Mini Tip

I was recently asked if I follow the one year rule with my clothes. That is, if you don't wear something for an entire year, it is probably time to get rid of it. I can't say that I follow this rule without exception, but I do believe it is a pretty good way to keep from becoming a pack rat, or hanging on to clothes that you will never wear.

When I get ready to spring clean and reorganize my closet, I have begun a new practice for weeding out pieces that I haven't worn in a long time. In my dresser drawers, I fold clothes in three piles:  "Sometimes," "Always," and "Never" wear.  The "Sometimes" and "Always" piles are clothes I know I wear and will keep. The "Never" pile are clothes that I probably wear once a year.  The rule is that I have to wear a piece from that stack of clothing every day for a week (or until I get through the stack). If I don't wear an item by the end of the stack, it has to go. 

Another new rule that I am attempting to follow:  If it is too big, take it to a tailor. Too small? Donate or consign.

10 Must-Have Items!!! continued...

6. Belts - Yes, belts. I was afraid of buying belts or never thought I would wear them (and usually didn’t until recently). Now I am a belt addict and wear them whenever I can incorporate one into my outfit.  They do a fantastic job at giving what would be a shapeless ensemble some definition and form. Not to mention accentuating your curves with a defined waistline! Pencil thin belts in bright colors add a little interest when you’re in a black mood.

7. Lingerie/Shapewear - I put these two together because I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn my Spanx. But when you need them, you NEED them, so you should have some (or some version of them) at the ready. Pretty lingerie is a great mood enhancer. Feeling glum and refuse to wear anything but sweats?? Slip on some slinky panties under the comfy fleece and you will walk through the grocery with a little cheshire cat grin regarding your secret.

8. Party tops - What is a party top, you ask? There are no real rules with this one, just find a fun top that takes you a little out of your comfort zone style-wise or which seems a little fancy. Go for something sparkly, one-shouldered, or brightly-colored. Just a few of these fun tops will get you through weddings, nights on the town, or even work events. Pair them with jeans and black pants or skirts as a start.

9. Tshirts - I’m not talking the free tshirt you got from the last fundraiser event you participated with. Find some good quality, lightweight tshirts in your favorite colors. Target has great tshirts. Find a shape that works for your body type. If you are smaller framed, a crewneck shirt works well. If you have a round face, try a v-neck shirt instead. Unsure? Just try a few different styles to see which work for you.

10. A GREAT hair stylist - Ok, I know it’s not a piece of clothing, but your hair is certainly part of your style. Find a stylist who you feel comfortable enough with that you can tell her/him if you don’t like the style she/he gives you. It is perfectly fine to bring a picture of a style you like, but that doesn’t mean the stylist will make you look like the picture. Your hair can make your look complete. Have fun with it and change it up every now and then. It will grow back, I promise!!! I’ve seen so many women treat their hair as a security blanket, keeping the same style for so long, they are terrified to change. Change can be a great thing, so go for it!! If you need an incentive to cut long hair short, ask if the salon supports Locks of Love and donate your hair to be used for a cancer patient’s wig.  www.locksoflove.org

10 Must-Have Items!!!

I’ve had a few requests to talk about closet must-haves and staples that will get your wardrobe through the hot summer. It’s July already so we better get to it! These are not even necessarily JUST for summer. I like to have clothing that I can wear year-round. This is especially important these days, as we are all trying to save a few bucks.

The fashion “gurus” will tell you to make sure you have a little black dress, white blouse, trench coat, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I’m an enigma, but I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn a white blouse.  These are items that will always be classics, so they are always safe choices when building a wardrobe. But I’m going to put a few new must-have items to the test, and you can tell me what you think. (ok, most of them aren't so new)

1. Neutrals - Try to find bottoms (pants, skirts, shorts, etc) in neutrals. Search until you find one of each that fits you as close to perfect as possible. These are the items that you will wear again and again, by pairing them with any and all kinds of tops.
2. Dresses - The dress is back! And they are the easiest outfit to put together because you only have one piece to worry about. Find a style that accentuates your best features and buy the same style in all types of fabrics, prints and colors.
3. Jeans - If you don’t already have a favorite pair of jeans that makes you look and feel FANTASTIC, it is time to face the music. I know it is a daunting task, but try and try again until you find the perfect pair. You will need one for every day wear (maybe a lighter wash) and one for dressier events (darker washes work better for evening and casual Fridays at work).
4. Layering pieces - sleeveless shells can take you from summer to winter by layering blouses, sweaters, vests, jackets and belts on top of them. Find a couple in colors that you like and get a few that are neutral: gray, brown, black, navy or tan.
5. Shoes - Well, duh, of course you need shoes! But how many (or how few) can you have and still have a pair for every situation? I would recommend five pairs as a start:  tennis shoes (pumas come in great colors, are cute and comfortable!);  pumps (when in doubt, go black);  flats (open toe for summer or slightly pointy for fall);  sandals (wedges, gladiators); dressy heels (don’t go for too comfortable here, just pick something in which you feel sassy).  

Next 5 coming up soon!!!

I almost resent the whole fashion thing. Never wearing the same thing twice and all of those things. It’s a pain in the ass. --Jennifer Aniston

Ha! I had to laugh when I read this quote from Jennifer Aniston. There are many days when I want to walk out of the house in my workout shorts and flip flops, and there are some days that I do walk out of the house in workout shorts and flip flops (and sunglasses and a big hat). Looking put together every day is not nearly effortless. It takes planning, organization and creativity. There are some days (especially lately) when style is not necessarily a top priority. These days, we are more concerned with getting to work early enough and staying late enough so that we can keep our jobs. How sad!! 

However, if you are willing to set aside a few hours to go through your closet and reconfigure how your clothes are organized, I guarantee you will breathe new life into your wardrobe. You will also make it easier to put outfits together each day, getting you to work even earlier (Yaaay...)  Take a baby step: hang all of your pants next to each other in the closet; then hang your skirts side-by-side; are you getting the picture? Once you have organized things in this way, you can take a blouse off the rack and hold it over your pants and skirts until you get a match that you like. 

Too easy? Ok, smarty. Take out a skirt, a pair of pants and a few different tops. Try to make a week’s worth of outfits with those pieces. You can use any accessories and shoes that you like to change things up each day. How did you do? Give me some comments about your experience!

I'm working on the 10 items you need in your closet and will post it soon, I promise!!

“Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”--coco chanel

I trust that everyone had a fantastically fabulous 4th of July weekend. Were there fireworks where you were??  I missed them this year (we couldn’t even find sparklers!), but I did find some bright and sparkly prints. This summer should be about bright colors and fun prints. After all, we need something to brighten up the sad state of our economy and job market. I’ve put a few examples of these on the side. All are from Nordstrom and are under $100. www.nordstrom.com

My inspiration outfit this week shows how color can be done without looking like a 10-year-old girl. You don’t have to take it this far, but knowing that certain colors can be worn together will increase the number of outfits you can get out of your closet. Color is a great accessory.  And all of these tops will look great with these $25 boot-cut jeans from Old Navy.

Create your own fireworks!

To jump or not to jump?

SO....I went on a shopping venture this past weekend, and among the sparsely filled racks, I found a few interesting items. One that caught my eye was the jumpers, rompers, onsies, top-attached-to-shorts, or whatever terminology you would like to use. I don't mean a jumper as in what you would call a sweater if you lived in England. I mean jumper like the pictures on the left. Shorts or pants attached to top.

Now, I LOVE this idea. Not having to come up with a top AND bottom for an outfit, but having it all in one piece that you simply step into?? Sign me up. However, I was completely terrified of the length of these things. There just didn't seem to be enough bottom to balance out the top.

I have just crossed the comfort zone line with most of you, I would guess. Never fear, we will soon return to the more practical fashion entries. But for now, I'm pushing the envelope and looking for comments from you regarding the romper. Would you wear something like this? I think they look totally cute when done the right way and with the correct fit: a key element to successfully pulling off the romper.

In addition to the jumpsuits, I saw a bouquet of flowers on everything. Flower printed dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, bermudas....no item of clothing was safe from the flower print. I don't mind a good flower print (not in the Laura Ashley sense of the word, mind you) every now and again, but seeing a bunch of different flower prints in one store was a little more than I could take.

Value tip from the day: The store Fab'rik has very cute pieces for your money. The sizes vary; some run small and others run a bit large, so you definitely have to try on and see what works. There are a few locations in NC, VA, TX, and GA (among others).

Bad fashion from the day: As I was walking through one store, I noticed a girl in what looked like her pajamas. Apparently, life was too rough that morning to change out of the clothes in which she had just slept. In addition to wearing the pajama pants, she had them slouched down so low, I saw directly down the back of them through to her feet. I really could have done without that show first thing in the morning, ya know? Maybe she could have used a jumper!