07.25.07
When to Walk Away
When you’re on a mission for a specific item and you’re not finding it in the store, walk away. Don’t force solutions where there aren’t any. New merchandise arrives every week. Ask a helpful sales associate about the schedule of arrivals. Try again later.
If you find what you’re looking for, but it’s not in a flattering color, walk away. Fifty percent isn’t enough. Leave the store empty-handed.
Remember when you’re trying on clothes that 90 percent of what you bring into your dressing room may bomb. Don’t get discouraged. Twelve dresses in a row can be awful. That can be useful because when the thirteenth one slips over your head and is gorgeous, it’s easier to see by comparison how truly right it is.
The point is to buy clothes that are fantastic, fit well, and make you feel fabulous in them. You should never settle for just any old thing, just because you feel like buying something new. It will only hang in your closet with the tags still on with the rest of the clothes you never really liked. What a waste of money and space. Have the discipline to only buy things you love! You’re image will adore you for it!
* From the lovely Brenda Kinsel’s fabulous book 40 Over 40
07.05.07
Summer Sandals in the OC
I know living in Orange County we can all get a little lazy when it comes to wearing flip flops everyday in the summer time. I am guilty of this all too often myself. This summer I am really trying not to wear them everyday. They are fine if you are going to the beach or heading to the pool or at a VERY casual occasion. But the reality is, there are so many cute, dressier, flat, comfy sandals that you could wear just as easily. Invest in a couple pair of these. Wear them with your sun dresses, skirts, linen pants, or jeans and you will look much more put together and little less beach bum.
06.18.07
The Importance of Having Basics in Your Wardrobe for Baby Boomers
One of the best pieces of advice I could give any baby boomer woman, or any woman for that matter, who is looking to update her wardrobe is to make sure you have lots of basic tops and tanks. Make sure you own black, white, cream, and beige short sleeve tees and tanks. You should have at least two of each color and style. I cannot tell you how much you will wear these.
Layering solid colored tees and tanks under lower cut tops or dresses allows you to look on trend, but keeps your cleavage or arms covered to make you feel more comfortable. You can also layer these under funky blazers and jackets to look instantly updated. When you wear something that is more modern or trendy, pair it with one of your solid colored tops so that they are not competing and so you don’t look like you are trying too hard to be young! I want you to look chic and modern without looking like you are trying to compete with every 18 year old out there.
Find solid tops that fit you well and buy lots of them! Most are cotton, so they need to be replaced every season or so, as they get fadded or worn out easily. Keep a constant rotation of these in your closet. When winter rolls around, substitue long sleeved tops in place of the tanks.
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!
06.11.07
Packing for a Vacation
I’m leaving for a month long vacation on Friday and I was starting to think about what I would bring. I have travelled a lot, so I have got this packing thing down pretty well. I’m not the type that plans for weeks what I’ll bring.
The key to not over packing is to make sure that every piece of clothing you bring serves more than one purpose. Don’t pack an entire outfit that doesn’t match anything else you are bringing…it limits your choices. I tend to like skirts and tops for warm places because skirts can be dressed up or down. You can wear the same skirt to the beach with a tank top and flip flops that you can wear out to dinner with a nicer top, blazer, and strappy sandals. The tops that you bring for your skirts can also be worn with your jeans, linen pants, and other skirts of the same color combinations.
Here’s an example of what I’ll be bringing with me…keep in mind we will be at the beach for a month:
1 pair of jeans
4 skirts
8 tops
3 sundresses that can be dressed up or down
2 cardigan sweaters
3 bathing suits
2 pair of pajamas
2 work out outfits
1 pair of beach flip flops
1 pair of dressier sandals
1 pair of running shoes
All of the clothes that I’m bringing can be mixed and matched with each other to give me countless outfits. Packing like this will mean I will be covered for any type of situation. I can’t wait to get there!
06.09.07
Women Helping Women
I had the great pleasure of sitting next to Jeanne Flint, the executive director of Women Helping Women at an event last week. She truly is an amazing person and the work that her non profit does to help women reenter the work force is phenomenal.
After a follow up meeting, I have decided to incorporate her organization into my business by donating all of the clothing that my clients get rid of to her group. I will also be giving a few workshops throughout the year to her staff and her clients about dressing for success.
I urge you to donate your clothes as well instead of taking them to the Good Will yourself. Even if the clothes you are tossing are not in good shape and you think no one will be able to wear them to an interview, give them to Women Helping Women anyways. They have a system set up with the Good Will where they get Good Will vouchers for all clothing that they donate. They can then “buy” clothes that their women will be able to use.
Not only do they help women find professional clothes, they offer career advice, computer training, a computer lab, etc. I strongly suggest you check out what this amazing woman and her organization are doing to help our society. I wish we could all be more like them.
06.06.07
Baby Boomer Before and Afters in Orange County
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
Cleaning Out Your Closet in the OC
It’s time to take stock of what you’ve got. Grocery shopping is much easier when you have a list right? Same idea with shopping. If you know what you need and what you are looking for, then you can have more focus and not get carried away while shopping.
Go through your closet and write down how many pants you have THAT YOU WEAR, how many skirts, tops, sweaters, dresses, etc. I’m not talking about the ones that have been hanging in your closet for years that you haven’t worn once. I am talking about the clothes that you actually wear. We will address the clothes you don’t wear later.
Once you realize that you have 10 pairs of pants and only two tops that you like, you can start understanding why it is so difficult to get dressed in the morning. After you’ve established the holes in your wardrobe, make your list more specific so that you can shop for tops to match all those pants easily. So write down: navy pin stripe pants, brown tweed pants, black wide leg trousers, etc. Have an exact list so you can find tops to go with those items.
This is just the start of organizing your closet and making shopping easier.
06.04.07
Updating Your Image – What to think about
If you are looking to update your image, here is an exercise you can do to help you figure out what you want from your new look. It’s called moving away from and moving towards. Here’s how it works.
Take a piece of paper out and divide it into two columns. At the top of the left column write “moving away from,” and at the top of the right column write “moving towards.” Then start making a list of what you would like to move away from and what you’d like to move towards. For example: move away from soccer mom who throws on whatever clothes I find, and move towards polished mom who always looks put together. Move away from being invisible and move towards having a greater presence.
Write down as many things as you’d like. This sheet will then function as a guide for your image update. It forces you to focus on what you want out of your new image and will give you some direction when you are feeling lost. You can update this sheet as often as you like, as your tastes and needs change. Enjoy!
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.
