06.14.07
Prints Charming – The Trick to Putting Prints Together
I’m often asked by my clients if it is possible to wear two different prints together at the same time. The answer is yes, but there are a couple rules that you need to follow.
1) There needs to be a common color base. You don’t want to wear a red, white, and blue stars and stripes with an army green, beige, and brown floral skirt. Stay in the same families or tones of a color.
2) The scale of the patterns can’t be the same. One pattern needs to be more dominant. Giant orange and white checks with a bold orange and pumpkin paisley wouldn’t work. However, the orange and pumpkin paisley could work well with a cream scarf that has a faint orange pin stripe. The paisley would not have to compete with the scarf and the look would work.
More tips next time!
06.02.07
Clothing Messages – What are your clothes saying about you?
Your clothes are speaking whether you want them to or not. What are yours saying about you?
Color
Navy, gray, black, and other dark shades say professional, authoritative, “I mean business.” Light, bright colors, especially when two or more are put together give a message of playfulness, casualness, “We’re having fun now!”
Texture
Smooth fabrics in tight weaves say, “I’m efficient, professional; I’ll get the job done.” Nubby tweeds, loose weaves, mixing and matching textures is more friendly, approachable, cozy.
Pattern
Little or no pattern is more serious, authoritative; big abstract prints (think Hawaiian shirts) say fun, fun, fun; little floral prints say, “I’m sweet.”
Line
Vertical, straight up and down lines are more formal, rigid. Think pinstripe suits worn in the banking world. Curved, circular, or meandering lines are more playful, sensual, inviting.
Accessories
Shiny gold is most formal, next comes silver. Matte finishes or colored metals are more informal; jewelry made from wood, paper, or fabric is taken less seriously and is not seen as very important.
This is again from Brenda Kinsel’s book 40 Over 40.
05.31.07
The Importance of Knowing Your Colors
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!
05.25.07
Isaac Mizrahi for Target – Check it Out!
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.
05.19.07
Check out my latest article on Style Diary
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
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
Quick Tips for Long Waisted Women
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
05.11.07
More Image Tips
Here are a few more things to keep in mind regarding your image. Make sure your image isn’t speaking a completely different language than you!
Tangerine Legs – In Orange County, where everyone thinks they need to be tan year round, fake tanner abounds. The problem is that you end up with bright orange legs. There is nothing that screams CHEAP quicker than someone with streaky orange legs. You are much better off with whiter legs than with orange ones.
Brightly Painted Nails – Every woman loves getting her nails done. There is something so relaxing about having someone massage your hands and feet and do your nails without having to lift a finger. The problem begins when we get carried away with bright colors, rhinestones, and painted designs on our nails. Keep your image looking classy and professional with a simple french manicure, or soft colored polish…anything else will cheapen your appearance.
Scuffed Shoes – Men are pretty good about polishing their shoes, but for some reason, us women tend to forget about them. Maybe it’s because we have many more shoes than men, but we still need to make sure that our shoes are always polished. There’s no point having a great outfit on if your shoes are a mess. It throws off your look, makes you look shabby, and shows that you don’t have much attention to detail. Like so many things in life, it’s the little things that make a big difference in how you are perceived.
05.10.07
Classic OC Women’s Fashion Blunders
We all make mistakes when it comes to our images. Here are a some of the classic fashion faux pas that many women do daily. Take note. What is your image saying about you?
Wearing the wrong size bra – this not only makes you look fat by creating unnessesary lumps on your back, but it can make your boobs look saggy. Spend the time and money getting fitted and finding a few great bras. Your silhouette and the way your clothes fit will be greatly improved.
Buying clothes that are too small just because they are “your size.” Every designer has their own sizing strategy. Just because you most often wear a size 8 doesn’t mean that you will fit in to every size 8. I have things in my closet that range from a size 2 to a size 8…and believe me, if I lay them out, they are all almost exactly the same size. It’s not you, it’s the clothes. Buy the ones that fit. Your silhouette will thank you!!
Skirts that are too short. Unless you are Tina Turner or are under 25, miniskirts are really not that attractive. A hem that hits you right below the knee is ideal for most women, as that is usually the thinnest part of the leg. When the hem hits you there, the eye is drawn to that thin part of the leg.
Uneven hems. If you have a larger bottom and find that skirts and dresses tend to be shorter in the back than in the front when you put them on, get the front hemmed. It doens’t matter if it is uneven when you take it off, as long as it is even when you are wearing it. An uneven hem, just makes you look bigger and draws attention to your rear.
Ok, that’s it for today. Tune in tomorrow for some more simple tips.
05.07.07
Quick Tips for Short Waisted Women in Orange County
The waist should lie half way between the underarms and the top of the thighs. If your waist is closer to your underarms, you are considered short waisted. Here are a few suggestions for how to compensate for this irregularity and help create the illusion of a longer waist:
§ Jackets and vests extending to below the hip bone
§ Jackets matched to the skirt or pants to eliminate horizontal lines at the waist
§ Tunic sweaters and tops
§ Waist-less garments
§ Narrow belts in a color matching your top
§ Stitched down pleated skirts
§ Slim skirts with minimal gathers at the waist
