06.20.07

Embrace Your Body

Posted in Fit and Figure, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, image consultant, vacation at 8:40 pm06 by erinstafford

I’m in the south of France at the moment and I just love the French culture’s view on aging.  I’ve been here many times before, as I used to live in France, but I don’t think I was as in tune with the older women here. 

It is so nice to see women well into their 70s and 80s walking along the beach in their bikini’s or lying in the sand topless, while their husband with a potbelly and a speedo lay next to them.  No one stares, no one cares.  Sun bathing is not just for the young.  The same enjoyment of feeling the sun on your skin, hearing the sound of the ocean, and the refreshing feeling of cooling off in the sea can and should be enjoyed by all, regardless of how you look in a bathing suit.

Come to France to see how going to the beach should be.  Everyone is there to enjoy it.  No one cares what you look like.  And old and young mix seamlessly together.  It is so refreshing!

06.06.07

Baby Boomer Before and Afters in Orange County

Posted in Before and After, Fit and Figure, Makeover, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning at 8:40 pm06 by erinstafford

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Here are a few pictures of a recent before and after shoot I did.  This will give you a small idea about how I can help my clients.  Both of these women looked absolutely beautiful and have been receiving rave reviews on their new looks.

This could be you!  Are you ready for a makeover or to update your look?  Call me today!  Erin Stafford Image Consulting 714 351 3849.  www.erinstafford.com    erin@erinstafford.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

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

05.11.07

More Image Tips

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

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

Posted in Color Consultant, Fit and Figure, Plus size, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, fashion advice, fasion blunders, faux pas, image consultant, orange county, style, stylist, wardrobe planning at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

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

Posted in Color Analysis, Color Consultant, Fit and Figure, Plus size, Short waist, 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

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

05.02.07

Going on Vacation? Follow These Packing Tips

Posted in Fit and Figure, baby boomer, baby boomer fashion, baby boomer women, fashion, fashion advice, image consultant, orange county, packing tips, style, stylist, vacation, wardrobe planning, women's interest at 8:40 pm05 by erinstafford

The secret to stress free traveling is to stay light and unencumbered.  Get a small suitcase with wheels so that you don’t have to carry everything. 

- Put each hanging item in a plastic cleaning bag to avoid hard wrinkles.  Then you can either fold it in a standard suitcase or hang it in a garment bag.

- Make a list of what you are putting in each of your bags as you pack for insurance purposes in case your luggage is lost or stolen.

- Cover shoes with shoe mitts or socks to prevent them from getting scratched or from soiling other garments.

- Roll belts, hosiery, and scarves.

- Accessories should be packed in jewelry bags or similar bags to prevent them from snagging garments.  Expensive or fine pieces should be carried on you or in your handbag for added safety. 

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