention away from the bride, which really implies nothing too outrageous, low cut, and lots of communication to establish the general colour theme of the bridal party. Something to remember is that you’ll be in lots of photographs, so pick a fabric that won’t crease. Also think about your silhouette in all those piccies; I’ve looked at shots post event and realized some design details just don’t translate well on film; all I will say is that my bête noire involved a very puffed sleeve. For those that want to move away from the traditional MOB/MOG vibe, a more modern (and increasingly popular) look is a tailored summer suit, which can be both stunning, and will last a lifetime. Alternatively, an off-the-shelf trouser suit can be altered to fit.

ACCESSORIES

A hat is far from an expectation, although in the heat of summer can be worked into your outfit choice as sun protection. Headbands have muscled fascinators to the side, and while the raised padded Alice bands can be hard to wear if you’re more mature, try a woven or mixed material creations which look fun and modern. A small handbag can pull an outfit together, and either help tie shoes in, or, in the case of my own more casual two piece, elevate the look altogether. Shoes are a vital part of the equation. While heels are elegant, they can also be disastrous, depending on the terrain. Nothing is worse than that sinking feeling as your heel slides further down into the grass with each step you take. The trend for platforms has wedding guests singing hallelujah the world over.

TO FINISH

Even in the height of summer I never leave home without a cover-up, and you can guarantee a temperature drop for an event that spans day to evening. While a pashmina may feel a little grande dame, the fact that it folds into a bag is priceless. Alternatively, a light or bright blazer will suit just about any look and doesn’t have to be a big-ticket item. It can be found in myriad fabric options and cuts, which means you can avoid looking "officey". Linen, satin, viscose – cropped or a little loose. This fashion staple will stand you in good stead as the sun goes down… After all, the key thing to remember about a wedding is that you’re there to celebrate, so whatever you wear needs to allow you to feel fabulous as you party the night away. 

Seize the day

Are we so obsessed with plans, goals and looking forward to fun things that we forget the here and now? Fresh Coaching’s Anna Veale explains the shady side to living only for the future.

Photos | Salina Galvan

Idon’t know about you, but from October 1 I feel a shift in energy. Not just on my own, but on other people around me. Shops subtly put their Christmas products at our eyeline, the fake Christmas trees have been brought out of the attic and strategically placed in the corner of waiting rooms, memes of "11 Saturdays ‘til Christmas" start floating around social media and all of us have that one friend who has been counting down the days since last Christmas! 

These signs prove to me that more than ever we are more focused on our future than where we are in the here and now. The danger of living this way is that before we know it, our life has passed us by and the future we spend months craving, is now so far in our rear-view mirror we can’t remember what it was we wanted in the first place. 

While it’s great to plan our futures, have goals and dreams, it’s important to remember that right now is all we have got. It’s what we do right here, right now that is going to secure our future. (Did anyone else just start silently singing to Fatboy Slim, or was it just me?) When we truly understand this concept, then the pace of life can slow down. We can step back from the collective race towards "one day" and make choices that align with what matters most to us. 

So how do we step off the treadmill which is increasing speed without nosediving into a third bowl of pavlova on Christmas Day and feeling utterly burned out?

TURN THE LIGHT ON

The first place to start is with awareness. Most of us find ourselves at a party we didn’t want to go to, over committing to people only to let them down at the last minute or wasting precious energy worrying about being in fifty places at once. From today onwards, turn the light on inside your mind and see what your automatic responses are to:

Requests that are made of you
Do you say yes without hesitation without considering the consequences? The time you spend on one thing is taking precious time away from other areas of your life that might matter more. Choose how and when you spend your time wisely.  

Getting drawn into society's pace
Sometimes it’s not you, it’s others. Have enough awareness to know whose energy you’re picking up on. If everyone else around you is racing around trying to "get it all done" before the end of the year, have the courage to question if the stressful (endless) to-do list needs to be completed or are the expectations too high? Or that friend that you haven’t seen for most of the year and has invited you for a catch up before 2023 rolls around; perhaps you can put them off until January? 

Stress
We all handle stress differently, but getting overwhelmed, having a short fuse, being distracted, and disengaging from things that would usually give you joy are all signs that you might be doing too much. Understanding your response to stress will give you the power to dial down on the basics – moving your body, eating food that fuels you and getting a decent night’s sleep. If you know you have some late, boozy nights coming up, counteract the possible negative consequences by having some healthy food choices and room for a walk the next day.

We know that the pace of life isn’t going to slow down so it's counterproductive to stress about how much you have to do. Choose today to take ownership of your busyness and make your mindset work for you. 

freshcoaching.me

Anna’s new book Only Human is available to order now: linktr.ee/freshcoachingnz

The Collective Training

Owners and couple Ariana Grant and Kaz Adams give us the lowdown on one of the Mount’s newest fitness hubs.

Who is this type of fitness best suited to?
We cater to people wanting to not only improve their current fitness, but also create a lifestyle which will provide longevity in movement and mobility. We take an individual approach with each group we train and provide regressions and progressions to all levels of fitness. The class sizes are limited to allow for this intimate type of training.

Tell us about the benefits.
Our method of training is effective and is designed in a way that individuals don't get bored. Our basic training model allows you to improve your overall strength and fitness while also improving your mobility. 

Why do people come to you?
Initially people come to us with the intention of losing weight or building strength, but those who stay love the community and buy into the overall plan which is constant improvement - not just physically, but mentally as well. Our members are able to build a lifestyle based on the same values we follow: Consistency, honesty, integrity and culture.

What is your top fitness tip?
Never be afraid to try something new or something that seems too hard. You will be surprised at what you are truly capable of, but you will never know what that is if you do not try.

What do people say about you?
“Since joining The Collective Training (TCT) I have lost 20kg in five months. I have joined other gyms but never had good results like I am getting at The Collective. My strength and fitness has improved so much.” 

thecollectivetraining.co.nz

Float Fitness

Float’s owner and fitness fanatic Louise Kirkham loves introducing a new form of exercise to newbies. 

Who is this type of fitness best suited to?
Float Fitness is for anyone looking for a body, mind and soul workout. Whether it’s been five minutes or five years since you last moved your body, there’s a place for you at Float.

What kind of classes do you run?
Our main technique that we offer is AntiGravity Fitness (AGF), an aerial fitness and yoga class in a hammock. AGF is a fusion of pilates, yoga and aerial arts. Some of our classes are restorative with breath work, while others get the heart rate up. We teach non-hammock classes too –UBOUND, which is trampolining to an upbeat soundtrack, Power Yoga (on a yoga mat) and we offer frequent one-off workshops and events such as Laughing Yoga, Floating Meditation, breathing workshops and our sell-out Silky Cocoon to name a few.

What is Float?
In addition to being a fitness studio, we are a community-focused collective of like-minded people coming together to share our journey of health and wellness. We have a retail space offering mindful living products for the active lifestyle as well as sustainable and local gifts for everyone. 

Tell us about the benefits of Float?
Hanging upside down in a hammock releases a whole cocktail of happy hormones – endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin. If you had a really bad day and just want to let it go, there is nothing better than hanging upside down! We often see people rushing in, dropping their stuff and hanging upside down... They always leave elated.

What sets you apart?
Our vision is to provide a one-stop health hub with a luxury boutique studio environment, offering classes and experiences you won’t find down the road. We truly believe that we can improve your physical and mental wellbeing in just a few days. So much so, that we offer a 30-day money back guarantee. If you're not feeling, moving and looking better after your 30 days, we will give you your money back. We believe that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Can I do your classes if I haven’t exercised in ages?
Absolutely! We offer beginner classes and suggest taking two of these before progressing to general classes, but there is no limit so we encourage people to take as many of these as makes them comfortable, for those that need more time to settle in. The hammock offers so much support that the usual strength and flexibility required for yoga and pilates is not necessary here.

Are your classes safe for pregnant women?
Pregnant women definitely do attend our classes. We always remind everyone to listen to their own bodies.

What are you most proud of?
We love the space! The studio is really special and unexpected on the Mount main street. We love the surprise people get when walking into our space. Our studio is custom-built, fitted with 100-year-old wharf beams as the main feature. Our beams are often a real talking point. It’s really unique in itself, and then on top of that, we’re offering a really unique form of exercise that a lot of people haven’t tried before. 

floatfitness.co.nz

The Pilates Fix

Tahlia Charleson talks to UNO about the fitness craze that has taken the Bay by storm – and a few others we’re still totally obsessed with.

Tell us about the benefits of matwork pilates, yoga, meditation and reformer pilates.
When it comes to the benefits of our classes, we could create a never-ending list. Through regular sessions you’ll grow in full-body strength, stability, flexibility and core strength, as well as gain better posture and muscle tone. Despite being so varied, there are common benefits across yoga, pilates, meditation, barre and breath work. All of our classes leave you feeling a combination of relaxed but invigorated. That’s because they’re all linked by breath and mindful movement of the body – some more physically challenging (like pilates and barre), some more soothing (like meditation and breathwork). This leaves you with a deeper connection between your mind and body, and muscle activation in all the right places.

What sets you apart?
From the beautiful environment to the classes, every element of The Pilates Fix is inclusive. Whether young, old, injured, strong, beginner, postpartum or experienced in their practice, we cater to all. Every person who walks through our doors experiences that "Ahh, I’m here!" moment of exhale and tension release. Alongside our vast range of classes (more than any other studio in town) we’ve recently begun a new men’s only class that addresses spinal stiffness, rigidity of movement and helps clients to lengthen without losing strength. 

What can people expect when they come to a class?
There is no rushing, no large classes, and clients know that when they walk through the doors they’ll find exactly what they need. Whether that’s reduced pain, increased strength, improved mental health, confidence, growth, love for yourself, or vitality, you’ll soon find our classes have benefits that go beyond movement. It’s a space where you feel connected – to your body, to the environment and to each other. As part of the Pilates Fix family you’re likely to make friends – many people often assume our members have been friends prior to joining but they’ve all met through our classes. One of our clients described The Pilates Fix as “a slice of paradise where there is no judgment.” And that’s exactly what you can expect when you join us for a class.

What are you most proud of?
My team is the backbone of the Fix family. They add so much value to both the business and our client’s experiences, with their continual upskilling and high level of instruction. Not to mention the level of support they give one another and every single client who walks through our doors. And I’m proud of what my husband and I have brought into downtown Tauranga. With the support of our family and friends, we’ve built something pretty special and it’s only the beginning. 

thepilatesfix.co.nz

Fit for purpose

Editor-turned-fitness-aficionado Hayley Barnett talks setbacks, swimwear and sugar… And approaching the silly season with a renewed sense of purpose.

Ihave a confession to make. I didn’t go to the gym for two weeks. (That’s a lie. It was closer to a month.) But it wasn’t entirely my fault. I was sick for a week with a cold – potentially my fault for attacking my immune system with an awful lot of sugar. Then it rained for days.

You’re probably wondering what the weather’s got to do with going to the gym. Well, it dampens my spirit and my will to move outside of my house is then limited.

Looking back on my life, both these excuses seem to be recurring problems. For me, seasonal depression and sugar addiction go hand in hand. In spring the weather gets warmer, but it also rains more than ever, and the
pressure of attaining that “beach body” starts to build. 

Now, I admit I’ve never actually attained the beach body, partly due to the pressure, but also due to Christmas, New Year’s, my birthday and then Easter. Suddenly I’ve gained an extra five kilos on top of the five I vowed to lose in the first place. 

Keeping all this in mind, I recently returned to the gym with a renewed sense of determination. Not only am I dragging myself out of bed every day to be greeted by the friendly staff at Clubfit Baywave, I’m also pushing myself to try new things. In the past week alone I’ve tried a Body Pump class, a spin class and I’ve even purchased a swimsuit – one of those sporty looking ones with the racerback, just like a real athlete! I’m yet to hop in the pool, but I have high hopes. The fact I don’t look like an athlete in my new swimwear sends my anxiety soaring when I think of stepping out. I look like I haven’t been to the gym in a month. Which is true. 

So I’m back to my three sessions a week and I’ve also shelved the sugar – something I’ve struggled to do my
entire life. Remembering that everything boils down to habits and reinforcing that message every day is crucial to success. Which I guess is why Clubfit is committed to drumming that into its clients. My trainer, Kiriwai’s, voice constantly echoes in my head these days – “Consistency really is the key.”  

clubfit.co.nz