05.31.07

The Importance of Knowing Your Colors

Posted in Color Analysis, Color Consultant, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, body type, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

Here’s another great quote from Brenda Kinsel’s book 40 Over 40.  If you haven’t read it and you are a woman over 40, or approaching 40, I highly recommend it.

“Wearing flattering colors can make up for lack of sleep.  The right proportions of a suit can knock years and pounds off your driver’s licence….A pleasing, appropriate ensemble can get you a promotion, a date, win your case, give you instant confidence, comfort, and personal pleasure.  Clothes celebrate, announce, advertise, and declare yourself.  You hardly have a more powerful tool for life….The right clothes have the uncanny ability to make you feel at ease, more beautiful, more assured, more ‘yourself’ that you feel with no clothes on at all.”

Spending time and money on your clothes and appearance does not make you vain.  It is important to your self esteem, success, and energy levels to look and feel your best every day.  Go ahead, you deserve it!

05.29.07

When to let go of old clothes

Posted in baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

“No matter what, most old clothes don’t get better with age, they just get antiquated.  And those leftover clothes worn today only make you look older and dated…. Styles do get recycled – in new fabrics, with new details.  If you have items from another era in your closet, give them to the kids and go out and buy the new version…. The thing about expired clothes is that everyone else can see it so much faster than you can.  When you’ve been living with something for long, you tend to make a gazillion excuses for it if you’re not wearing it.” 

Live in the moment, be honest with yourself, and get rid of things that are dated or that you are not wearing.  It is much better to have less clothes that look fabulous on you and that you wear regularly than a closet full of ill fitting clothes that you never wear.

- Quote from Brenda Kinsel’s fabulous book 40 Over 40.

05.27.07

Help Out My Dear Friend Grant Peterson

Posted in fashion at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

I realize this has nothing to do with fashion, but a very dear friend of mine is battling cancer.  He has produced this short video and is looking to raise awareness about his specific type of cancer.  Please take a moment to watch the video and support his cause.  Thank you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUZMzf6wCNo&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbulletin%2Emyspace%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ecfm%3Ffuseaction%3Dbulletin%2Eread%26messageID%3D3554907606%26MyToken%3D10c33405%2Dcd3a%2D449a%2D9f9

05.25.07

Orange County Baby Boomer Jeans

Posted in baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, jeans, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

For all you baby boomer women out there, there is a great brand of jeans made just for you.  They are called Not Your Daughter’s Jeans and you can find them at many department stores and boutiques around Orange County.  They have extra spandex in them to make them nice and comfortable, but they also have a built in tummy cincher to keep everything where it should be.  All of their styles are hip and modern, yet appropriate for those who don’t want their bums or underwear exposed. 

Solutions is a denim boutique in Newport Beach (on 17th St.) and is a great resource for denimwear.  They carry Not Your Daughters jeans and the sales staff are very helpful.  Tell them I sent you.

Isaac Mizrahi for Target – Check it Out!

Posted in Color Consultant, Isaac Mizrahi, Summer Fashion, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, celebrities, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, women's interest at 8:40 am05 by erinstafford

I know Isaaz Mizrahi has been designing a line of clothes for Target for a while now, but if you haven’t checked them out yet, you really must.  His current collection there is fantastic.  It’s full of great summer pieces.  Everything is under $50, so you can’t beat the price.  If you don’t have a Target near you, you can also buy online at www.target.com.

05.23.07

Trying out the Trapeze

Posted in Fit and Figure, Style Diary, Summer Fashion, Trapeze, baby boomer, body type, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

If you are like most women, you want to look current and up to date.  But how do you know when to try out styles that have circus names or to pass on anything having to do with flying through the air while holding on to a metal swing for dear life?  The key is knowing your body type, whether the trend is something you even like, and figuring out how to adapt the trend specifically for you.  It is important that you interpret the trend so that you feel comfortable and that it is the most flattering to your figure.  To help you out, I have broken down this week’s focus of billowy tops and short trapeze dresses for the six major body types.  Find your figure type, and then see how you can adapt these trends to suit your needs. 

HourglassIf you are an hourglass, you have an overall curvy shape.  Your hips and bust are about the same width and you have a well defined waist.  You often have a full bottom and thighs with slim lower legs.   

You have the classic women’s body, so accentuating your waist should be part of your daily look.  Unfortunately, billowy tops are not going to do much for your silhouette, as they hide all of your beautiful womanly curves.  Try pairing a billowy top with a belt to cinch in your waist.   

As you normally have a fuller thigh, short trapeze dresses that hit you right at mid thigh are going to draw attention to your full thighs.  Look for trapeze dresses that are slightly longer or try pairing a trapeze dress with similar colored leggings or tights to create a less obvious divide at your mid thigh. 

TriangleYour hips and thighs are wider than your shoulders and bustline.  You often have a flat tummy and are well proportioned above the waist.  Your hip may broaden right under the waist but is usually widest at your lower hip. 

Billowy tops are great for you because they help create volume on top and balance out your bottom half.  Make sure that your tops do not hit you at the widest part of your hip as this will only draw attention there.  Try to find tops that hit you either above or below the widest part of your hip. 

Trapeze dresses are great for you, as long as they do not get too tight over your hip.  If you find ones that skim over your hips, without being too snug, this will be a great A line look for your body. 

Inverted TriangleYou are broadest through the bust, shoulders, and upper back, narrowing into your waist.  Your hips and thighs are equal to your waist or slightly narrower all around.  You have the classic swimmer’s body. 

You are lucky.  Most models have this body type, so you can wear almost anything.  Billowy tops and trapeze dresses look great on you.  Make sure that you do not overemphasize your shoulders with lots of shoulder detail such as: ruffles, epaulettes, or patch pockets. 

RectangleYou are straight up and down, with a somewhat small bust and little or no waist definition.  You have a columnar silhouette overall.  You may have a fleshy back and slightly short neck, but you tend to have slim arms and legs. 

Billowy tops and trapeze dresses will work well on you, as they will both create more volume below the waist.  Creating volume below will help camouflage your columnar silhouette and give the illusion of a slight waist.  As you tend to have slim legs, the trapeze dress will show them off well.  

OvalYou are broader through the middle and upper torso, with no waist indentation, and often have a full bust and sloping shoulders.  You have proportionately slim legs and arms, with an overall rounded shape, prominent tummy, and flat bottom. 

Be very weary of these two trends.  You want to avoid creating more volume around your midsection. Many oval women feel that they need to hide themselves in voluminous clothing.  This only goes to make your silhouette look larger.   

Find billowy tops that hit you below your widest point for the best look.  When wearing dresses, make sure that the hem is even all the way around.  If you find that your hem is higher in the back, take your dress to a tailor and have them hem the front of the dress so that it hangs evenly when you wear it.    

DiamondYou have narrow shoulders and a small bust and back, with most of your weight distributed through the midriff and waist area.  Sometimes the waist is the largest measurement around your body.  You have a flat bottom, with a natural overall wedge shape. 

These trends are not ideal for you, as they will often create that dreaded maternity look.  To avoid this, try tapering your tops from below the bust and tummy so they are narrower at your waist.   Tapering your tops and dresses will help create a cleaner, slimmer silhouette. 

Once you get a better understanding of your specific body type it is increasingly easier to see if a trend will work for you.  The sooner you stop comparing yourself to your friends that are completely different sizes and shapes than you, the better.  What looks good on them might look awful on you and vice versa.  Not every trend is meant for every body.  Embrace the body you have and learn how to showcase it in its best possible light!

05.19.07

Check out my latest article on Style Diary

Posted in Color Analysis, Color Consultant, Diamond Body type, Fit and Figure, Oval body type, Style Diary, Trapeze, Trapeze tops, body type, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, inverted triangle, orange county, rectangle body type, style, stylist, triangle, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

http://www.stylediary.net/Toolbox.aspx?ArticleId=489

Find out how to adapt billowy tops and trapeze dresses for your body type!

What you don’t know

Posted in AICI, Color Analysis, Color Consultant, Fit and Figure, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, body type, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

I took a day long workshop on Thursday with Judith Rasband, one of the pioneers of the image consulting industry.  She’s been in the industry for over 50 years and has so many great tips to share with us “new” image consultants.  She had a great quote that went like this:

 ”If you don’t know what you don’t know, you don’t know what you’re missing” – Judith Rasband

I think that sums things up very nicely.  If you don’t know how to put yourself together and how to make yourself look your best, then you don’t know how great you COULD look! 

05.16.07

AICI Conference

Posted in AICI at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

I am going to be in Minneapolis for the annual conference of the Association of Image Consultants International.  While there, I will be taking an exam for my next level of certification, taking workshops by industry leaders, learning a ton, and meeting image consultants from all over the world.  It will be an intense few days, but well worth it. 

Forgive me if I don’t update my blog too much while I’m away.  We will be going from 7am – 10pm and I’m not sure how much access there will be to computers.  I’ll be back on the 22nd of May with all the updates.

 Enjoy the rest of your week!

Quick Tips for Long Waisted Women

Posted in Color Consultant, Fit and Figure, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, body type, business, fashion, fashion advice, fasion blunders, image consultant, long waist, orange county, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

Your waist should lie half way between your underarms and the top of your thighs.  If your waist is closer to the top of your thighs, you are considered long waisted.  Try these tips to help balance your proportions:

  • V neck tops
  • Shorter jackets
  • Jackets with a curved rather than straight hem
  • Deeper arm holes in tops
  • Raised waistlines or a wide belt in a color that matches the bottom
  • Narrow skirts with tapered sides
  • Classic straight legged pants
  • A full skirt or wider legged pants will require two inch heels to add length to the leg
  • Hosiery and shoes in colors to match the skirt, pants, or dress
  • A slight heel of a least one inch

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